ALL-IRELAND CLUB SF/Nemo Rangers ... 0-9 Charlestown Sarsfields ... 0-7: Charlestown commemorated its history as an iconic point of emigration by relocating en masse to Nenagh on Saturday for the AIB All-Ireland club semi-final. Better to travel hopefully than to arrive, as it turned out. The familiar figure of Colin Corkery scored all of Nemo's nine points and was - as in last year's semi-final against O'Hanrahan's - the underwriter of the Cork champions' progress to a ninth All-Ireland final, an extension of their own record.
If they are to extend the other record of six national titles, Nemo will want to smarten up on aspects of this performance. Although Corkery ultimately did enough to win the day, it wasn't a particularly sharp-shooting display either by him or the team as he also contributed five of the 10 wides, nearly all of which he would have kicked on one of his best days.
Despite these caveats and a brave and at times, high-quality performance from the Mayo champions, Nemo deserved the win. Their defence was disciplined and they conceded only a point from frees. They responded to pressure without panicking and made some effective changes at half-time whereas Charlestown struggled when corner back Enda Casey received a second yellow card seven minutes from time and paid the price for not taking their chances.
And there were plenty of these. In what proved a major departure from expectations, the Connacht champions' smaller centrefield took an early grip on the match, winning a vast majority of the possession. Within four minutes they led by three points to no score and it is probably the match's most telling commentary that they managed only four more points over the rest of the hour. Yet that isn't the full story because it took until little more than 10 minutes from time for Nemo to hit the front for the first time.
In the first half, driven on by Aidan Higgins and the excellent David Tiernan, Charlestown created enough scoring chances to rack up eight wides as well as their five points. On a fine pitch at McDonagh Park with dry if breezy conditions, their lively forwards threatened a lot more menace than Nemo's frequently lumbering attacks.
Corkery's equaliser against the run of play four minutes before half-time was answered by two quick points, which sent Charlestown in with some sort of a lead. The second half was to illuminate a hidden problem. Although it wasn't immediately noticeable to spectators, the wind was having a significant influence on the match. Nemo's apparent obsession with playing pass-the-parcel became Charlestown's and the laboured build-up greatly diminished their threat.
"Nemo slowed the game down with the extra man," said Charlestown captain David Tiernan afterwards, "and the breeze was a help too. The biggest thing was that we missed so many chances in the first half. We couldn't get it out there in the second half. The wind mightn't look strong but when you're out there playing it makes a difference. We couldn't drive the ball like we did in the first half.
Corkery concurred with this view of the breeze. "The wind was very strong playing against it. The goal we played into in the first half wasn't the scoring goal but unless they got a really big lead we weren't going to panic. There was no turning point. We just ground it out."
Changes at centrefield - Liam O'Sullivan for Derek Kavanagh - helped turn the match for Nemo in the second half and possession helped them turn the screw. Alan Cronin came out the field and got on to a lot of ball and the scores came. There could have been more. Twice John P O'Neill was placed inside the defence only for goal attempts to be blocked.
The second of the resulting 45s was kicked for Nemo to take a decisive lead. Charlestown never panicked and nearly crafted the necessary openings. Nemo full back Niall Geary had to make a critical interception in his own goalmouth as the match moved into injury-time. Moments later Corkery added the final point from a free.
A final word for referee Michael Monahan. This wasn't an ugly match but it contained a number of tricky calls and Monahan was sharp and accurate in making them.
NEMO RANGERS: D Heaphy; L Kavanagh, N Geary, S O'Brien; G Murphy, S O'Brien, M Cronin; D Kavanagh, K Cahill; D Meegan, J P O'Neill, M McCarthy; A Cronin, C Corkery (0-9, seven frees, one 45), J Kavanagh. Subs: M Daly for Murphy (half-time), L O'Sullivan for D Kavanagh (half-time).
CHARLESTOWN SARSFIELDS: J Casey; E Casey, R Lenehan, R O'Connell; D Higgins, D Healy, K Duignan; D Tiernan (capt), A Higgins; R Haran, M Caffrey (0-1), P Mulligan (0-3); S Higgins (0-1, a free), O Conway, P Horkan (0-2). Subs: O Gallagher for Conway (51 mins), A Mulligan for Caffrey (56 mins), B O'Connell for Haran (57 mins), C Horkan for S Higgins (62 mins).
Referee: M Monahan (Kildare).
