Surge sees Newtownshandrum past Douglas into Premier Senior quarter-finals
Cormac O'Brien of Newtownshandrum battles for possession with Douglas's Shane Kingston in the Co-op SuperStores Cork Premier SHC game at Mourneabbey on Sunday. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Seven unanswered points in a 10-minute second-half period were the catalyst for Newtownshandrum to claim a place in the quarter-finals of the Co-op SuperStores Premier SHC.
Going into Sunday’s clash against Douglas in Mourneabbey, the terms were clear in that the winners would progress to the knockout stages. A superior scoring difference meant that Newtown effectively began the game with a head-start of a point and a goal inside 16 seconds from Conor Griffin had them firmly in control.
While they led by 2-5 to 0-5 when Ronan Geary struck for another goal on 18 minutes, they had been pegged back level by half-time. Despite Newtown having the wind on the resumption, Douglas enjoyed the better start to the second half, with Shane Kingston (two), Andy O’Connell and Joseph Harte on target as they moved two in front, 0-16 to 2-8, by the 37th minute.
However, by the time the city side registered again, they had fallen five behind. A nice point from Newtown sub Jack Twomey got them going again and Jamie Coughlan’s seventh score levelled.
Mattie Ryan - superb throughout in a parsimonious full-back line where Cormac O'Brien also shone - had Newtown back in front after he claimed a Douglas puckout and the goalscorers, Geary and Griffin, added further points, sandwiching a pair from the inspirational Tim O’Mahony.
As time wound down, a Douglas goal looked more inevitable. Shane Kingston might have conjured something as he weaved through the Newtown defence but a perfectly timed Kieran O’Sullivan flick averted danger and Douglas’s cause suffered further as sub Shane Bourke was sent off for an off-the-ball incident.
Though Kingston’s seventh cut the gap to four, Newtown made the outcome safe as Twomey set up Coughlan before David O’Connor landed a beauty from the right sideline. Kingston and Eoin Cadogan had late points for Douglas but Newtown were not going to be denied.
They now advance to face Midleton in the quarter-finals with some belief, but equally with the knowledge that their 11 second-half wides cannot be afforded again.
Despite the winners playing into the wind in the first half, they had got the ideal start as David O’Connor’s pass allowed Griffin to find the net.
The strength of the breeze behind Douglas was shown as goalkeeper Donal Maher’s resultant puckout travelled the length of field, parried by opposite number James Bowles, with Stephen Moylan trying to follow up or Douglas but the ball bouncing out for a 65.
That was converted by Alan Cadogan but most of the rest of the opening stages belonged to Newtown – Jamie Coughlan was characteristically excellent from frees while Douglas shot four wides.
The city side were back to within four, 1-4 to 0-3, after Mark Howell’s point on 12 minutes but Newtown almost replied with another goal. Tim O’Mahony’s marauding run from centre-back yielded a chance for Eoin O’Mahony, but Maher saved from him.
They didn’t have too long to wait, though, as a second green flag came on 18. O’Mahony’s good delivery to Geary was the catalyst and, though Eoin Cadogan did well to cut out his ball for Coughlan, Bill Collins’ shot was blocked and fell to Geary, who rasped a shot beyond Maher.
That made it 2-5 to 0-5 but they were to score just once more before half-time while Alan Cadogan and Shane Kingston dragged Douglas back into contention. The latter levelled in injury time at 2-6 to 0-12 with a free from his own 45 but a subsequent, less central, effort went wide as they missed the chance to lead at the break.
Kingston did put them in front on the restart but they couldn’t push ahead by more than two and Newtown’s strong response ensured they reasserted themselves.
J Coughlan 0-8 (0-4 f, 0-2 65), C Griffin 1-2, R Geary 1-1, T O’Mahony 0-2, M Ryan, C O’Brien, J Twomey, D O’Connor 0-1 each.
S Kingston 0-8 (0-5 f), A Cadogan 0-5 (0-3 f, 0-1 65), M Howell, D Harte, A O’Connell, E Cadogan, K McSweeney, J Harte 0-1 each.
J Bowles; P O’Sullivan, C O’Brien, M Ryan; D Hawe, T O’Mahony, K O’Sullivan; B Collins, R Troy; D O’Connor, E O’Mahony, C Griffin; C Naughton, J Coughlan, R Geary.
J Twomey for Naughton (29, injured), S Griffin for E O’Mahony (41), P Noonan for Griffin (57), J Geary for Troy (59), Troy for O’Sullivan (60+4, injured).
D Maher; K McSweeney, D Murphy, D Kelly; E O’Flynn, E Cadogan, D Harte; M Howell, A O’Connell; M Harrington, A Cadogan, J Harte; S Moylan, S Kingston, C Kingston.
M O’Connor for S Kingston (24-25, blood), O’Connor for Moylan (half-time), S Bourke for Harte (50).
I McCarthy (Bandon).
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