Cork Premier SHC: Late goal rescues Newtown in relegation thriller against Erin's Own
Newtownshandrum trailed Erin's Own by 11 at the break but nine consecutive points for Newtown had it back to a one-score game by the 46th minute. Pic: Jim Coughlan.
Two teams with a decades-long history of top-tier hurling came to Mourneabbey to save their Premier Senior status. Both succeeded, at least for another week or two.
Erin’s Own looked the likely winners after their four-goal blast in the space of eight minutes handed them a wind-assisted 12-point cushion. Newtownshandrum responded with fierce determination. Nine consecutive points had it back to a one-score game by the 46th minute.
The Glounthaune club dug deep and, despite a late Newtown goal, they still led by five after 58 minutes.
But Newtown were all heart. They never stopped coming. When Turlough O’Neill whipped the loose sliotar to the net in the third of five added minutes, that equaliser extended their top-flight stay.
It could’ve been a done deal. Tim O’Mahony missed a couple of chances for the winning score. They could’ve lost it too. In between, Finn O’Brien’s shot was deemed wide after consultation with the umpires.
As it is, after some brief confusion and a quick phone call to the County Board, both sides get another day.
“We wanted to keep going. We felt we had momentum,” said Newtown manager Gary Morrissey.
“We were under the illusion that it was extra-time. We were ready for that. Erin's Own didn't want extra-time, didn't believe there was, so the referee went out and made a phone call. He said it goes to a replay.
“That's fine. It doesn't impact us. We were anxious to finish it today, but it makes no odds. It's just a whole new battle again the next day.”
Erin’s Own manager Shay Bowen added: “We had checked during the week what the position was. We've got a couple of lads from Kilworth involved in the backroom with us, and last year their match went to a replay straight after normal time.
“We had an email, but it was through no fault of Canice (Walsh, the referee). He had been told something different, to be fair to him. He was very good in the game. It was no reflection on him. At least he went away, he checked it, and he did the right thing by both clubs.
“We're quite happy to go again for another week or two weeks or however long it is.”
Oran O’Regan pointed from the throw-in and soon emerged as the top performer for the East Cork men. He assisted 1-3 from midfield in an all-action first half before manning the barricades at centre-back for the final quarter. Time and again, he arose from rucks with the sliotar to stabilise his side.
His markers for that final stretch were Newtown’s county men in Cormac O’Brien and O’Mahony. O’Brien tallied 0-3 from his switch to the forwards. He finished at centre-back once O’Mahony cramped up.
Initially, Erin’s Own made little of the wind advantage to sit level at 0-5 apiece after 16 minutes. That was just the set-up.
They spread their puck-outs 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 of the half. The varied approach yielded a goal from each method.
The first long puck-out garnered a Barry Óg Murphy point. Robbie O’Flynn snapped the next missile and was hauled down by Conor Twomey. The county star stepped up to bury the free past a row of defenders on the goal line.
Tom McCarthy foiled another goal chance from a monster puck-out as Newtown seemed to settle with O’Neill and Jamie Coughlan points.
By the time they caught their breath again after 25 minutes, they’d shipped 3-2 without a retort. Conor Lenihan picked off a point by the sideline before latching onto O’Regan’s clearance to pull to the net.
Finn O’Brien caught the subsequent puck-out and received the return pass from Lenihan to rattle the bottom corner.
After another Lenihan point, the corner-forward picked up a puck-out by the right flank and dashed inside to tee up Maurice O’Carroll. His shot was saved, but Cian O’Callaghan recycled for O’Flynn to finish. At 4-7 to 0-7, the game seemed in their hands.
Newtown reacted with three substitutions by half-time. At that juncture, the deficit was 11; 4-8 to 0-9. Erin’s Own withdrew booked centre-back Shane Broderick. Newtown stuck with the yellow-carded Twomey on O’Flynn.
“We said at half-time that the main thing was we didn't go hunting goals,” said Morrissey. “We set a target of 2-10 in the second half. We got 2-12.
“If you go hunting goals, sometimes it just contracts, and we wanted to keep our shape.” Bowen said: “Goals can slightly cloud the play. The last day against (Fr) O'Neill's, we got three fairly fast goals and went nine points up, but it wasn't a true reflection of the match.
“It probably wasn't even a true reflection today on the basis of play and the possession stats. It was probably an awful lot closer than the 11 points at half-time.”
Newtown brought ferocity from the resumption, trusting themselves to point their way back into contention. All the same, Tom Dillon twice denied them an earlier green flag, saving from Conor Griffin and Coughlan. Both times, Newtown recycled for a point.
O’Neill accounted for two, one of which also could’ve been a goal.
Erin’s Own found their first point of the half in the 48th minute through Finn O’Brien. Once they got in better supply and ran at their markers, two more followed from O’Brien and Lenihan.
But Newtown target man Michael Lenihan broke the sliotar for Griffin to slam to the net, via the crossbar, for a two-point game; 4-11 to 1-18. Peter O’Shea (0-2) and Conor Lenihan cancelled out that score.
Yet Newtown came with one final push. Stephen Minihane picked off a loose pass to point. Coughlan converted a free. Then, Cormac O’Brien’s huge sideline fell for O’Neill to save the day.
Morrissey praised his “unbelievable ambassadors” for their resilience. Bowen hailed his written-off youngsters for standing up under fire. They’ll meet again before long.
R O’Flynn (2-3, 1-2 frees); C Lenihan (1-4); F O’Brien (1-2); P O’Shea (0-4); B Óg Murphy, O O’Regan (0-1 each).
J Coughlan (0-8, 7 frees); T O’Neill (1-4); C Griffin (1-1); C O’Brien (0-3); S Minihane (0-2); C Twomey, D O’Connor, M Lenihan (0-1 each).
T Dillon; R O’Regan, C Dooley, C O’Connor; C Dunphy, S Broderick, C McDonnell; B Óg Murphy, O O’Regan; M O’Carroll, P O’Shea, F O’Brien; Conor Lenihan, R O’Flynn (capt), C O’Callaghan.
J O’Carroll for Broderick (h-t), Cathal Lenihan for O’Callaghan (43), E Murphy for M O’Carroll (47).
J Bowles (capt); T McCarthy, C Twomey, P O’Sullivan; B Collins, T O’Mahony, K O’Sullivan; M Ryan, Robert Troy; T O’Neill, C O’Brien, D O’Connor; C Griffin, J Coughlan, R Geary.
D Ryan for P O’Sullivan (26), S Minihane for Troy (30), M Lenihan for Geary (h-t), E O’Mahony for O’Connor (36-f-t, temporary).
C Walsh (Nemo Rangers).
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
