Newmarket secure final spot with win over Castletownbere

Declan Dunne of Castletownbere getting the ball away watched by Ryan O’ Keeffe Newmarket during their Cork County Premier I.F.C. match at Clondrohid, Co Cork. Picture Dan Linehan 

Newmarket 3-12 

Castletownbere 2-10 

Newmarket are through to the semi-final of the Bon Secours Cork Premier IFC, the Duhallow side negotiating the challenge of Castletownbere to top Group A with maximum points at Clondrohid today (Saturday).

The groundwork was done in an impressive first-half after which they led by eight points, and while they weren’t as accomplished in the second-half – and this was due to their more dogged opponents – they had done enough to secure their last four place.

In that first-half, they negated an early point from Castletownbere’s Daniel Hanley with four unanswered points – and all different scorers in Ryan O’Keeffe, Barry O’Connor, Mikey Cottrell and Conor O’Keeffe (mark).

With the wind at their backs, they followed this dominant spell hitting Castletownbere with a brace of goals just before the water break. Daniel Culloty finding the net from a Conor O’Keeffe free that he angled in superbly from our near the sideline. Two minutes later they struck again, Ryan O’Keeffe bagging a fine individual goal, 2-4 to 0-3.

Newmarket lost attacker Barry O’Connor to the sin-bin four minutes before the interval, and Castletownbere took advantage with Gary Murphy (their top-scorer with 1-6) raising a green flag, a timely boost on the stroke of half-time to leave the score, 2-9 to 1-4.

The second-half was slow to get going. Newmarket still to the fore 2-12 to 1-8 before Darren O’Keeffe finished their third goal in the 50th minute.

James Harrington got a goal back five minutes from time in a much-improved second period for the west Cork team.

However, with Aghada defeating Na Piarsaigh in this other group game, it meant Aghada qualified for the quarter-final as runners-up.

Newmarket finished with 14 men after Tim Murphy received a second yellow in stoppage.

Scorers for Newmarket: R O’Keeffe (1-4, 0-1 free), C O’Keeffe (0-4), D Culloty (1-1), D O’Keeffe (1-0), B O’Connor (0-2), M Cottrell (0-1).

Scorers for Castletownbere: G Murphy (1-6, 0-4 frees), J Harrington (1-0), D Hanley, T Murphy, D Fenton and A O’Sullivan (0-1 each).

NEWMARKET: J O’Keeffe; M Browne, A Ryan, P Allen; B Daly, T Murphy, TJ Brosnan; C Browne, M Cottrell; D O’Keeffe, D Hannon, B O’Connor; C O’Keeffe, R O’Keeffe, D Culloty.

Subs: B O’Connor (BC 26), J Ryan for C Browne (39), T O’Keeffe for P Allen (46), D Cottrell for T Murphy (53), T Murphy for D O’Keeffe (58).

CASTLETOWNBERE: C O’Donoghue; L Harrington, D Dunne, Jonathan Harrington Morales; J O’Neill, T Collins, O Byrne; A O’Sullivan, D Fenton; James Harrington, R Murphy, D Hanley; J Walsh, G Murphy, O Murphy.

Subs: T Murphy for R Murphy (35), B Murphy for O Murphy (50), A Ó Se for J O’Neill (52).

Referee: Colm Ó Mocháin (Cill na Martra).