The Bantry Blues GAA Club

 Blue day for Bantry as Nemo run rampant to take title

Nemo Rangers 1-14
Bantry Blues 0-6
By Tony Leen of the Examiner

NEMO RANGERS clinched back-to-back Cork senior football titles yesterday with an emphatic dismantling of Bantry Blues at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

The victory gave the Cork club their 12th title since 1972, joining the now-defunct Lees club at the head of Cork’s football roll of honour.

Now another provincial club championship looms, and don’t hold your breath on an early exit.

A little cameo between the 17th and 23rd minutes of yesterday’s final, played out in front of 9,147 supporters, probably explained the difference between Nemo and the rest.

When Bantry corner forward Declan Barron escaped the attention of Nemo corner back Ivan Gibbons to land his second point in the 17th minute, he levelled the scores for the last time at 0-4 each.

Blue tails were up and Nemo looked unsettled, with Steven O’Brien booked for a reckless challenge around midfield. Then Sean McCarthy blazed wide for Bantry, and Damien O’Neill followed suit. Thirty seconds later, Martin Cronin took a pass out of defence for Nemo and pointed off his left foot. Then Dylan Mehigan won a free for Corkery to point, and then ran half the the field to score. Amazingly, with Bantry doing all the pressing, Nemo had sneaked into a 0-7 to 0-4 lead.

Few Bantry forwards were dominating their opponents in the first half. Damien O’Neill and Graham Canty were doing well at midfield, but Billy Morgan knew that Kavanagh and Cahill only needed to match them over 60 minutes. This they achieved with something to spare.

Mark O’Connor started well on Colin Corkery, and matched him for as long as the game was competitive. However the giant Nemo full forward finished with a whopping 10 points, half of them from play.

Eric McCarthy is one of the tidiest corner backs around, but Nemo’s Alan Cronin tormented him throughout, like he torments every defender he meets. He also is the perfect foil for Colin Corkery.

The Nemo captain pointed a sideline ball in the first half off his wrong side, and scored the first two points of the second half to push Nemo 0-9 to 0-5 clear.

Cronin got his co-ordinates right for a hard-earned score in the 38th minute before the moment every neutral was dreading.

Maurice McCarthy found Niall Corkery who palmed down possession to J.P. O’Neill bearing down on goal. Like most everything he did on the day, his finish was purposeful. Game over.

Nemo Rangers scorers: C. Corkery (0-10, five frees), J. P. O’Neill (1-0), M. Cronin, K. Cahill, D. Mehigan, A. Cronin (0-1 each).

Bantry scorers: D. Barron (0-3), D. O’Neill, P. O’Rourke, P. Clifford (0-1 each).

NEMO RANGERS: D. Heaphy, L. Kavanagh, N. Geary, I. Gibbons, G. Murphy, S. O’Brien, M. Cronin, K. Cahill, D. Kavanagh, D. Mehigan, J. P. O’Neill, M. McCarthy, A. Cronin, C. Corkery, N. Corkery.

Subs: S. O’Brien for I. Gibbons (Half time), D. Niblock for N. Corkery (55th min), M. Daly for S. O’Brien, L. O’Sullivan for N. Corkery and A. Morgan for D. Kavanagh (all 56th min).

BANTRY BLUES: D. McAuley, T. O’Mahony, M. O’Connor, E. McCarthy, P. Cremin, P. O’Regan, N. Twomey, D. O’Neill, G. Canty, J. Barry, S. McCarthy, P. O’Rourke, D. Barron, P. Clifford, J. Canty.

Subs: E. Sheehan for Barry (40th min); S. O’Neill for P. O’Regan and K. Harrington for S. McCarthy (both 55th min).

Referee: G. Harrington (Carrigaline).