Richard O'Sullivan the hero as Newcestown snatch a late draw against Midleton
Conor Lehane, Midleton, gets away from Gearoid O'Donovan, Newcestown during their 2025 Cork County Premier Senior Hurling Championship clash at Pairc Ui Rinn, Cork. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
In dramatic fashion, Richard O’Sullivan’s brilliant leveller in the 64th minute ensured Newcestown got a share of the spoils to shock Midleton in Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday.
It was far from a classic, especially in the first half. This game was littered with fouls and scores from frees.
But take nothing away from this Newcestown performance. They were immense. They deserved that point, possibly two, having been the better team for large parts of the game.
The Carbery outfit had led with eight minutes to go, the lead only changing hands from Lehane frees on 52 and 57 minutes. They would restore parity a ninth time after 60 minutes, an incredible free from Richard O’Sullivan, well inside his own half.
The two traded frees again in added time, after another stunner from O’Sullivan. 1-14 to 0-17 with 62 minutes played. But from that last O’Sullivan free, Brion Saunderson picked out Mikey Finn, and he popped it over to get Midleton in front.
It looked to be the winner, until O’Sullivan stunned Páirc Uí Rinn with a 64th minute equaliser, that took everything this Newcestown team had.
It was O’Sullivan’s only score from play in an 11-point haul, but it was the one that mattered most. Their hopes of not just survival, but progression, greatly boosted.
The first half had been dull at times. Newcestown went with two inside, leaving Midleton with the spare man in the full-back line, while Gearóid O’Donovan, who assumed man-marking duties and the test of Conor Lehane, was outstanding, keeping Lehane scoreless from play.
That gave Luke Meade wiggle room at centre-back, and he spent much of the first half sweeping. He was outstanding in defence, and got two from play. Even if the opening 30 was far from thrilling, it was impressive from a Newcestown perspective. They were unfortunate to trail by four.
Richard O’Sullivan opened the scoring from a free after 40 seconds, but that very first puckout from Brion Saunderson was carried by the wind all the way to the 20 metre line, in on top of the Newcestown goal. The ball broke kindly, and Tommy O’Connell pounced, blasting into the net with a pulled shot.
Newcestown had restored parity after five minutes, but after Pa White put Midleton back ahead, they should have had a second major in the 12th minute, but Pa White’s pulled shot missed the open net, after Cathal Wilson had saved brilliantly from Luke O’Farrell.
Newcestown drew parity again a minute later, but neither side were able to pull more than one ahead until the 28th minute.
That point was the second in a run of three for Midleton, a sweet effort out wide from Cormac Beausang, either side of a Lehane free and Dave Cremin effort.
O’Sullivan cut the deficit to two from a free but Ross O’Regan hit back with a stunning effort from distance, assisted by Saunderson’s puckout, before a third Lehane free left Midleton four clear at the interval.
By the time a second-half score from play was hit, a booming effort from Luke Meade, Newcestown were back to one point, 1-10 to 0-12.
David Buckley, who excelled scoring 0-4, had the sides level again after 42 minutes, before the Carbery outfit nudged in front six minutes later from a Kenneally free. By that stage, Midleton already had six second-half misses, including three that had struck the upright.
The Magpies would get back level and in front, but O’Sullivan had the final say.
C Lehane 0-7 f, T O’Connell 1-0, M Finn, C Beausang 0-2 each, B Saunderson (f), P White, D Cremin, R O’Regan 0-1 each.
R O’Sullivan 0-11 (0-10 f), D Buckley 0-4, L Meade 0-2, C Dinneen 0-1.
B Saunderson; L Dineen (c), E Moloney, T O’Leary Hayes; S O’Meara, C Smyth R O’Regan; A Quirke, M Finn; D Cremin, C Lehane, T O’Connell; L O’Farrell, P White, C Beausang.
C Walsh for Dineen (43), P Connaughton for Quirke (47).
C Wilson; J Kelleher (c), M McSweeney, E Collins; Colm O’Donovan, L Meade, C O’Sullivan; G O’Donovan, C Hurley; R O’Sullivan, C Dinneen, J Meade; Ciarán O’Donovan, D Buckley, S O’Sullivan.
E Kenneally for Ciarán O’Donovan, D McAree for S O’Sullivan (both 46), C O’Neill for Hurley (57).
N Fahy (Brian Dillons)
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