Premier SFC: Newcestown Luke-ing to make history

After training on the Tuesday night before their McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC quarter-final with Carrigaline, Newcestown practised some penalties.

When it was his turn, captain Luke Meade picked his spot, stepped up – and blazed wide.

Perhaps it highlights the difference between preparation and the real thing; on the other hand, Newcestown’s groundwork was such that they had made the call that regular goalkeeper Christopher White, unable to start against Carrigaline due to a leg injury, would be introduced for the shootout if required.

It was an inspired call: White saved two of the Carrigaline efforts, allowing captain Meade to clinch victory with a superb final kick.

“With those things, it depends on who’s on the field at the end,” Meade says.

“There was probably a couple of fellas that had gone off that would have been taking one. Then it just comes around to who wants to take one and who's able to take one – I was really hoping that the shootout was going to be decided before I had to step up.

“It went well in the end, at least, thank God.

“In fairness to the management too, they had thought about bringing in ‘Blue’ [the suitably colourful nickname for White] as well, in case that we did go to penalties.” 

Victory earned Newcestown a second appearance in the last four of Cork’s top tier, the other one coming in 2019, when they lost to Duhallow. On Sunday, they face Nemo Rangers for a place in the final – it would represent quite the achievement but it would only be the latest one for the rural club mixing it at premier senior in both codes.

Since the end of July, Newcestown have played seven championship matches across hurling and football – in only one, the hurling clash against Charleville, did they walk off the field defeated. And yet, that is the one that Meade pinpoints as being a driving force for what has followed – comfortably avoiding relegation fears in hurling and topping their group in football, including a win over reigning county champions Castlehaven.

“The Charleville game was very disappointing,” he says, “there was a lot of soul-searching going on.

“Charleville have proven themselves to be a really good team, but we didn't play well that day. The Midleton game, we turned it around and put in a massive effort – a big shift and got a draw, which was a great result for us.

“Since then, like, we've just kind of built on it week on week and the performances have been really good since.” Meade has of course been central to that, revelling in the break that the club scene brings after a frustrating season with Cork.

“Obviously, it is tough,” he says, “when you're not playing every game or you're not coming on, but you just have to try to be as good a team-mate as you can and just offer something.

“You’re trying to show your best self and trying to take a chance if you come on. It is definitely tough but that's the nature of it, that's what you sign up for.” 

Any thoughts about the future are parked for now, the focus firmly on Newcestown and Sunday. They will be underdogs, Meade accepts, but such is the bond within the squad, and the spirit fostered by Jim O’Sullivan and his management team, that they will be, as ever, hard-beaten.

“Jim's a legend and he's a brilliant manager as well,” says Meade, who teaches in Bishop Galvin Central School, next door to Newcestown’s grounds.

“He has us well-organised and he brought in Mick Hennessy from Fermoy as the coach – it's a clear plan and we've a clear playing style.

“On the personal side, he gets on well with everyone, which is probably 90 percent of the job. We've got good selectors then as well – Jason Crowley, Niall O'Mahony, Michael O’Callaghan – all really good Newcestown people, so we're very happy with the set-up.”