Newcestown hurlers powered into semi-final clash with Kanturk

NEWCESTOWN’S dismissal of Mallow in the SAHC quarter-final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh last Saturday night not only sent the north Cork side crashing out of this season’s competition, it will also make all the other sides left in the championship sit up and take notice.

A 28-point tally against a physical, and up to last weekend’s fixture, competitive side, is something to be proud of, setting up a semi-final with Kanturk.

Newcestown manager Charlie Wilson was obviously thrilled with the result moments after the full-time whistle and while he had plenty of time to get used to the fact his side were going to be in the last four — he wasn’t going to take anything for granted until Mallow were finally done for.

“You would have to be happy with the result and the way the lads played overall,” said Wilson as his team headed for the dressing room.

“The lads started well and managed to keep the pace up so fort that of course, we are pleased.

Strong

“We knew coming here that Mallow would be strong.

They are a very big physical side and we knew that if we tried to match them physically we wouldn’t be able to — so we had to play our own game — and thankfully that worked out well for us.”

While the result is exactly what Wilson and his charges were looking for the winning manager wasn’t too happy with the way his side took their collective foot off the gas.

“I must say I was disappointed with the amount of frees we conceded — we kept Mallow in it near the end when we should have been clear.

“A couple of more goals and who would have known what could happen, but overall sure you would have to be happy with that.”

Leading by 10 at the break Wilson was tasked with keeping his side up for the challenge after the break — not always the easiest of jobs when victory looks a certainty.

“All you can do is to make sure the lads know the job isn’t done.

“You have to go back to basics, win the second half — start the second half 0-0, but sometimes when you start making all the substitutes, the game loses some of its flow and some players can start to believe it is done. It wasn’t done and we will have to learn that going forward.

“It is great to have hurling two weeks in a row. You could see the positives. We are out again against Kanturk.

“That will be another step up.

“Kanturk are a club on a high at the moment in football and hurling and we will be up against it, that is for sure, but we will go in with confidence.”