First-half display seals it for Nemo

MUNSTER CLUB SFC FINAL: Nemo Rangers 1-15 Dr Crokes 1-13:THE BOOKKEEPING for the 2010 season has finally been taken care of, with Cork champions Nemo Rangers claiming the delayed Munster senior club final after a spellbinding first-half display.

“As good as I have seen” was the verdict of manager Eddie Kirwin of the 30 minutes, played in cold winter sunshine, in which the Cork club racked up 1-13 while holding the Killarney men to a mere three points. If the Kerry champions were shell-shocked to find themselves in such a grim position at the break, they at least gave their loyal travelling support something to hope for, reeling off seven points straight after the break and forcing the match into a tense and gripping last 10 minutes.

In the end, with the excellent Kieran O’Leary hammering an injury-time goal which proved to be the last score of the game, the Nemo men were relieved just to escape with the win. By then, the floodlights were necessary as the game was delayed until four o’clock.

Whether all the chopping and changes affected the Kerry men is a moot point now but they will look back at the first half and wonder what happened to them. Nemo, meantime, can criticise themselves only for making heavy weather of the closing minutes after that golden opening period.

“It is not the way you want to do it 13 points up. But it is irrelevant. The history book will show that we won,” said Kirwin.

So the good times keep rolling for Cork football. The best of Nemo was a delight to behold here. James Masters, deemed superfluous to the county scene, underlined his excellence by posting his first point after 26 seconds and a further 1-1 after nine minutes. This marks Nemo’s 15th Munster title and they maintained their tradition of advertising the Cork game in fine style.

They have so many natural ball players and their approach play, swift ball carrying and excellent distribution from the likes of Brian O’Regan, Darragh Breen and Derek Kavanagh was a pleasure to behold. After Masters’ goal, they were in score-from-anywhere kind of mood. Barry O’Driscoll, a late replacement, landed an outrageous point late in the first half – to match a coolly struck free he executed late in the second half when his team badly needed a score. Paul Kerrigan matched O’Driscoll’s audacity with another terrific point in front of the stand. It was a Nemo exhibition.

“No matter what way they kicked it, the ball went over the dam bar,” Crokes manager Harry O’Neill noted ruefully. “If you only play for one half, that is the way it goes, unfortunately. When I got to the dressingroom, Colm (Cooper) had taken control. And the message was: ‘Let’s not feel sorry for ourselves.’ ”

O’Leary and Fionn Fitzgerald were outstanding in that Crokes revival but they had left themselves a daunting task. The ferocity with which they approached the second half caught Nemo unawares and it took a brave point from Alan Cronin to steady their nerves and leave the score at 1-15 to 0-11.

The loss of midfielder Johnny Buckley was a huge blow as they struggled at midfield, where Peter Morgan had an immense influence for Nemo. But even so, their first-half torpor was hard to figure.

As ever, all eyes were on Colm Cooper and he laid down a marker after 10 minutes, leaping over Kavanagh and Ciarán O’Shea to claim his first ball and clipping a point. In the 15th minute, a perfect ball from Eoin Brosnan found David Kearney and his pass to Cooper seemed to set up a certain goal but Nemo captain Brian Morgan made a terrific stop. Two minutes later, Cooper threatened again, getting his fist to a ball which rapped off Nemo’s crossbar. Had those chances turned to goals, it would have been a different match.

But Nemo played with supreme confidence and authority as they built their lead. They lived dangerously in the end and the late goal from O’Leary opened up the possibility of a comeback for the ages. But by then it was twilight and three minutes after full-time and Crokes had run out of sand.

Nemo march on, with a date against Roscommon champions St Brigid’s on February 26th.

NEMO RANGERS:B Morgan; D Breen (0-1), D Kavanagh, C O'Shea, C O'Brien, B O'Regan, A O'Reilly; P Morgan, D Niblock (0-1); P Kerrigan (0-3, one free), Cronin (0-3), D Kearney (0-1); J Masters (1-3, one free), S O'Brien, B O'Driscoll (0-3, one free). Subs:A Morgan for P Kerrigan (inj, 46 mins), B Twomey for B O'Driscoll (inj, 56 mins).

DR CROKES:K Cremin; J Payne, M Moloney, D O'Leary; S Doolan, L Quinn, S Myers; B McMahon (0-1), A O'Donovan; A Kenneally, E Brosnan (0-1), B Looney (0-1); C Cooper (0-2, one free), D Casey (0-3, frees), C Brady (1-4). Subs:F Fitzgerald for B McMahon (24 mins), C Brady (0-1) for Myers, S O'Neill for O'Donovan (58 mins).

Referee:D O'Mahony (Tipperary).