Erin's Own v Newtownshandrum: Fate of two hurling heavyweights still up in the air

On Sunday, one All-Ireland hurling champion of recent years lost their senior status, a second clinched theirs by the skin of their teeth, and a third must go to another day to determine their fate.

The demotion of four-time champions Portumna, who were relegated to Senior B in 2020, was confirmed by means of a championship restructure in Galway. St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield held on in Clare by the narrowest of margins. On Leeside, Newtownshandrum trailed by 12 points at one stage before grabbing a stoppage-time equalising goal against Erin’s Own.

It was a topic raised by both managers following that 2-21 to 4-15 thriller. In the Premier Senior era, no team is too big to fall. Each bainisteoir referenced the case of Glen Rovers. Newtown boss Gary Morrissey also listed James Stephens and Patrickswell.

But for his side’s late charge, the All-Ireland champions of 2004 (Newtown), 2005 (James Stephens), and 2006 (Portumna) would all be down.

In fact, the All-Ireland hurling and football champions of 2014 (Portumna and St Vincent’s) were both demoted at the weekend. Those giants of the game also claimed the St Patrick’s Day silverware on the same afternoon in 2008.

Four-time Cork champions Newtown and three-time winners Erin’s Own are more used to meeting in county finals. They displayed the high-level hurling both still possess for stretches of their relegation final. After all, they made up half the semi-final line-up only three years ago.

Erin’s Own’s young cohort stood tall. Oran O’Regan bossed the game in the first half as Newtown switched a man-marker onto the midfielder. His shift to centre-back for the final 10 minutes stemmed the tide.

When the Glounthaune club finally snapped their second-half scoreless streak in the 48th minute, it came from an innately composed move through O’Regan, Peter O’Shea, and Finn O’Brien.

When Newtown got their first goal, O’Shea replied with a brace of points and laid on a third for Conor Lenihan.

At their best, backed by the wind in the first half, Erin’s Own brought delightful variety to their puck-outs. 

Managed by long-standing goalkeeper Shay Bowen, his successor, Tom Dillon, employed a productive strategy.

They spread their restarts to the wings for the first 10 minutes, bombarded them onto the square for the next 10, and resumed picking out players in wide positions for the final 10. The varied approach yielded a goal from each method.

Their other green flags came in the space of 40 seconds; one from an O’Regan turnover and the other started and finished by O’Brien from a Newtown puck-out.

ELECRTIC

In four electric minutes, Lenihan scored one goal, assisted one goal, and instigated the move for a third.

Alongside double goal-scorer Robbie O’Flynn, they prospered in the space created between the half- and full-back lines.

Newtown, however, roadblocked their half-back line to Dillon’s puck-outs against the wind. Every contest was batted to ground. Men in green began to hoover up those breaks.

An interesting contrast was how both sides reacted to their primary defensive marker being booked in the first half. Both Conor Twomey, who marked O’Flynn, and Shane Broderick, who picked up Cormac O’Brien, were yellow-carded for successive fouls on their opponent.

Twomey stayed on O’Flynn for the second half. With the full-forward starved of possession until a late switch to the wing, Twomey broke even on a point apiece after the break.

Broderick was called ashore at the interval and received post-match plaudits for his rousing speech to teammates after the decision was made. Perhaps the transition would’ve been smoother if O’Regan stepped straight into the centre-back role. Surprise centre-forward O’Brien whipped three points before the change was made.

That said, it was difficult to plug the dam under a constant flow of supply. Erin’s Own only got one shot off in the opening 17 minutes of the second half. Every possession ended up being rained back down on the defence.

As well as his impressive puck-outs, Dillon delayed the Newtown march by denying them two early goals. Newtown remained patient, recycling for points to effectively reduce their value to two-point saves.

The way in which the North Cork side maintained their structure, not blindly going for broke, deserves tremendous credit.

We can’t acknowledge the impact of Erin’s Own’s young guns without reflecting on the role played by Newtown’s. Turlough O’Neill was their star finisher, even in a first half where little went right. He kick-started their second-half scoring and concluded it with that levelling goal.

Stephen Minihane stuck two points off the bench. Tom McCarthy prevented a probable goal.

Come what may, both sets of newcomers showed they should have long senior careers in their future.