SAFC: Newcestown and Newmarket clash this weekend for the first time since that historic encounter in 2001

NEWCESTOWN and Newmarket lock horns this Saturday in the Bon Secours Hospital Senior A football championship semi-final in Páirc Uí Chaoimh at 3pm. 

The same stage both teams clashed many moons ago in an incredible encounter that will never be forgotten around Newcestown’s neck of the woods.

Sunday, August 26, 2001 is still being talked about around Newcestown to this very day and it will most certainly go down as one of Newcestown’s greatest victories, and they have had a fair share of them down through the years.

It was the intermediate football championship semi-final replay against Newmarket. The venue was Coachford and with four minutes remaining, the Newcestown supporters were either already well on their way home or else going through the gates. They had seen enough. They thought it was all over. Newmarket were ahead by eight points.

There is an old saying “it ain’t over till the fat lady sings” but on this dreary overcast day in the Mid-Cork venue it looked a certainty that Newmarket would progress to the final at the second-time of asking after the match on the previous Sunday ended all level, 0-9 to 2-3.

Newmarket were in control of the replay, and playing keep ball, well on their way to the decider and a game away from the senior ranks, but there would be a remarkable finish. Newcestown had reduced the deficit to seven points heading into injury-time, 3-13 to 0-15. It was all but over or seemingly so. Newcestown then bagged three goals to win the game. Pádraig Condon (selector with the current team) goaled from a close-range free before Keith O’Sullivan converted from the penalty spot and all of a sudden there was only a point between the teams.

Condon was the hero, his golden goal in the fourth minute of injury-time left the attendance in awe. Newcestown had done the impossible. The Newcestown supporters that had left early missed one of the craziest finishes to a GAA encounter. There were a fair few of them when driving through Béal na Bláth on the way home to Newcestown stopped at the Michael Collins monument to say a prayer. Those were the days when snakes and ladders were the go on the mobile phones, Twitter (or X as it is known as now) was a distant memory 22 years ago. By the time the supporters had reached home, their team had booked a place in the decider.

It was an astonishing end to a game that is unlikely to be repeated. A team of lesser resolve might have folded, but the tradition of Newcestown in both football and hurling is a never say die attitude. From doing research and doing a lot of digging over the past week on this unbelievable win gave me goosebumps. Newcestown are a club not too far away from me, and what they have achieved and what they are continuing to achieve is to be admired. 

Along with the goal scorers, Jim O’Sullivan, father of current players Seamus and Richard, was hugely influential as he ended up with eight points, five coming from frees.

Only half the job was complete, there was a small matter of a final to win and two weeks after the replay win, Newcestown made the short journey to Brinny for the decider against Nemo Rangers second string. And the team in red and yellow delivered with a 0-13 to 0-6 victory. Cathal Crowley and John Wilson led by example in defence while O’Sullivan and Condon were prominent up front as Newcestown joined the top flight of Cork football.

The coach was Gene O’Driscoll with Timmy Twomey, Tom Wilson and Matt Kelly selectors.

There is something about Coachford that brings the best out of Newcestown. The Carbery club weren’t dead and buried in Coachford ten days ago against Kanturk like they very much looked like in 2001, but they still required a late score. There was no one heading for the exit gates. Kanturk were in control, they had most of the possession as they were up a point after 58 minutes, and after Ryan Walsh and Brian O’Sullivan missed opportunities to extend Kanturk’s lead, Micheál McSweeney’s fisted effort forced extra-time.

It finished 2-4 to 1-7 after extra-time, with goalkeeper Christopher White - nicknamed 'Blue' - the hero for Tim Buckley’s side as he saved two penalties as Newcestown won 4-2 on penalties to set up the semi-final meeting with Newmarket and bring back special memories from 2001. Newcestown will hope history will repeat itself 22 years on. This Saturday’s latest episode should be a belter.