Double delight for Newcestown after landing the SAFC title following victory over Dohenys

Newcestown 0-13 Dohenys 0-8 

NEWCESTOWN will be in the top grade of Cork football in 2024 following a deserved victory over Dohenys in the Bon Secours Hospital SAFC final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday evening.

Newcestown make an immediate return to Premier Senior after suffering demotion last season, completing the double after winning the SAHC two weeks ago. Disappointment for Dohenys whose wait for a first adult county title since they won the IFC back in 1995 goes on.

This West Cork derby drew a huge crowd to the Páirc and it certainly delivered with no quarter asked or given. Newcestown were down 0-5 to 0-1 after the first quarter but once they got going they looked the likely winners. The team in red and gold were led by their sharpshooter David Buckley who finished up with 0-9, a stunning six of those from play.

Dohenys made a better start as they kicked the first two points which came from the boot of Keith White. The impetus was with the team in green and white and a beautiful point from Colm O’Shea extended their advantage after being set up by Rhys Coakley.

Newcestown got their first score after five minutes, a Buckley free, seconds after Donal Rice blocked Luke Meade’s goal-bound shot. An O’Shea free restored Dohenys' three-point buffer, 0-4 to 0-1 after 10 minutes which was followed by a long-range Johnny Kelly effort as the Dunmanway outfit had a firm grip on proceedings in the opening quarter.

A pair of Jack Meade white flags, one of which was a mark, brought Newcestown back into contention. A beauty of a point from Niall Kelly left just a point between the teams, 0-5 to 0-4 after 18 minutes before there was a lull in the scoring with both defences on top. The next score didn’t arrive until the 25th minute when Buckley pointed to level up proceedings.

A much-needed score for Dohenys arrived on the stroke of the half-time whistle when White bisected the posts, their first score in 16 minutes as they led 0-6 to 0-5 at the break.

The teams were all square two minutes into the new half when Buckley converted a close-range free and a minute later the same player split the posts for Newcestown to give them the lead for the first time, 0-7 to 0-6 after 33 minutes. But, in keeping with the encounter, it was deadlocked when O’Shea kicked over an easy free.

A Buckley white flag gave the team in red and gold a slender advantage, 0-8 to 0-7 heading into the final quarter. The evergreen Tadhg Twomey pushed Newcestown’s advantage out to two points with ten minutes remaining. Dohenys were then reduced to 14 players when Cathal Daly received a black card after 51 minutes.

That man Buckley kicked a splendid point to give his side a three-point lead, 0-10 to 0-7. And it became a four-point advantage when Buckley converted a free. Buckley was on fire, he raised another white flag as his team were ahead by five points after 58 minutes.

Dohenys sub Gavin Farr pointed three minutes into injury time, but it was merely a consolation score. The full-time whistle brought huge celebrations from the Newcestown camp, a historic day for the club. The double has been completed.

Scorers for Newcestown: D Buckley 0-9 (0-3 f), J Meade 0-2 (0-1 m), T Twomey, N Kelly 0-1 each. 

Dohenys: C O’Shea (0-2 f), K White 0-3 each, J Kelly, G Farr 0-1 each.

NEWCESTOWN: C White; N Murray, C Twomey, G O’Donovan; J Kelleher, M McSweeney, L Meade (c); T Horgan, C Goggin; R O’Sullivan, T Twomey, D Buckley; J Meade, S O’Donovan, N Kelly.

Subs: C Keane for N Murray, S O’Sullivan for N Kelly (both 51), C Dinneen for J Kelleher (57), J Kenneally for C Goggin (63), E Collins for J Meade (65).

DOHENYS: Stephen Daly; J Farrell, Seán Daly, D Rice; C Barry, E Lavers (c), B O’Donovan; J Kelly, R Coakley; A O’Donovan, C O’Shea, C Daly; K White, F Herlihy, M Buckley.

Subs: B Murphy for B O’Donovan (42), A Mannix for A O’Donovan (51), P Crowley for Buckley, G Farr for C O’Shea (both 57), D Collins for J Farrell (61).

Referee: John Ryan (Macroom).