Nemo Rangers 2-11
Newcestown 0-11
JJ HURLEY REPORTS
NEWCESTOWN were left to rue missed chances as they bowed out of the McCarthy Insurance Premier Senior Football Championship at Cloughduv on Sunday.
In truth, Newcestown were the architects of their own downfall as they hit 10 wides over the hour, eight coming in the first half.
Reflecting on the wide tally, manager Jim O’Sullivan said, ‘That a number of shots also fell short into the goalkeeper’s hands and one of those ended up becoming a goal for them, they punished us big time.’
Certainly no one could question the Carbery men’s application.
‘I thought we played very well as related to our performance. Any player putting on a Newcestown jersey is going to give it his all, and I can’t complain about our performance over 60 minutes, just our scoring rate was poor,’ O’Sullivan added.
Newcestown certainly brought the fight to the Capwell men in the opening minute as David Buckley landed a point but they fell to a sucker-punch as Barry Cripps finished a Kevin O’Donovan pass to the net on four minutes.
Sean O’Donovan almost responded with a goal moments later but Nemo’s defence cleared it off the line. Mark Cronin added another point as Newcestown captain Luke Meade, Michael McSweeney and Buckley had the scores level after ten minutes, 1-1 to 0-4. Newcestown suffered a blow during those few minutes as they came back into the contest when the influential Buckley was forced from the play with an injury.
Nemo were making more of their scoring opportunities as Mark Cronin, Alan O’Donovan and Ross Corkery all added points. With Newcestown needing to respond, Sean O’Donovan and Richard O’Sullivan added a brace to their tally. Paul Kerrigan had the final say of the half with a point to leave the interval score at 1-5 to 0-6.
If Newcestown fans were expecting their side to come out of the blocks first they were disappointed as Cronin, Kerrigan and Eoin Nation had white flags to a single response from O’Sullivan. However, the introduction of Carthach Keane, who was very lively, left only a goal between the sides as he pointed a pass from Michael Sweeney.
It proved to be a false dawn when O’Donovan set up his second goal of the match as Cork U20 Bryan Hayes made no mistake on 39 minutes, with the score at 2-8 to 0-8.
To be fair, the Carbery men never gave up as Keane (2) and Olan Walsh levelled the Nemo tally for the remaining period, as Cronin (2) and Kerrigan added to the city men’s score, but unable to make any goal opportunities Newcestown missed out on the knock-out stages in their first season back at the premier senior grade.
Our Star: Mark Cronin and Kevin O’Donovan impressed for Nemo but when Newcestown needed to stay in this fight Carthnach Keane’s three second-half points were crucial.
Scorers
Nemo Rangers: M Cronin 0-5 (1f); B Hayes, B Cripps 1-0 each; P Kerrigan 0-3; E Nation, R Corkery, A O’Donovan 0-1 each.
Newcestown: C Keane 0-3; D Buckley (1 45), R O’Sullivan (2f) 0-2 each; M McSweeney, L Meade, O Walsh, S O’Donovan 0-1 each.
Nemo Rangers: M Aodh Martin; E Nation, C Molloy, B Murphy; K O’Donovan, A Cronin, S Cronin; A O’Donovan, B Cripps; C Horgan, R Dalton, O Whyte; R Corkery, M Cronin, P Kerrigan.
Subs: B Hayes for Dalton (39), J Horgan for Whyte (39), C Shalloe for Hayes (57).
Newcestown: C White; J Kelleher, C Twomey, C Donovan; R O’Sullivan, M McSweeney, L Meade; F Keane, C Goggin; N Kelly, T Twomey, C Dineen; O Walsh, S O’Donovan, D Buckley.
Subs: J Kelleher for David Buckley (9, inj), C Keane for Kelly (50), J Kenneally for F Keane (50).
Referee: D Murnane (Macroom).
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