St Finbarr’s 3-17
Newcestown 0-20
TOM LYONS REPORTS
DESPITE losing their third game in the Co-Op Superstores premier senior hurling championship in Cloughduv on Sunday, Newcestown’s battling performance saw them surviving the drop into a relegation play-off.
Kanturk’s defeat of Charleville saw three teams – Newcestown, Charleville and Bishopstown – all on zero points. However, Newcestown’s superior scoring difference meant the other two will be involved in the relegation play-off.
Had Newcestown lost by a dozen points they would have been involved but by holding the margin of defeat to only six points against a Barrs’ team that was also battling for survival, it meant that Newcestown will again be playing premier senior hurling next season, a great achievement for this dual premier senior small rural club.
Newcestown's Tadhg Twomey and St Finbarr's Jack Cahalane in a race for possession.
The story could easily have been different as Newcestown, with the strong breeze, found themselves trailing by six points having conceded three first-half goals, just as they did in round two against Blackrock. Knuckling down to the task on hand, they had the lead halved to three points by half time and, against the strong breeze in the second half, they tightened up considerably at the back to limit the Barr’s to ten points while scoring seven themselves. It was a gutsy performance that deserved to be rewarded by survival in the grade.
‘At least we’ve avoided the relegation battle, Kanturk’s win over Charleville means we’re safe, out of the championship for sure, but still safe,’ said a relieved but satisfied Newcestown manager Charlie Wilson.
‘Last year, we had a long season and today we were missing four lads who played in the county final. We weren’t making any excuses about that, we had to trust the lads who came in today. The missing lads are a huge loss to us, we just don’t have the numbers. We just need a bit of freshness, a bit of hunger and that will come back eventually.
‘We’ll just regenerate now. At this stage I have done my time and I’ll be moving on but a fresh voice will be great. The players are great to motivate themselves, they drive it and we just do a little bit of steering. People around the county might say we have ordinary players but we have ordinary players who achieved extraordinary success. Maybe the legs are still a little tired this season but they’re totally committed and will be back next season again.’
It was looking good for Newcestown in the early stages as they dominated with the wind, rifling over five points in the opening six minutes, to two for the Barr’s. The accuracy of Richard O’Sullivan from long-distance frees was Newcestown’s main source of scores as he split the posts three times, with Seán O’Donovan and Colm Dineen adding points from play. Jack Cahalane and Ben Cunningham answered for the Blues. All Newcestown’s early good work was undone in the eighth minute when Cork midfielder Ethan Twomey struck for the first Barrs’ goal. There was no separating the sides for the rest of the first quarter, 1-5 to 0-8, with Colm O’Donovan hitting two good points for the West Cork men.
St Finbarr's Brian Hayes on a solo run from Micheál McSweeney of Newcestown during the Co-op Superstores PSHC in Cloughduv on Sunday.
Cunningham and Niall Kelly swapped points to start the second quarter but then Newcestown were caught for another goal in the 17th minute when Jack Cahalane and Cork player Brian Hayes set up William Buckley for a major. Five minutes later, Buckley was in again, a lovely batted effort, with Hayes again as the provider.
Six points in arrears, playing with the wind, it didn’t look good with relegation problems staring them in the face but, courageously, Newcestown finished the half stronger, O’Sullivan (two frees) and Colm Dineen halving the deficit. It was 3-7 to 0-13 at the interval.
If the Barr’s expected it all their own way in the second half, they were in for a rude awakening as Newcestown resumed in determined mood, spurred on by Luke Meade, Fionn Keane, Mícheál McSweeney, Tadhg Twomey, Colm O’Donovan, Richard O’Sullivan, Seán O’Donovan and Colm Dineen. In a stirring third quarter, they answered six Barrs’ points with four wonderful long-range frees from O’Sullivan into the strong wind.
Again in the last quarter, even though lucky when Cathal Wilson brought off an incredible save from Buckley, they matched their opponents score for score, O’Sullivan two frees and David Buckley from play in answer to points from Jack Cahalane (2), Cunningham and Eoghan Finn. By the end, both sides were relieved to have avoided the relegation trapdoor.
Scorers
St Finbarr’s: William Buckley 2-1; Ben Cunningham 0-6 (2f); Jack Cahalane 0-5; Ethan Twomey 1-1; Brian Hayes 0-2; Eoghan Casey, Andrew Casey 0-1 each.
Newcestown: Richard O’Sullivan 0-10f; Colm Dineen 0-4; Colm O’Donovan, David Buckley 0-2 each; Seán O’Donovan, Niall Kelly 0-1 each.
St Finbarr’s: Shane Hurley; Ciarán Doolan, Jamie Burns, Eoin Keane; Cathal Crowley, Damien Cahalane, Eoghan Finn; Padraig Buggy, Andrew Casey; Ben Cunningham, Brian Hayes, Ethan Twomey; William Buckley, Jack Cahalane, John Wiggington Barrett.
Subs: Sam Cunningham for A Casey (46), Caolan O’Connor for SW Barrett (55), Aidan Barry for P Buggy (59).
Newcestown: Cathal Wilson; Mícheál McSweeney, Fionn Keane, James Kelleher; Conor O’Neill, Luke Meade, Eoghan Collins; Tadhg Twomey, Colm O’Donovan; Seán O’Donovan, Richard O’Sullivan, David Buckley; Colm Dineen, Ciarán O’Donovan, Niall Kelly.
Sub: Olan Walsh for N Kelly (45).
Referee: Diarmuid Kirwan (Éire Óg).
