Castlehaven now firmly the standard bearers after back-to-back titles

Last October was not a Castlehaven one-off rudely interrupting a sustained spell of city dominance. Last October was a new order establishing themselves on the local summit. This latest October saw Castlehaven declare themselves the undisputed establishment.

For six years, they and everyone else in Cork club football stood out in the cold and looked on as Nemo Rangers and St Finbarr’s shared the Andy Scannell Cup and tussled amongst themselves for outright supremacy.

For the past two Octobers, Castlehaven have bested the Barrs at the semi-final stage and Nemo on the concluding Sunday. Their path up the steps of the South Stand was more difficult than anyone else’s. To twice take that route only lifts higher the club’s latest back-to-back of Cork football titles.

This is Castlehaven’s era. Of that there is no doubt.

And perhaps a more impressive era than their last. The final verdict on that, though, we’re quite happy to leave to the locals of Castletownshend and Union Hall.

What we will say is that when the pub chat starts down west this week and comparisons are made between 2023-24 and 2012-13, the opposition overcome and how comprehensively they were overcome should be a significant swing factor in favour of the current class.

Commanding and controlled have become the hallmarks of this team.

Given the criticism we levelled at last year’s final for the non-spectacle it was and given how amenable the 2024 edition was to willing shooters early doors, it seems almost contradictory to prioritise Castlehaven’s second-half shutout.

The champions limited their opponents to one second-half point from play. They limited them to three points in total. They limited them to no points at all from the 47th minute onwards.

Five of Nemo’s starting six forwards had raised a white flag in the opening half. Into the second period and they repeatedly ran down cul-de-sacs against a superbly drilled and disciplined Haven rearguard. No Nemo forward scored from play beyond half-time.

Leading by example, as he does all year round in blue and white, was captain Mark Collins. He cut out attempted handpasses from Luke Horgan and Alan O’Donovan. Brian Hurley was found back inside his own 45 dispossessing Colin Molloy. Cathal Maguire forced Conor Horgan to overcarry.

What all these turnovers fed were breakaways and counter-attacks. Nemo were stretched, Castlehaven were in full stride. The champions broke and kicked the last four points of a high-quality final.

“Nemo threw a lot at us, but we were unbelievably well prepared,” said Collins. “Our management knew everything that would be thrown at us, and I’m delighted we came out on top.” Jack Cahalane was fouled for the first of their late quartet and finished another. His raiding and running caused no end of trouble.

Conor O’Driscoll was at the end of a play instigated by Collins’ defensive smarts. Another sub, Micháel Maguire, fisted the insurance score in injury-time. Add in Conor Cahalane’s 39th minute effort and three men off the Haven bench wound up on the scoresheet.

That third quarter was where Castlehaven turned the dial on their collective tempo. Mark Collins assisted Brian Hurley for his opener from play on 35 minutes. Then a Hurley free for a foul on Jack Cahalane. Then an outrageously good fourth white flag from Michael Hurley. From behind at the break to 0-10 to 0-8 in front.

Nemo would thrice come within the minimum. The last of those occasions was from a Mark Cronin free on 47 minutes. The same player hit the post a few minutes further on. Conor Horgan had his equalising goal attempt touched against the crossbar by Darragh Cahalane.

The 0-8 to 0-7 interval scoreline in favour of Nemo wasn’t very far off the 0-11 to 0-9 full-time scoreline from 12 months ago. As strong an example as any of just how vastly different this decider was to the turgid 2023 affair.

The outstanding similarity to 12 months ago was the closeness of proceedings. The sides were level on six occasions in the opening half.

Only once was either team’s lead more than a solitary point. That came on 26 minutes when Conor Horgan pointed after Stephen Cronin capitalised on a wayward restart.

Ronan Dalton, Paul Kerrigan, and young Bryan Hayes were all firing for Robbie O'Dwyer's side. At the far end, Michael Hurley, a man scoreless and substituted 38 minutes into their semi-final, went back down the tunnel at half-time with three ticks beside his name.

Castlehaven’s individual and collective creativity ramped up upon the restart. So too their hunting.

It takes a fine team to inflict a first set of back-to-back county final defeats on as fine a club as Nemo Rangers. The baton passed last October. The grip on that baton tightened considerably yesterday.

Scorers for Castlehaven: B Hurley (0-3 frees), M Hurley (0-4 each); J Cahalane (0-3); R Maguire, S Browne, C Cahalane, C O’Driscoll, M Maguire (0-1 each).

Scorers for Nemo Rangers: R Dalton (0-3); M Cronin (0-1 free), P Kerrigan (0-1 free), B Hayes (0-2 each); K Fulignati, C Horgan (0-1 each).

CASTLEHAVEN: Darragh Cahalane; T O’Mahony, J O’Driscoll, J O’Regan; J O’Neill, R Maguire, M Collins; Damien Cahalane, A Whelton; R Minihane, C Maguire, J Cahalane; S Browne, B Hurley, M Hurley.

SUBS: C Cahalane for Damien Cahalane (HT, inj); C O’Driscoll for Minihane (46); M Maguire for Browne (52); J Walsh for O’Neill (61); R Whelton for M Hurley (63).

NEMO RANGERS: MA Martin; K O’Donovan, B Murphy, K Fulignati; C Molloy, E Nation, S Cronin; A O’Donovan, B Cripps; J Horgan, R Dalton, C Horgan; B Hayes, P Kerrigan, M Cronin.

SUBS: R Corkery for Hayes (inj), L Horgan for J Horgan (both 44); C McCartan for K O'Donovan (54); A Cronin for B Murphy (62).

REFEREE: J Regan