17th June 1999
Weekly Sports

GAA Nemo Rangers
Junior 2 Hurling League - Nemo 1-6 Douglas 0-7 Nemo had a great win over their near neighbours Douglas on Thursday last. In this fast, tough game Nemo were first to settle and two early points set them up nicely for the remainder of the game. Douglas, however, fought back but a Michael Geary goal midway through the first half put Nemo into a four-point lead. Douglas scored two points just before the break so Nemo went in leading at the break by 1-3 to 0-4. Straight from the start Nemo scored a great point and it looked as if they were going to run away with the game, but Douglas never gave up and really put it up to Nemo in the second half. Douglas scored three points before Nemo replied with one, and with only one point separating the sides Douglas tried their hardest to get the score they needed but some great defending from the Nemo defence denied them. A late point from Padraig Cripps set Nemo up for a well-earned two point victory. Results Junior 2 Football Championship - Nemo lost to Whitechurch. Kelleher Shield - Nemo 1-12 Clyde Rovers 0-6 U11 - Ballyphehane 5-2 Nemo Rangers 3-3. Junior 1 Hurling league - Nemo 1-12 Mayfield 1-7. Fixtures 20.6. Junior 1 HC v Brian Dillons at Ballinlough. 11.30 am. 21.6. Junior 2 HL v Whitechurch. Home. 7.30 pm. 21.6. Intermediate FL v Barrs. Away. 7.45 pm.

Douglas GAA Underage
The Féile in Clare was a marvellous weekend for our footballers. The boys were great ambassadors for the county of Cork and their conduct both on and off the field was exemplary. In the opening game they played Doora-Barefield. The team started in whirlwind fashion, scoring five points in the opening 5 minutes to lead 0-8 to 0-2 at the interval. After the break the story was the same with Douglas in command, and they eventually won 1-14 to 0-2. The second game against Éire Óg of Ennis was a cracker. The Ennis boys got the first two points. Stephen Bermingham replied with a goal. The sides exchanged points. Stephen Bermingham got a second goal after 12 minutes - within a minute Éire Óg replied with a like score - the sides went in level at half-time. Mark Harrington with a point and Stephen Bermingham with a goal gave Douglas a four point lead. In the space of three minutes Éire Óg scored 1-2 to lead by a point. Seven minutes remained - Stephen Bermingham with clinical finishing scored his fourth goal. Colin Doyle, who had a magnificent tournament, added a fifth to seal victory. So onto the final group match against Craobh Ciarán of Dublin - the prize for the victors would be a place in the All-Ireland semi-final. This was a very tight affair. The sides were level after eleven minutes. The Dubs goaled after 12 minutes which was to prove crucial. Two points separated the teams at the interval. Douglas opened with a point after one minute and began to dominate but were unable to break down a very resolute Dublin defence. The Dubs scored three points in a five-minute spell to win by four - but were beaten in the All-Ireland final by Salthill of Galway. Well done to the Douglas panel - Andrew Hunt, James Barrett, David O’Sullivan, Colin Lahive, Ian O’Regan, David O’Regan, Kevin Mulcahy, Stephen Barry, Patrick White, David Dorney, Denis O’Riordan, David M O’Sullivan, Brian T O’Callaghan, Mark O’Callaghan, James Moylan, Frank Tobin, Colin Doyle, Raymond Keating, Mark Harrington, Thomas Cotter, Kenny Barry, M L O’Mahony, Stephen Bermingham.

Championship '99 - Son of the Guru
My God! It’s alive! IT’S ALIVE!!!!
AH-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!!
Sorry if I scared you there. The Guru has returned, folks - bigger, badder and more bigoted than ever. That headline is a bit of a red herring, by the way - I’m not really the Son of anything, just the same old Guru as ever, back for more messing.
See, with the sadly lamented departure of my good friend and much-loved soccer columnist Digsy, I felt that there was a gap in the market for opinionated, vaguely libellous gibberish just waiting to be exploited. So here I am.
Quick review of what’s happened so far - Tipp conquered all before them in the League, including Galway in the final, courtesy of a scarily typical Tribesmen performance. Five points up within ten minutes, then total collapse - aah, good times.
Unfortunately, the Premier then missed their chance against Clare in the Munster semi-final, Davey Fitzgerald’s penalty gaining a scarcely-deserved draw for the Banner. The replay was complete rubbish, Tipp playing like a Junior C team and Clare scampering all the way to the final.
To which I can only say one word: “bugger”.
Funnily enough, a ten point defeat is actually a lot easier to stomach than one point. And hey, maybe now Clare will finally shut up about 1993.
Although I doubt it.
In the other semi, Cork surprised a lot of people when their young team, including six newcomers, dispatched a fancied Waterford. 24 points is pretty impressive shooting, especially in a reasonably tight match. Either the Rebels were lucky on the day and everything went right for them, or JBM has pulled off the quintessentially Cork trick of unearthing loads of new talent in double-quick time.
Either way, I personally was delighted to see Cork get to their first Munster final in seven years, although that’s no reflection on Waterford, whose day will surely come yet. Hurling has been a poorer sport during Cork’s famine years - they bring a lot of glamour and colour to the big occasion. But especially, I was happy for Jimmy Barry, who is a pure gent and a great hurling man who always plays the game fairly and with style.
And come what may in the Munster final, it’s true what they say - a Cork team are never easily beaten once they get out of Munster.
Next week: Offaly and Wexford in the Leinster semi.

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