Hurley brothers hit key scores as Castlehaven defeat Nemo to land Cork senior title

Fintan O'Toole Reports from Páirc Uí Chaoimh

Castlehaven 0-11

Nemo Rangers 0-9

AFTER A WAIT of a decade that has frustrated them, Castlehaven are back at the summit of Cork football once more, the Hurley brothers pointed the way in a frantic finish as they held off kingpins Nemo Rangers today.

michael-hurley Michael Hurley. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO

When Nemo midfielder Barry Cripps confidently kicked over a point in the 57th minute, it nudged the title holders ahead in a tight and tense contest, 0-9 to 0-8. They are the masters at prevailing in these situations and after a dour encounter on a sun-splashed autumn afternoon, it looked like they were in the ascendancy at the right time.

But the Hurley brothers popped up to supply the scoring inspiration that saw the ‘Haven over the line.

Brian’s radar had been off during the second half in front of goal but he floated over a mark in the next passage of play to leave the teams deadlocked for the eighth time. Then he notched the lead score two minutes later, on target from a free that he sized up a few yards outside the ’45 after being fouled himself.

Nemo desperately chased a levelling point yet Castlehaven turned them over to counter-attack. Cathal Maguire did brilliantly to make the hard yards on the right flank and the move culminated in Michael Hurley, a fitting man-of-the-match winner, smashing his shot over the bar.

Ten of the eleven Castlehaven points had been supplied by the Hurley duo. That captured their impact in swinging the game the way of Castlehaven.

brian-hurley Brian Hurley. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

It was a contest that struggled to truly ignite. The opening 19 minutes only produced three points, Castlehaven shading it 0-2 to 0-1. There was plenty endeavour on show but prising apart massed defences was an issue. Points continued to be traded before half-time when it stood 0-4 apiece. Recording five wides and dropping two shots short was evident Castlehaven were probing more yet not making it count.

The pace picked up after the interval. Luke Connolly and Mark Cronin sweeping over early points, while Brian Hurley converted a pair of placed balls at the other end. It was a boost to Castlehaven’s confidence that they were largely holding Nemo’s danger men.

Last season’s final was defined by Nemo’s attacking brilliance that yielded 1-16, while they ransacked the Castlehaven rearguard for three crucial goals in the 2020 final. Their only sight of the net today occurred in the 40th minute after a neat move released Mark Cronin but while he looked to have been pushed when unleashing his shot, play was waved on.

Nemo kept Castlehaven scoreless for a sizeable chunk of the second half, 18 minutes elapsing after Brian Hurley’s free in the 35th minute. It was a difficult period for the West Cork side as shots drifted wide or fell short but the misses did not deter them.

They kept their heads clear and focused on the end goal. In the final ten minutes of action they outscored Nemo Rangers 0-5 to 0-2, Michael Hurley stepped in off the left flank to flight three shots over from play during that time frame.

It was an invaluable scoring contribution and a critical reason as to why they lifted the Andy Scannell Cup for a sixth time. Clare champions Cratloe await in Munster on Sunday 12 November.

Scorers for Castlehaven: Michael Hurley 0-5, Brian Hurley 0-5 (0-3f, 0-1 mark), Stephen Browne 0-1.

Scorers for Nemo Rangers: Mark Cronin 0-3 (0-3f), Luke Connolly 0-3 (0-1f), Barry Cripps 0-1, Jack Horgan 0-1, Barry O’Driscoll 0-1.

Castlehaven

1. Darragh Cahalane

2. Johnny O’Regan, 4. Ronan Walsh, 6. Damien Cahalane

5. Thomas O’Mahony, 3. Rory Maguire, 13. Cathal Maguire

7. Mark Collins (captain), 8. Conor Cahalane

9. Andrew Whelton, 10. Jack O’Neill, 12. Sean Browne

15. Michael Hurley, 11. Brian Hurley, 14. Jack Cahalane

Subs

22. Conor O’Driscoll for Browne (47)
17. Robbie Minihane for Whelton (49)
20. Jamie O’Driscoll for O’Neill (56)
18. Ciaran O’Sullivan for O’Mahony (60)

Nemo Rangers

1. Micheal Aodh Martin

5. Colin Molloy, 3. Briain Murphy, 2. Kieran Histon

6. Kevin Fulignati, 4. Kevin O’Donovan, 7. Steven Cronin

8. Barry Cripps, 9. Alan O’Donovan (captain)

10. Conor Horgan, 13. Mark Cronin, 14. Luke Horgan,

12. Jack Horgan, 18. Barry O’Driscoll, 15. Luke Connolly