O'Connor inspires Newtownshandrum win

Newtownshandrum 0-14, O'Loughlin Gaels 1-8

Brilliant Ben O'Connor booked Newtownshandrum's place in the All-Ireland club final next month with a one man wondershow in a replay to remember.

O'Connor, a Cork star, earned Newtown' this replay with his last gasp leveller last weekend and went one better to seal victory with 0-8 this time out in Thurles.

The pacy half-forward was an inspiration and along with the interventions of his twin brother Jerry at midfield the pair racked up all but 0-10 of their tally.

How sweet the victory for the Cork champions who just couldn't shake off the Kilkenny side for long spells and the sides were level an amazing six times throughout.

In the end Newtown were deserved victors and shot into a 0-3 to 0-0 lead but true to form a goal from Maurice Nolan pulled the Gaels right back into it.

It set the tone for the day and it was no surprise that Newtown led by just a single point at 0-8 to 1-4 at the break.

It was point for point stuff after the restart too with the sides level three more times before Newtown broke away with the O'Connor twins and John Paul King, 0-3, sealing victory with late scores.

Newtownshandrum: P Morrissey; J McCarthy, B Mulcahy, G O'Mahony; I Kelleher, P Mulcahy, P Noonan; A T O'Brien, J O'Connor (0-2); D Mulcahy, B O'Connor (0-8; 4f), JP King (0-3); J Bowles, D O'Riordan (0-1), M Farrell.

Subs.: D Naughton for O'Riordan 51, J O'Connor for Farrell 55.

O'Loughlin Gaels: K Cleere; B Kelly, B Hogan, B Murphy; A O'Brien, A Comerford, S Dowling; J Comerford (0-1), N Bergin (0-1); A Geoghegan, M Comerford, N Skehan (0-2; 2f); M Nolan (1-1), C Furlong (0-1), B Dowling (0-2).

Subs.: S Cummins for J Comerford 56, J Lawlor for Bergin 58.

Referee: P Horan (Offaly).