Luke Meade helps Newcestown deliver on Premier Senior return with victory over Éire Óg
Luke Meade in action for Newcestown against Éire Óg. Picture: Larry Cummins
Newcestown got their 2024 McCarthy Insurance Group A Premier SFC campaign off to a winning start in Cloughduv on Friday evening.
Last year’s Senior A double-winning county champions returned to the top tier of Cork GAA football with a bang.
The winners’ first championship outing of the season ended in victory thanks to a full team effort despite only scoring three times in the second half.
Both sides got numbers behind the ball from the opening minute. This made for a frustrating spectacle until Niall Kelly split the posts to edge the West Cork club ahead.
Conor McGoldrick levelled shortly after but Newcestown’s response was swift as Eddie Kenneally set up Cork hurler Luke Meade to score.
Settling to their task, David Buckley’s free and another Meade effort made it 0-4 to 0-1 in the 2023 Senior AFC champions’ favour.
Conor McGoldrick was one of the few Éire Óg players to shine in the first half and reduced the deficit courtesy of his second white flag. Eoin O’Shea made it a one-point game to conclude a lively first quarter.
Richard O’Sullivan finished off a flowing Newcestown move to kick a fine point and make it 0-5 to 0-3.
Wasted chances blighted each end of the ground until Brian Hurley flicked the ball into the net after 23 minutes. Unfortunately for the Éire Óg forward, his goal attempt was ruled out for a square infringement.
Newcestown made their opponents pay with David Buckley fisting over. A moment of magic from Daniel Goulding represented a quality reply before Luke Meade took his personal tally to three points.
Buckley stretched the Carbery club’s lead to five, 0-9 to 0-4, thanks to two additional scores before the short whistle.
Daniel Goulding landed a badly needed Éire Óg free before the same player was denied by a goal by Cork inter-county goalkeeper Chris Kelly. Rian O’Flynn capped a positive spell to make it 0-9 to 0-6 as Newcestown struggled to get out of their half.
The latter required a score and Jack Meade provided it before Eoin O’Shea’s superb effort left a goal in it with less than 10 minutes to go. Next, goalkeeper Chris Kelly converted a free as a misfiring Newcestown struggled to respond.
Éire Óg were equally profligate until Daniel Goulding fired over a free to leave the bare minimum between the teams.
Seamus O’Sullivan’s fisted effort gave Newcestown breathing space, 0-11 to 0-9, before Rian O’Flynn’s goal attempt was cleared off the goal line at the opposite end by Cian Twomey.
Richard O’Sullivan and Eoin O’Shea swapped points but Newcestown hung on for a vital win.
Next up for Newcestown is a Group A meeting with Ballincollig in Ovens on Saturday, August 17th. The evening before, Éire Óg will look to rebound against a side they lost by two points to at the same juncture in last year’s PSFC, Nemo Rangers.
D Buckley 0-4 (0-2 f), L Meade 0-3, R O’Sullivan 0-2, N Kelly, J Meade, S O’Sullivan 0-1 each.
D Goulding (0-2 f), E O’Shea 0-3 each, C McGoldrick 0-2, R O’Flynn, C Kelly (f) 0-1 each.
C White; R O’Sullivan, C Twomey, E Collins; F Keane, M McSweeney, L Meade (c); G O’Donovan, C Goggin; N Kelly, T Twomey, C Dineen; J Meade, D Buckley, E Kenneally.
O Walsh for C Dineen (h-t), S O’Sullivan for J Meade (45).
C Kelly; D Herlihy, M Corkery, C Clifford; M Griffin, C McGoldrick, D Dineen; C O’Callaghan, J Murphy; E O’Shea, D Healy, D McCarthy (captain); D Goulding, R O’Flynn, B Hurley.
J Sheehan for M Griffin (21, inj), D Foley for B Hurley (25 ,inj).
Alan O’Connor (Ballygarvan).
App?
