Nemo had homework done
by Brendan Larkin
Nemo Rangers 2-11
Bantry Blues 0-9

NEMO RANGERS made no mistake at the second time of asking when they inflicted an eight point defeat on Bantry Blues in an exciting TSB Cork County SFC third round replay at Dunmanway yesterday.
Nemo coach Billy Morgan summed it up perfectly when he said his side learned a good lesson in the drawn match and had their homework well done on this occasion.
There was huge improvement in the two areas where Nemo struggled most last time out, the full backline and midfield, and of course Joe Kavanagh was back to his best at centre forward.
After a shaky start Niall Geary settled well on Philip Clifford, Ian Gibbons and Larry Kavanagh were seldom beaten, but it was at midfield in particular where Nemo laid the foundations for their victory.
On this occasion Kevin Cahill and Derek Kavanagh never allowed the Bantry partnership of Damien O’Neill and Graham Canty to win clean ball, opting to punch the ball away and with their forward colleagues picking up the breaks, Nemo were always on top around the middle.
As in the drawn game the greasy underfoot conditions following the heavy rain that fell about an hour before the throw-in, made it difficult for both sets of players to hold their feet.
There was little to choose between the sides in the opening 10 minutes at the end of which the sides were level at 0 2 apiece, but it was very evident that if they could get enough ball into their forwards Nemo had the beating of their men, particularly Alan Cronin who looked extremely sharp in those opening minutes.
It was his delightful point in the 11th minute which gave Nemo the lead they subsequently never lost, and it came as no surprise when Bantry moved Eamon McCarthy over on Cronin and he succeeded in containing the corner forward to a degree.
Nemo were grateful for the excellence of Don Heaphy in goal who saved superbly from Eric Sheehan in the 14th minute before Nemo, in one of those typically brilliant passing movements, ripped the Bantry defence apart and left the unmarked William Morgan with an empty goal to aim at. He couldn’t miss and didn’t from five metres out.
That goal was a crucial score for Nemo and it emphasised just how dangerous their forwards were in full flight with limited possession. In contrast, Bantry were very wasteful in front of goal in that opening half and kicked seven wides while Nemo had none, and at half time, Morgan’s goal was the difference between the sides, 1 6 to 0 6.
Nemo resumed the second half as they began the first, full of running and totally committed and points by Kevin Cahill and Colin Corkery after great work by Alan Cronin stretched their lead to five points after 33 minutes play. It became very evident that Damien O’Neill was not able to go at full pace and he was eventually moved to full forward where he did manage to win a lot of possession, and he might have goaled in the 42nd minute when he found himself in behind the Nemo defence but was grounded as he lined up his shot.
O’Neill was hurt in the process and had to be taken off which was a huge blow to the Blues. Despite Clifford’s point from the resultant free which left just two between the sides, they weren’t to score again.
Nemo’s defence remained very cool under the increasing Bantry pressure and none more so than Stephen O’Brien at centre back, and Kieran Connolly who raced 50 metres before kicking a delightful point.
After soaking up a lot of pressure, Nemo broke from defence in another superb passing movement, involving Kevin Cahill and Alan Cronin which put Joe Kavanagh clean through, and if there is one player you want in a one on one with a goalkeeper it’s the Cork senior star who gave Alan Farrelly no chance from close range.
That goal finally broke the heart of the Bantry challenge and Nemo finished with two excellent points from Corkery and Kavanagh to set up an all city quarter final clash with St. Finbarrs, provisionally fixed for Páirc Uí Chaoimh next Sunday night.

Scorers Nemo Rangers: J. Kavanagh 1 1; C. Corkery 0 4 (0 2 frees); W. Morgan 1 0; A. Cronin 0 2; D. Kavanagh, D. Niblock, K. Cahill, K. Connolly 0 1 each.
Bantry: P. Clifford 0 5 (0 4 frees); D. O’Neill 0 2; S. McCarthy, S. Dineen 0 1 each.
NEMO RANGERS D. Heaphy; L. Kavanagh, N. Geary, I. Gibbons; K. Connolly, S. O’Brien, M. Cronin; K. Cahill, D. Kavanagh; S. O’Brien, J. Kavanagh, D. Niblock; W. Morgan, C. Corkery, A. Cronin. Sub. D. Creedon for D. Kavanagh.
BANTRY BLUES: A. Farrelly; T. O’Mahony, M. O’Connor, E. McCarthy; G. Barry, A. O’Shea, N. Twomey; D. O’Neill, G. Canty; S. McCarthy, J. Canty, P. O’Rourke; E. Sheehan, P. Clifford, S. Dineen. Subs. S. O’Neill for O’Rourke; D. O’Shea for D. O’Neill.
Referee, G. Harrington (Carrigaline).