Bon Secours Cork Premier Senior Football Final

Nemo Rangers 1-16 St Finbarrs 2-9

By Dylan O'Connell at Páirc Uí Chaoimh

Nemo Rangers are the Cork Premier Senior Football Champions in their centenary year after overcoming St Finbarr’s 1-16 to 2-9 at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday evening.

The result also puts an end to the Barr’s pursuit of an elusive hurling and football double, a feat last achieved in 1982 by the club.

None of the history mattered when the ball was thrown in at 4pm, as this is one of the hottest rivals in Cork sport.

For a south-side derby, the opening to this game felt more like a western as the two teams engaged in a shot for shot duel in the opening ten minutes.

Ronan Dalton knocked over the first score inside sixty seconds and Ian Maguire responded straight away.

Eoin McGreevy and Steven Sherlock combined and two points saw St Finbarr’s edge into a one point advantage.

Nemo, who have not lost to their southside rivals since a fourth round meeting in 2012, blinked and immediately took control of this final.

They hit six scores between Sherlock’s point and the half-time whistle and they only missed one opportunity, and it was corner back Kevin O’Donovan who hit this.

Luke Connolly raked up four points in the first half, with three of those from frees. Conor Horgan put over three scores from Nemo, and each one of these was from open play.

Their defensive highlight was a double save from goalkeeper Micheal Aodh Martin, who dived twice to deny Sherlock and Colin Lyons.

The Barr’s frustrations were made worse by the fact that Sherlock missed the resulting 45.

Nemo added to their 0-9 to 0-4 half-time lead with another score from open play by Connolly. The corner forward should have got a goal after this but he was denied with a stunning low save from John Kerins.

The heroics of the goalkeeper were undone with a short kick-out that went to Conor Horgan and the half-forward lobbed Kerins for Nemo’s first goal of the game.

Nemo added two more scores then through Connolly and Dalton, who both curled the ball over from open play.

A long ball over the top by Eoin McGreevy found Brian Hayes and the forward wedged the ball underneath Martin to make it 1-6 to 1-13.

The Barr’s rallied to try and a goal from Billy Hennessy combined with scores from Sherlock and Ben O’Connor reduced Nemo’s lead to just three points.

A breakaway score with 30 seconds left by substitute Kieran O’Sullivan gave Nemo a four point cushion and it secured the Cork Premier Senior Football Championship title.

Scorers for Nemo Rangers: Ronan Dalton (0-2), Conor Horgan (1-3), Luke Connolly (0-8 (5f), Barry O’Driscoll (0-1), Kevin O’Donovan (0-1), Kieran O’Sullivan (0-1).

Scorers for St Finbarr’s: Ian Maguire (0-1), Eoin McGreevey (0-1), Steven Sherlock (0-6 (5f), Brian Hayes (1-0), Billy Hennessy (1-0), Ben O’Connor (0-1).

Nemo Rangers: Micheal Aodh Martin; Kieran Histon, Brian Murphy, Kevin O’Donovan, Ciaran McCartan, Stephen Cronin, Kevin Fulignati, Barry Cripps, Alan O’Donovan, Conor Horgan, Ronan Dalton, Jack Horgan, Mark Cronin, Barry O’Driscoll, Luke Connolly.

Subs: Paul Kerrigan for Ronan Dalton (46), Luke Horgan for Jack Horgan (53), Ciaran Dalton for Conor Horgan (53), Kieran O’Sullivan for Kevin Fulignati (55), Conor O’Donovan for Barry Cripps (60).

St Finbarr’s: Paul Kerins; Sam Ryan, Jamie Burns, Colm Scully, Colin Lyons, Billy Hennessy, Alan O’Connor, Ian Maguire, Eoin Comyns, Ethan Twomey, Steven Sherlock, Brian Hayes, Enda Dennehy, Eoin McGreevey, Cillian Myers Murray.

Subs: Ben O’Connor for Ethan Twomey (ht), Dylan Quinn for Eoin Comyns (32), Conor Denney for Cillian Myers Murray (40), Adam Lyne for Enda Dennehy (55).

Referee: Alan Long (Argideen Rangers)