Cork camogie: Classy Courceys have the firepower to see off Newcestown

Courcey Rovers 3-14 Newcestown 2-6 

A spirited performance by Newcestown wasn’t enough to stem the flowing talent of Courcey Rovers in round four of the SE Systems Senior Championship at Castle Road. 

Two Ciara O’Sullivan goals in the final quarter put a better reflection on the scoreboard and it was a reflection Newcestown deserved for a once again committed performance. Intermediate champions of 2019 Newcestown can be proud of their introduction to senior club camogie and the three championship games they played will stand to them as they move forward.

The flair of Courceys was there for all to see. They enjoyed a 1-9 to 0-1 lead at half time and would have had another two balls in the net were it not for the bravery of Newcestown keeper Orla Dineen who put her body in front of Saoirse McCarthy’s pile driver after just five minutes and another on 15 when she advanced to smother Christine O’Neill’s attempt.

Courceys' goal came on 21 minutes when a Jacinta Crowley free was prevented from going over the bar by Newcestown and batted into the path of Fiona Keating who tapped it in. It’s always a split-second decision whether to help those ones over the bar or bring them down into the square. It proved the wrong decision this time round.

Defensively Rovers were very strong. Full back and Captain Karyn Keohane had an excellent game on danger woman Collette Desmond. The only time Desmond escaped her attention was on 47 minutes and Desmond’s pass found Ciara O’Sullivan for her first goal. Grainne Hannon and Ashling Moloney were others to shine and from midfield up Courceys had the speed and scoring forwards.

The nifty play of Linda Collins saw her hit 1-1 inside six minutes of the restart and she had Rovers' third goal by the 41st minute.

Newcestown never gave up and they hit a purple patch between the 47th and 49th minutes when O’Sullivan struck 1-2. The accuracy of Jacinta Crowley then saw her hit over a 45 and a free either side of Ciara O’Sullivan’s second goal to give Courcey’s a comfortable victory.

The quarter-final pairings for two weeks are: Courcey Rovers v St Catherine's, Glen Rovers v Inniscarra, Killeagh v St Finbarr's and Douglas v Éire Óg.

After the exit of champions Sarsfields, it further opens up a championship that never fails to deliver. It really is wide open.

Scorers for Courcey Rovers: L Collins 2-3, J Crowley 0-6 (0-5 f 0-1 45), F Keating 1-2, S McCarthy 0-2, C O’Neill 0-1. 

Newcestown: C O’Sullivan 2-5 (1-3 f), G Ryan 0-1. 

COURCEY ROVERS: S O’Reilly; E O’Regan, K Keohane, G Hannon; C Hayes, A Moloney, E Moloney; J Crowley, Elaine O’Reilly; Eimear O’Reilly, F Keating, Lorraine Collins; Linda Collins, C O’Neill, S McCarthy.

Subs: E Maguire for Linda Collins (56), G O’Reilly for Lorraine Collins (58).

NEWCESTOWN: O Dineen; A O’Donovan, M McSweeney, R Hallahan, E Tarrant, S Kelleher, M Crowley; E Crowley, C O’Sullivan; M O’Donovan, G Ryan, M Kenneally, O O’Mahony, C Desmond, A O’Sullivan.

Subs: E Murphy for O O’Mahony (41), L Jennings for M Crowley (47), B Desmond for G Ryan (48). 

Referee: Cathal Egan (Glen Rovers).