Carbery Rangers seal promotion with two games to spare
SEVEN Division 2 games. Seven wins. Promotion back to Division 1 guaranteed. Mission accomplished. It’s been the perfect campaign so far for Seamus Hayes’ Carbery Rangers football team.
Their latest league win, which wrapped up promotion, saw the Rosscarbery team beat Fermoy 1-23 to 0-11, having led 1-12 to 0-6 at half time. The key scorers were Ciarán Santry (0-7, 1tp), John O’Rourke (0-6, 2f) and Sam Linehan (1-1).
Before they will even start looking towards the championship, Rangers will have a league final to prepare against, probably, Knocknagree, who are clear in the second place.
Thoughts of the Cork Premier SFC and a group with St Finbarr’s, Clonakilty and Carrigaline can wait for now, as the focus is still all on the league.
‘To be honest, I’m looking at them completely separately. Different goals in relation to different competitions. We still have two games left in the league. We might be in a position to try out a couple of things in those two games,’ the Carbery Rangers boss told The Southern Star.
‘That (the league final) is a game we will be taking really seriously and eyes will be turning towards Carrigaline at that stage as well.
‘For now, the focus is fully on the league. We’ve been enjoying it. The players have been enjoying it. There is a good buzz around the camp. You go down to training and everyone is really eager. Everybody is trying to push for places, it’s just the way it’s going at the moment.
‘When fellas are playing well it’s hard to shift them which I think does mean players that would have been injured or coming back in don’t realise that they have a real fight to get back in.’
There is a good buzz around the camp
Making a swift return to Division 1 was a big target for Carbery Rangers following last season’s relegation. They took to their task admirably and have been untouchable to date in Division 2, as their 100 percent record highlights.
‘Carbery Rangers should be playing Division 1 in the football league, for obvious reasons really. I’m very happy with the players, coaches and everybody involved that we managed to secure that particular goal,’ Hayes said.
‘We’ve had to use, at different stages, players out of position in some of the league games. Picking the team, even though we have a good few fellas out injured and that type of thing, has become more difficult as well. I guess that is a testament to the squad but also a testament to the fact that when a team is winning and playing well, it’s harder to leave fellas out of it. That squad competition has come in. A lot of younger players are all still in college, all really learning their trade and I do think year by year you can see huge improvements in those guys.’
Cast your minds back to 2024 and Rangers’ premier senior championship status was hanging in the balance. They were in a relegation play-off against Éire Óg and won that game in Enniskeane, 1-11 to 2-6. Hayes pointed out that this helped his team.
‘I did say last year as well that I thought the relegation final against Éire Óg was a real pressure-cooker for our players. They showed their metal coming out of that. You’re starting to see the fruits in that a little bit now and the players have a little bit more resilience developed. A little more belief as well,’ he explained.
‘Winning games develops that winning mentality that we’d be looking for. With that belief, you start to get four of five points in a game for a forward or a defender holding their man scoreless. All those things mean that the players are getting a bit more of that self belief. That’s something I have been questioning over the last few years whether the players had it. I really think they are really starting to believe in their abilities and where they can go.’
