Noonan expecting another close one

THOSE hurling pundits out there who see Sunday’s Munster Club SHC final at Semple Stadium between Newtownshandrum and Ballygunner as a bit of a foregone conclusion baffles the bejaysus out of Newtown manager Phil Noonan.

What logic are they using, he asks? Does form mean anything at all to them?

It was only four years ago those two sides met in another Munster final, again in Thurles, with many of the same players again lining out on Sunday. With just over 10 minutes remaining, the Cork champions trailed 1-11 to 0-11, and only a strong finish, with two points each from brothers Ben and John O’Connor, and the winner from John Paul King, saw Newtown edge home by a point.