Kelly’s late free snatches it for Newcestown

NEWCESTOWN had star player and dead ball specialist Eoin Kelly to thank for their one point victory over Ballincollig in last night’s PIHC fourth round meeting at Cloughduv.

The corner forward showed a cool head under tremendous pressure to slot his side’s last minute free between the posts from out on the right touchline.

The point, Kelly’s ninth and eight from the dead ball was a crushing blow for Ballincollig who lead for entire first-half and spurned several late chances with wayward shooting.

When Kelly sent a routine free over to level the sides at 0-9 each the game looked certain to end in a draw. Both teams wasted late opportunities as the wide count continued to rise. More reckless defending from Ballincollig, needlessly hauling substitute Seanie Ryan to the ground, presented Kelly with his simplest conversion of the evening to edge Newcestown ahead with five minutes to go.

Eoin O’Hegarty, who had been equally deadly from frees for Ballincollig sent two straight forward dead ball efforts wide before he finally regained his composure to level the sides for the fifth time with just a minute of normal time to go. On the balance of play a draw would have been the fairest result but Ballincollig’s ill discipline ultimately cost them the tie.

It was Ballincollig who enjoyed the better of things in the opening exchanges, striking two early unanswered points but ruefully sending five efforts wide inside ten minutes. Newcestown were struggling to get any decent possession and seemed content to draw the fouls from the opposition knowing that Kelly would keep the scoreboard ticking over.

Trailing 0-7 to 0-6 at the break, it was Newcestown’s turn to show greater appetite at the start of the second-half. Two early points from Kelly and O’Rourke handed them the lead for the first time in the game. Ballincollig finally woke up and responded through an O’Hegarty free. With both sides coughing up possession and shooting off target it was inevitably going to come down to the free takers, a dual which Kelly always looked favourite to win.

Scorers for Ballincollig: E O’Hegarty 0-6 (6f), S O’Brien 0-2, E Ryle and R O’Driscoll 0-1 each.

Scorers for Newcestown: E Kelly 0-9 (8f), B Horgan and G O’Rourke 0-1 each.

BALLINCOLLIG: F Kelly; L Jennings, N Galvin, JP Murphy; C Harris, S O’Donoghue, C O’Connor; C O’Sullivan, R O’Driscoll; R Doherty, N Allen, J O’Brien; E Ryle, E O’Hegarty, C Sexton.

Subs: I Coughlan for JP Murphy (40), D Bowen for C Sexton (52), A O’Donovan for N Ahern (52)

NEWCESTOWN: J O’Sullivan; D Heffernan, J Crowley, K Long; J Desmond, N O’Sullivan, G O’Driscoll; B Horgan, G O’Rourke; D Twomey, T Twomey, H Curran; F Keane, C Keane, E Kelly.

Subs: S Ryan for G O’Rourke (49)

Referee: James Bermingham (Bride Rovers).