Carrigaline pay penalty as Nemo Rangers strike late to reach fifth consecutive Premier SFC final
Briain Murphy reacts to his point in Nemo Rangers' narrow Premier SFC semi-final victory over Carrigaline at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Picture: Larry Cummins
Nemo Rangers have done it again. But should we even be surprised?
Robbie O’Dwyer’s charges delivered another ice-cold added-time performance, sealing a fifth successive Premier Senior Football Championship final appearance.
Carrigaline pushed them so agonisingly close in this second half. They will be absolutely distraught not to have, at the very least, forced extra time. The final 10 minutes were simply enthralling.
Carrigaline had fought back and led twice in that latter period, but Mark Cronin drew the sides level for a fifth time in the second half on 53 minutes, 0-14 apiece, game on.
Jack McCarthy thundered forward for the immediate response to add four to his tally, but uncharacteristically, he struck wide.
Kevin O’Donovan, who had been tasked with sticking to Brian O’Driscoll and doing everything in his power to frustrate him, starred in that very role. He then took the Carrigaline harassment to another level, when he slipped into a goal-threatening position and received the pass from Luke Horgan.
O’Donovan swivelled, looking for room to get his shot away, but was hacked down by two Carrig shirts, and John Ryan’s whistle went for a penalty.
Mark Cronin – who epitomised Nemo’s nerveless display more than anyone on Saturday – stepped up to slot it casually beyond Ryan Delaney, 1-14 to 0-14.
It took Carrigaline three minutes to conjure their response, but what an awesome response it was. O’Driscoll to Éanna Desmond, Desmond to Brian Coakley, straight between the posts from downtown. Back to a one-point game.
Added-time keep-ball followed.
Nemo were near faultless in this period, Jack Horgan in particular, as they took it from side to side, watching and waiting as Carrig’s clock bled out. Their opponents eventually forced a turnover, after three painfully long minutes.
Fortunate to avoid the concession of a free, Carrigaline surged forward and O’Driscoll attacked at Nemo’s right flank. He closed the space to goal, went to fist over, but it dropped short and into the net.
Nemo took the free out quickly but lost possession again. Brian Coakley began one last attack in the 64th minute. He fed O’Driscoll, and he found Callum Barrett on Nemo’s left. Barrett’s curling effort looked destined to level it, only to tail off and canon back off the post.
Nemo swept up the danger, and then they pounced.
Horgan passed to Alan O’Donovan. He carried before offloading to Ronan Dalton, and there was Dara O’Sullivan, right in front of the posts, ready to slot over and stamp their ticket to the final.
Certainly, Nemo could thank fortune. But Nemo have made a habit of making their own luck, and they did so again here.
They had started with a pop, Cronin and Ross Corkery knocking over a couple of two-pointers inside the first five minutes, and they would lead for the remainder of the half.
Carrigaline played well in patches, Desmond in particular was immense. He would finish with 0-6 and keep them in the fight throughout the cagey opening half.
By the interval it was 0-10 to 0-7, Nemo deservedly ahead, but they were sub-par at best in front of the posts. Their stars from the quarter-final – Ross Corkery and Brian Hayes – were the first to be withdrawn. But such is the depth the Trabeg side possess, it was no problem.
Still, the second half would look uncertain for long spells. Brian Coakley and O’Driscoll levelled it within four minutes of the restart. They would go in front on 39 minutes after a brilliant point from Desmond, who raised a fist toward the crowd.
Carrig could sense the favourites were vulnerable. Carrig could sense the potential shift in the dynamics of Cork’s premier football.
While Nemo responded to retake the lead through Cronin and Luke Horgan, again Carrigaline moved in front once more. McCarthy hit one, then Brian Coakley had the finger in the air as hit the next on 51 minutes, leaving it 0-14 to 0-13.
But Nemo would swiftly remind everyone of their inevitability.
M Cronin 1-7 (1-0 pen, 1 tp, 1 tpf, 0-1 f), R Corkery (tp), B Murphy 0-2 each, L Horgan, R Dalton, B Hayes, D O’Sullivan 0-1 each.
E Desmond 0-6 (0-1 f), B Coakley 0-5 (2 tp), J McCarthy 0-3, B O’Driscoll, N Coakley 0-1 each.
MA Martin; K Histon, C Molloy, M Hill; J Horgan, K O'Donovan, S Cronin; A O’Donovan, B Murphy; M Cronin, L Horgan, C Shalloe; R Corkery, R Dalton, B Hayes.
D O’Sullivan for Corkery (41), C Horgan for Hayes (50), C Moore for L Horgan (58).
R Delaney; B Murphy, C O’Herlihy, Kieran Kavanagh; D Griffin, C Barry, Kevin Kavanagh; P Mellett, J McCarthy; D Greene, B O’Driscoll, E Desmond; K O’Reilly, B Coakley, N Coakley.
F O’Connell for Murphy, C Barrett for Greene (both 44).
J Ryan (Macroom)
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