SAHC: Jack Meade turns tide for Newcestown in gritty win over Mallow
Mallow's Pa Herlihy and Newcestown's Colm Dineen tussle for the sliotar during the Co-Op Superstores Cork SAHC at Coachford. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Newcestown 1-24 Mallow 3-16
A 48th minute Jack Meade goal lifted Newcestown to make a winning start in the CO-OP Superstores county SAHC against Mallow in demanding conditions in Coachford on Saturday.
The Carbery side were trailing by 1-13 to 0-14 at the time against a Mallow outfit boosted by a fourth minute goal of their own from Fionn Heffernan.
But, Meade’s blistering shot to the corner of the net after Mallow struggled to clear the lines turned the game though the Avondhu club stayed in contention right to the final whistle.
Meade’s goal prompted a run of five unanswered points by Newcestown with David Buckley (3), Sean O’Donovan and substitute Niall Kelly putting their side in front for the first time, 1-19 to 1-13, entering the closing 10 minutes of normal time. Luke Meade was also prominent with 0-4.
Yet, as the rain cascaded in almost a full flow, Mallow refused to give up the chase and the introduction of substitute Daniel Sheehan created a tense finish.
After he was denied by keeper Cathal Wilson with a fine reaction save, Sheehan poked in a goal seconds later following a high delivery by Niall O’Riordan to make it a two-point game.
The accuracy from placed balls of Edmund Kenneally for Newcestown and his counterpart for Mallow, Mark Tobin, were a feature of the contest with Kenneally adding two more important points.
But, Mallow just wouldn’t go away and when Sheehan struck a beauty for his second goal approaching the hour, Newcestown’s lead was again back to two points, 1-23 to 2-15.
Newcestown needed a steadying influence and Buckley provided it by driving over his fourth point to leave Mallow chasing a late goal for a share of the spoils.
Tobin tried his luck from a free, but it struck the body of a defender on the line and flew over the crossbar to ensure Newcestown repeated last season’s win over the same opposition.
Mallow were quicker to settle with Heffernan’s goal following good approach play by Darragh Moynihan and Tobin keeping his side in front, 1-9 to 0-9 at the interval.
E Kenneally 0-11 (0-10 f, (0-1 65), L Meade, D Buckley 0-4 each, J Meade 1-2, S O’Donovan 0-2, N Kelly 0-1.
0-11 (0-8 f), D Sheehan 2-0, F Heffernan 1-1, D Moynihan, P Lyons, P Herlihy, R Mills 0-1 each.
C Wilson; M McSweeney, joint-captain, C Twomey, S O’Sullivan; J Kelleher, E Collins, F Keane; P Collins, joint-captain, L Meade; Colm Dinneeen, J Meade, S O’Donovan; C O’Neill, E Kenneally, D Buckley.
M Courtney for Kelleher 38, N Kelly for O’Neill 40, N Murray for O’Sullivan, injured and C O’Donovan for Dineen, injured, 54.
P Buckley; T Doyle, S O’Leary, B Kingston; D Moynihan, N O’Riordan, P Healy; P Lyons, R Sheehan; R Mills, F O’Neill, P Herlihy; M Tobin, D Hayes, F Heffernan.
G Linehan for Herlihy 37, D Sheehan for Heffernan 48, S O’Callaghan for Sheehan 55, J Healy for P Healy 59.
B Coniry (Crosshaven).
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