February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Through some smart play around midfield and the inspired choice of Steven O’Brien at center-half forward, they outclassed the Tyrone champions, who actually came into the game as favorites, Sunday at Portlasoise.
Someone obviously gave the bookies a bum steer. There was only one side of true quality on show here and they didn’t come from north of the border. Errigal even had the help of a terrifically strong breeze in the first half and yet still managed to go in at halftime 3 points in arrears. Nemo’s goal had come after 18 minutes, Alan Cronin ghosting onto a beautiful ball from O’Brien, who was pulling the strings with finely balanced poise. His physical presence helped the Cork side immensely, especially in that opening period when the breeze was preventing what would normally have been balls meant for Colin Corkery reaching the burly full forward. Instead they were dropping to O’Brien and he in turn was playing his inside forwards in at every turn.
Errigal got out of much worse scrapes than this in getting out of Ulster, but there was no real suggestion that they’d manage it here. Their forwards never clicked and even Peter Canavan seemed a touch out of sorts. Nemo’s callow full back, Niall Geary, played Canavan brilliantly, allowing him possession but denying him space in which to turn. He was determined not to allow the little genius to run at him and his reward was to hold Canavan to just a solitary point from play.
Nemo now go on to play Crossmolina on St Patrick’s Day.
Nemo Rangers: C. Corkery 0-5 (4 frees), A. Cronin 1-0, J. Kavanagh 0-2, D. Kavanagh 0-2, K. Cahill 0-1, S. O’Brien 0-1, W. Morgan 0-1. Errigal Ciaran: P. Canavan 0-4 (3 frees), M. Harte 0-3 (all frees), D. Tierney 0-2, P. Loughran 0-2.
CROSSMOLINA 3-10, DUNSHAUGHLIN 1-12
Rarely can a sending off have had such a profound effect on a game. After 20 minutes of this All-Ireland semifinal Sunday at Roscommon, a rampant Dunshaughlin side was 1-5 to 0-1 ahead. The Meath men were playing some excellent, pacey football, and Crossmolina of Mayo were caught in the headlights. Then Donegal referee Michael McGrath gave midfielder Niall Kelly a second yellow card, causing Dunshaughlin to reshuffle their pack. Full forward David Crimmins, who had already scored three points from play, had to drop back into midfield, and whatever impetus they had was shot to pieces. They scored just one more point from play.
Crossmolina came hurtling back into the game to be only a goal down at the break, a gap that was bridged two minutes into the second half by a Michael Moyles goal. Kieran McDonald began taking an interest in the game and turned out bossing it. He was mesmerizing in his running hither and thither, his range of passing and point-scoring quite breathtaking at times. With him on board, the Mayo side trundled home easily to book their spot in Croke Park for St Patrick’s Day.
Crossmolina: K. McDonald 0-6 (3 frees), M. Moffatt 1-1, J. Keane 1-1, M. Moyles 1-1 G. O’Malley 0-1. Dunshaughlin: M. Reilly 0-6 (all frees), B. Kealy 1-0, D. Crimmins 0-3, R. Kealy 0-2 (both frees), R. Maloney 0-1.
HURLING LEAGUE
On the first day of the National Hurling League the old orders held sway. Kilkenny hammered Waterford, 4-11 to 0-12, their players looking as sharp and as hungry as ever. D.J. Carey managed a goal and a couple of points, as did Diarmuid Mackey. Waterford could point to the rather harsh sending off of Brian Flannery as a turning point, but in truth, they were never at the races.
At Nenagh, Tipperary thrashed an Offaly side stripped of the Birr players by a scoreline of 4-14 to 1-8. Lar Corbett did most of the damage, grabbing 3-2 for himself. Offaly couldn’t have looked less interested if they tried.
The only close game of the day saw Cork squeak home against Limerick by a solitary point, 0-15 to 0-14, courtesy of late scores by Jerry O’Connor and Alan Browne. Also, at Pearse Stadium, Galway beat Dublin 1-14 to 1-7 in a lifeless affair.