Newcestown knock out Bishopstown to reach SAFC quarter-final

Newcestown 1-19 Bishopstown 2-10.

NEWCESTOWN secured their place in the quarter-finals for the Bon Secours SAFC against Kanturk, thanks to their six-point victory over Bishopstown in Cloughduv on Sunday.

This was effectively a do-or-die clash as the two sides came into this contest locked on two points apiece having won one and lost one of their two games – both emerging victorious against already eliminated Ilen Rovers and losing against already qualified Dohenys.

But Bishopstown’s superior scoring difference, albeit it was only by two points, meant they knew that a draw would be enough to see them progress to the knockout stages at the expense of their opponents.

Bishopstown started the game on the front foot and either side of Brian Clifford opening the scoring with a well-taken free, they ought to have found the back of the net but both Michael Nunan and Jack Murphy were denied by goalkeeper Christopher White.

A relieved Newcestown reacted well to those huge let-offs as they soon took control of proceedings. Inspired by the excellent David Buckley and Richard O’Sullivan, they would claim six of the game’s next eight points to lead 0-6 to 0-3 after 23 minutes.

That advantage could easily have been greater, but Edmund Kenneally saw a goal-bound effort hacked off the line by the alert Mike Power before Richard O’Sullivan blasted wide when he was through one-on-one with the keeper.

They would remain ahead by that margin at the interval – 0-8 to 0-5 – but Newcestown would all but seal the victory in the opening nine minutes of the second half when they blew Bishopstown away.

In that period, they would outscore Bishopstown by 1-4 with the brilliant Tadhg Twomey coming to the fore with a couple of fine scores before Edmund Kenneally coolly slotted the ball into the far bottom left corner.

Bishopstown, to their credit, battled until the very end and they would pull two goals back thanks to midfielder Darragh O’Connor, although Michael Nunan may claim he got a touch on his first as he challenged the keeper for a long ball.

Those goals proved to be just consolations as Newcestown continued to add on the points with Twomey grabbing the picks of the bunch to secure their place in the last eight of the championship.

Scorers for Newcestown: D Buckley 0-9 (0-5 f), E Kenneally 1-2, T Twomey 0-4, R O’Sullivan 0-3, N Kelly 0-1 f.

Bishopstown: D O’Connor 2-0, S Collins 0-4, B Clifford 0-3 f, M Power, M Nunan, L Arslan 0-1 each.

NEWCESTOWN: C White; N Murray, C Twomey, J Kelleher; C O’Donovan, M McSweeney, L Meade; E Collins, G O’Donovan; C Dineen, T Twomey, R O’Sullivan; N Kelly, E Kenneally, D Buckley.

Subs: C Goggin for E Collins (inj, 23), S O’Sullivan for C O’Donovan (inj, 26), C Keane for C Dineen (h-t), R Sweeney for N Kelly (51), N Kelly for R O’Sullivan (57).

BISHOPSTOWN: C Fitzpatrick; M Murphy, M Power, D Quaid; K Murphy, E Byrne, N Gough; D O’Connor, C Dorman; D O’Donovan, M Nunan, S Collins; K McFadden, J Murphy, B Clifford.

Subs: L Hogan for E Byrne (inj, 19), C Dunne for D O’Donovan (h-t), L Arslan for J Murphy (41), C Daly for K McFadden (50), F Stevens for D Quaid (55).

Referee: Peter O’Leary (Cloughduv).