BANTRY BLUES 2-20
NEMO RANGERS 1-13
GER McCARTHY REPORTS
ARTHUR Coakley kicked 1-9 as Bantry Blues began their McCarthy Insurance Premier IFC campaign with a Group 2 victory over Nemo Rangers.
Premier senior clubs intent on playing defensively with 15 players behind the ball, take note. Supporters of both Bantry and Nemo certainly got their money’s worth in Enniskeane on Sunday night. Thirty-six scores and a plethora of standout individual displays made this clash one to remember.
Losing county finalists for the past two seasons, Bantry Blues issued an early statement of intent. This was a thoroughly deserved win for the West Cork side despite only needing five scorers over the hour.
The Blues deservedly won on the back of Arthur Coakley’s 1-9, Ruairí Deane’s work rate and assists for both goals plus Kevin Casey, Kevin Coakley, Ronan O’Mahony, James Casey and Shane Keevers played starring roles.
Stronger tests lie ahead but a Bantry team that has suffered the heartache of back-to-back county final losses looks primed for another tilt at the Premier IFC crown.
‘All of our games seem to be of a high quality and attack, attack, attack! I don’t know if it is good for me!’ Bantry Blues manager David O’Donovan said
‘We were very wary of Nemo coming here this evening. They have five forwards that were playing at the premier senior grade last year so we knew they would have a lot of quality.
‘Look, it was a high-quality match thanks to both teams (approach). Our fitness probably kicked in the end. We have a lot of work done over the last six weeks since we got everyone back together. Everyone is just delighted to get the win.’
It was score for score during a high-tempo opening half that ended with Bantry changing ends 1-9 to 1-7 ahead. In that time, Mark Óg O’Sullivan began a swift move that ended with Ruairí Deane finding Arthur Coakley to palm to the net after four minutes. Nemo’s response took less than 120 seconds. Goalkeeper Michael Casey was expertly dispossessed by Conor Horgan and Nemo’s corner forward fired the loose ball into an empty net.
Arthur Coakley tormented the Nemo defence during the first half and was denied a goal by a terrific Donagh O’Leary save tipped over the crossbar.
The second period proved just as frenetic as the first. The excellent Conor Horgan and Gary Sayers (free) brought parity to the score soon after the restart. Bantry woke up and Ruairí Deane’s second assist helped Kevin Casey find the net to make it 2-9 to 1-9.
A flurry of scores preceded Shane Keevers and Coakley extending the Carbery side’s advantage, 2-13 to 1-11, before Ruairí Deane finally got his name on the scoresheet by converting the first of two frees.
Nemo’s Shane O’Dwyer reduced the deficit but another cracking Arthur Coakley point stretched the Carbery team’s lead to seven with less than ten minutes to go.
From there, Bantry kept their opponents at arm’s length and saw out the remaining time to register a ten-point win.
Scorers
Bantry Blues: A Coakley 1-9; K Casey 1-3; J Casey 0-4; S Keevers, R Deane (2f) 0-2 each.
Nemo Rangers: C Horgan 1-4, J Coogan (0-1 free), G Sayers (0-2 frees) 0-3 each, C Cusack, C Dalton, S O’Dwyer 0-1 each.
Bantry Blues: M Casey; S Thornton, R O’Mahony, E Minihane; M Óg O’Sullivan, E O’Shea, C Cronin; S O’Leary, K Coakley; S Keevers, R Deane, J Casey; A Coakley, K Casey, D McCarthy.
Sub: B Foley for R O’Mahony (37).
Nemo Rangers: D O’Leary; A McGowan, M Hill, S O’Dwyer; D Quinn, A Cronin, C Shaloe; B O’Neill, C Cusack; C Dalton, G Sayers, C Kiely; E Mangan, J Coogan, C Horgan.
Subs: B Hayes for E Mangan (ht), B Garylanes for C Kiely (42).
Referee: I McCarthy (Bandon).
