Newcestown 0-14
Bandon 1-10
JOHN MURPHY REPORTS
IT was far from a hurling classic – clashes between neighbours’ children and arch rivals rarely are – but the result of this tense Clona Milk U21A hurling final between Newcestown and Bandon was in doubt to the very end.
How appropriate it was that Edmund Kenneally was left with the task of recapturing a title Newcestown last won in 2021 and taking the magnificent Teddy Kehily Memorial Perpetual Cup back to its adopted home.
In the 63rd minute in Enniskeane, and deep into injury-time, the sides were deadlocked at 0-13 to 1-10 and extra-time was looming. Then the St John’s brigade won a free 50 metres out.
The Newcestown team celebrates after defeating Bandon in the Clona Milk U21A HC final aat Enniskeane on Friday evening.(Photos: Paddy Feen)
Unerringly, Newcestown scoring sorcerer and leading talisman Kenneally rifled the sliotar between the uprights. It was the winning score.
To an extent it would have been a travesty had the winners lost because they practically owned the ball for much of the first half, but managed to shoot 11 wides to the Lilywhites’ three.
With the wind to their backs Newcestown hit the ground running, a free by Kenneally and a delightful score by Niall Kelly in the seventh minute gave them the ideal start. Already, Kenneally, midfielders Richard O’Sullivan and Darragh McSweeney, Colm O’Donovan, Joseph Kenneally and Niall Kelly were to the fore.
Three minutes later the Bandon attack, who had been living off crumbs, fashioned the only goal of the game to stun their opponents. A high delivery by Jake Lillis, a defence-splitting pass by Charlie Long and in a crowded goalmouth Aaron O’Reilly got the decisive touch.
Newcestown's Edmund Kenneally firing over the winning point from a free.
The losers were in front, but not for long as with Kenneally bisecting the uprights from all angles with two frees in the 12th and 18th minutes, and a brace of superb white flags from play in between. It was a double scores game, 0-6 to 1-0, by the 25th minute.
Darragh Collins, one of Bandon’s leading lights, struck a fabulous point, negated by Richard O’Sullivan, as Niall Kelly and Collins shared the remaining scores of the half. It was 0-8 to 1-2 at the interval. In truth, Newcestown should have been out the gap.
Tenacity, urgency and commitment was required by Bandon, lacking somewhat so far, but remedial steps were taken as they introduced substitutes Kevin Hannon and Jack Cullinane at the break and positioned them up front. While Richard O’Sullivan had the umpire in action some 30 seconds after resuming, gone were the turnovers conceded by Bandon, the poor first touches and missed opportunities. Instead with Charlie Long, Conor Twomey, Cathal Lynch, Darragh Collins, Tim Twohig, Jack Callinan and substitutes Kevin Hannon and Jack Cullinane, the comeback was on.
Charlie Long (free), Darragh Collins and Jack Cullinane made it a new ball game, as somehow in between Newcestown contrived to squander a glorious goal-scoring opportunity, Ciarán Hurley inches wide of the target.
It was a cliff-hanger now, the bare minimum between the sides, 0-9 to 1-5. Kenneally and Ciarán O’Donovan obliged only for Tim Twohig, Charlie Long and Cathal Lynch ensuring Bandon were far from a spent force. With excitement at fever pitch Ciarán Twomey with a mammoth score from distance and the ever- reliable Edmund Kenneally tied it up for the final time until the latter broke Bandon’s hearts at the death.
‘I thought there at the end we were heading for extra-time,’ Newcestown mentor Finbarr O’Callaghan said.
‘The lads won it themselves at the finish with sheer heart, commitment and blocking and hooking. Then we won that vital free and Eddie (Kenneally) put it over the bar. In truth we should have been up seven or eight points at the interval.
‘It is hard on Bandon, there is always very little between the two teams. It is a positive result for us and hopefully some of these lads will be involved with our seniors in the upcoming championship’.
Newcestown captain James Ryan raises the Teddy Kehily Cup.
Scorers
Newcestown: Edmund Kenneally 0-9 (7f); Niall Kelly, Richard O’Sullivan 0-2 each; Ciarán O’Donovan 0-1.
Bandon: Darragh Collins, Charlie Long (3f) 0-3 each; Aaron O’Reilly 1-0; Jack Cullinane, Cathal Lynch, Tim Twohig, Ciarán Twomey 0-1 each.
Newcestown: Cathal Wilson; Robyn Sweeney, Joseph Kenneally, Cormac O’Sullivan; James Burrows, Colm O’Donovan, Niall Kelly; Richard O’Sullivan, Darragh McSweeney; Oisín O’Donovan, Edmund Kenneally, Ciarán Hurley; Ronan McSweeney, Ciarán O’Donovan, James Ryan.
Sub: Paul Kelly for Oisín O’Donovan (55).
Bandon: Donnacha McCarthy; Jack Callinan, Eamon Twomey, Dylan Barr; Ciarán Twomey, Tim Twohig, Conor Twomey; Sean Ahern, Cathal Lynch; Darragh Collins, Charlie Long, Stephen Collins; Hugh O’Mahony, Aaron O’Reilly, Jake Lillis.
Subs: Kevin Hannon for Hugh O’Mahony (ht), Jack Cullinane for Stephen Collins (ht), Oisín O’Mahony for Jake Lillis (54).
Referee: Alan Long (Argideen Rangers).
