Carbery Rangers one loss away from relegation eight years after county triumph

Carbery Rangers are fighting for McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC survival in this weekend’s relegation play-off.

Hard to believe but the West Cork club, county champions as recently as 2016, are one defeat away from slipping out of the Premier Senior grade.

Next Sunday’s relegation play-off with Éire Óg will decide Carbery Rangers’ fate and the permutations couldn’t be starker. Victory and their top-tier status will be sustained for another season. Defeat and senior A football championship beckons in 2025.

The Rosscarbery side has been a mainstay in the county’s highest football grade since overcoming Glanmire 1-13 to 2-5 in the 2005 intermediate county final. 

Then, 11 years after gaining promotion, under future Cork manager Ronan McCarthy, Rangers captured their only Andy Scannell Cup amid emotional scenes following a cracking encounter with Ballincollig in Páirc Uí Rinn. Maintaining their presence amongst the competition’s frontrunners in the years that followed, Ross reached county semi-finals in 2017 and 2018.

That’s as good as it got however, and Rangers’ inability to build on their previous successes preceded an unexpectedly swift downturn in fortunes.

Since the Premier SFC’s format change, Carbery Rangers’ record shows failing to get out of their group in 2020, three consecutive losses in 2021, quarter-finalists in 2022 before finishing bottom of their group last year.

Struggling for form in this season’s Division 1 county league, two wins and two draws from 10 outings saw Rangers relegated despite a gutsy effort in their concluding outing against Carrigaline, a 4-13 to 4-13 draw.

Premier SFC defeats to St Michael’s and Castlehaven sandwiched another terrific display in coming from six down to draw, and almost defeat, Clonakilty. Alas, one point from a possible six and no group wins has consigned Carbery to this weekend’s PSFC relegation showdown with Éire Óg.

As with any previous county champions, the breakup of a title-winning panel requires a transitional spell on and off the pitch. Carbery Rangers are no different with the influx of numerous minors and U21s transforming the team’s starting fifteen, especially over the past two years.

A chronic injury list hasn’t helped matters either over the past 12 months. There isn’t a football club in the country that wouldn’t struggle without the scoring prowess and on-pitch presence of John Hayes. Rangers’ record scorer and former Cork inter-county senior’s influence is sorely missed.

Hayes’ brother, Seamus, is Carbery Rangers manager and tasked with inspiring his players to deliver what will have to be a season’s best performance on Sunday.

Refreshingly honest whenever dealing with the media, Hayes has never sugarcoated his responses despite being involved in, at times, a difficult campaign.

“You don’t become a bad team overnight nor do you become world beaters either,” the Carbery Rangers manager commented after a disappointing county league loss to Newcestown earlier this year.

“I think we are somewhere in the middle. We are going to have to match any teams we play in terms of their work-rate, their physicality and their desire. In the first half we did but the second half was a non-performance.” 

QUALITY

Despite their struggles, Hayes has seen his players deliver plenty of quality spells throughout their county league and championship campaigns. Stringing together full 60 minutes displays, on a consistent basis, has been the primary issue and why the West Cork club find itself in relegation danger.

This was never clearer than when they trailed Clonakilty by six points in their Premier SFC local derby in Dunmanway a couple of weeks ago. Rangers refused to accept defeat and fought back valiantly to earn a draw from the jaws of defeat. They could have snatched that result right at the death had Darragh Hayes’ stinging effort flown a couple of inches under rather than over the crossbar.

These are the razor-thin margins clubs live by since the new championship format revamp. Now, a nervy Sunday afternoon awaits in Bandon.

“In terms of picking ourselves up, we have a huge game against Éire Óg to prepare for,” Hayes said following his team’s PSFC loss to Castlehaven.

“So, we can’t reflect and feel sorry for ourselves for too long. We have no choice but to get back up. The lads have always shown character. I know that they will be up for it.”