Nemo Rangers 2-14 

Newcestown 0-19 

(after extra-time)

NOEL HORGAN REPORTS

DEFEAT doesn’t come any more painful than this.

Bidding to advance to the final of Cork’s top tier football championship for the first time, Newcestown looked set to achieve the desired result eight minutes into the second half of Sunday’s clash with Nemo Rangers at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Having recovered from an uncertain start, they had transformed a five-point deficit into a seven-point lead at that juncture. All the indications were they had what was required to go on and complete the job.

Providing they didn’t concede a goal, they were on course to register a historic triumph, which looked very much on the cards considering Newcestown’s disciplined defending meant Nemo had yet to get off the mark after the interval.

Stung by two major scores subsequently, however, Newcestown’s quest for the laurels was derailed – a late point from Nemo’s Conor Horgan leaving the teams tied, 0-16 to 2-10, at the end of the hour. 

The Carbery men’s frustration was compounded during the additional 20 minutes, as they were agonisingly edged out by the minimum, having been off-target with two decent chances to get back on terms in a gripping finale.

Newcestown captain Luke Meade gets away from Nemo's Ciarán McCartan.

It was a heartbreaking loss by any standards, and few would dispute Newcestown deserved better in view of how heroically they performed on the day. 

‘I couldn’t have asked for any more from the lads, they threw everything into it, performing superbly after a slow start,’ commented Newcestown manager Jim O’Sullivan as he reflected on what he described as a ‘really tough one to take.’

‘We were five points down after 15 minutes, but we came back into the game brilliantly. I felt we were well on our way when we went seven points up in the second half,’ he admitted.

‘Even after we gave away two goals, we had the chances to win it, but we didn’t take them. It’s just very disappointing having been there-or-thereabouts for so much of the match.’

O’Sullivan revealed Newcestown were very hopeful going into the game, having shown their credentials when getting the better of defending champions Castlehaven in a group stage tie.

‘Everyone inside in our dressing-room is absolutely gutted, but it’s been a very encouraging campaign. While you only get a chance like this every now and then, I’m confident we’ll recover to put our best foot forward again next season,’ O’Sullivan said.

Outplayed to a large extent early on, the signs were ominous for Newcestown when they trailed by 0-7 to 0-2 midway through the first half.

After David Buckley converted a free, won by Eoghan Collins, Buckley added an inspirational two-pointer in the 21st minute, and Newcestown became a transformed side in the wake of it.

Another free won by Collins enabled Buckley to nudge them in front for the first time before Nemo’s key attacker Mark Cronin replied to make it 0-8 apiece at the interval.

Bursting from the traps on the resumption, Newcestown, aided by a brace of two-pointers shared by Luke Meade and Buckley, went 0-15 to 0-8, up inside 39 minutes.

So many of the players went on to cover themselves in glory once Newcestown got their act together in the second quarter, most notably perhaps Colm O’Donovan, Gearoid O’Donovan and Colm Dinneen at the back, Sean O’Donovan and Eoghan Collins at midfield, and team skipper Luke Meade in attack.

Then there was David Buckley.

Popping up here, there and everywhere, there was an air of expectancy whenever he won possession – his strength, balance and ball control enabling him to elude the attentions of several Nemo players with regularity.

Detailed with the onerous task of keeping Buckley in check was seasoned defender Kieran Histon, who received a torrid time, but, ironically, he raced upfield to take a pass from the ever-menacing Mark Cronin to shoot a revitalising Nemo goal in the 39th minute.

Newcestown's Sean O'Donovan breaks through the challenge of Nemo's Mark Cronin.

Nemo’s second goal also came from a defender, Kevin Fulignati, whose fisted effort on a Mark Cronin pass earned them parity, 2-9 to 0-15, with ten minutes of regulation time remaining.

The notion that the momentum had swung irrevocably in Nemo’s favour at that stage was off the mark, as the irrepressible David Buckley did the spadework for a Jack Meade point that quickly restored the advantage to Newcestown.

The issue remained very much in the balance throughout extra-time, with points from Luke Meade. substitute Cathrach Keane and David Buckley, allowing Newcestown to go in 0-19 to 2-12 ahead at the end of the first period.

Points from Nemo substitute Liam Horgan and Mark Cronin, from a free, saw the lead change hands again on the turnover before Richard O’Sullivan and Luke Meade both failed to land an equaliser for the gallant losers near the conclusion of an enthralling encounter. 

Scorers - Nemo Rangers: M Cronin 0-9 (1 2pt, 3f); K Fulignati 1-1; K Histon 1-0; C Horgan 0-2; B Cripps, L Horgan 0-1 each. Newcestown: D Buckley 0-9 (2 2pt, 1 2ptf, 3f); L Meade 0-4 (1 2pt); C Dinneen 0-2; S O’Donovan, T Twomey, J Meade, C Keane 0-1 each.

Nemo Rangers: MA Martin; M Hill, K Histon, C Molloy; C McCartan, S Cronin, K Fulignati; A O’Donovan, B Murphy; B Cripps, K O’Donovan, M Cronin; B Hayes, C Horgan, C Kiely. Subs: R Dalton for Kiely (37), C Moore for Hill (40), P Kerrigan for Hayes (55), E Nation for McCartan (65), Hill for Molloy (ht, et), L Horgan for Fulignati (ht, et).

Newcestown: E McSweeney; J Kelleher, C O’Donovan, P Kelly; G O’Donovan, M McSweeney, C Dinneen; S O’Donovan, E Collins; L Meade, T Twomey, R O’Sullivan; J Meade, D Buckley, S O’Sullivan. Subs: C Keane for Twomey (51), C O’Sullivan for S O’Sullivan (52), Twomey for Dinneen (inj, 73), N Murray for C O’Donovan (inj, 80).

Referee: D Murnane (Macroom).