Last-gasp winner sees Newmarket claim Cork PIFC title against neighbours Kanturk

Ryan O’Keefe hit a dramatic late point to seal the win - and promotion for Newmarket

Newmarket's Barry O'Connor is tackled by Kanturk's Lorcan McLoughlin during the Bon Secours Cork PIFC final at Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Newmarket 0-12 Kanturk 0-11

The drama came late in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday, with an injury-time winner for Newmarket over Kanturk in the Premier Intermediate Football final.

Kanturk led by two points with injury-time approaching, but two Conor O’Keeffe frees brought Newmarket level. The kick-out after the second of those frees went awry and Newmarket pounced, with Ryan O’Keeffe hitting a sensational lead point into the City End.

There was still time for Kanturk to work an equaliser but their shot flew wide, leaving those in red and black overjoyed.

Donal O’Sullivan of the Newmarket management team was understandably emotional at the final whistle: “To win it in the way we did, words can’t describe it.

“Kanturk are a formidable outfit and while it’s huge for us to win the way we did, it’s an awful way to lose as well and they have to be in our thoughts.

“But the way our lads really put their shoulders to the wheel — we were down two points with maybe a minute to go and the level of effort they put in to snatch that at the end was unbelievable.

“I’m so proud of them, you have no idea. I can’t speak highly enough of the drive and guts they have — I think we’re missing six lads from last year’s starting team.

“They never let their heads drop though there was injury after injury and blow after blow — every time I met them in training there was deeper resolve every time we lost someone.

“You could see it in their eyes — ‘ok, there’s someone else gone, we have to work harder’. And that’s what they did. They kept working until the 64th minute today and I’m so glad they got their just rewards. They deserve it so much.”

Kanturk attacked the City End and led early on through an Ian Walsh free, though Conor O’Keeffe responded in kind for Newmarket.

Both sides struggled to find their range in the opening quarter, with the score 0-3 apiece at the first water break.

Newmarket had the better of the second quarter, with danger man Conor O’Keeffe hitting three good points as they pushed three ahead, though an Ian Walsh free in injury time made it 0-8 to 0-6 at the half, Newmarket in the lead.

Former Cork hurler Lorcan McLoughlin hit two neat points to level matters on the resumption.

It took almost 10 minutes for another score and Ian Walsh’s free pushed Kanturk ahead on 43 minutes. Another Walsh free made it 0-10 to 0-8 at the water break.

At this stage Kanturk had a firm grip on proceedings — Newmarket hadn’t scored for almost 20 minutes, while the men in white and green were making their physical power tell.

With time running out Conor O’Keeffe’s two late frees looked like the preamble to a draw and a replay, but four added minutes left the door open for a winner — and Ryan O’Keeffe duly obliged, even if Kanturk came knocking on the door for a leveller afterwards.

“They had their chances,” acknowledged Donal O’Sullivan of that late Kanturk attack.

“Our lads fought tooth and nail to make sure they had a blockdown every time they swung a leg at the ball, someone was throwing themselves on top of it.

“That’s the measure of the guys who were back there, they were willing to do anything — and we knew that, coming up here today.

“I know people had us written off probably due to injuries, and due to this Kanturk team going so well, they’re a quality outfit.

“But we knew our lads were going to die with their boots on, that they’d give it everything.”

They did. It was a cruel way for Kanturk to lose, as O’Sullivan acknowledged, but it was a stirring conclusion for the victors.

O’Sullivan was asked if he ever thought their chance had gone when they went 20 minutes without a score in the second half: “I didn’t. There are such leaders on the field, guys across the team, who were with us in 2011 when we won it, and it’s never gone when those guys are leading it, they won’t lie down.

“That came to the fore in the last couple of minutes. When it had to be done those guys stepped up to the plate. We brought in a few guys to freshen it up and they did fantastically well for guys who wouldn’t have a lot of championship experience — very little, in fact.

“In a tough game like that, for inexperienced guys to come in and play like that makes it all the sweeter.”

Scorers for Newmarket: C. O’Keeffe (0-7, 3 frees); B. O’Connor (0-2); R. O’Keeffe, D. O’Keeffe, P. Allen (0-1 each).

Scorers for Kanturk: I. Walsh (0-6, 3 frees); L. McLoughlin (0-2); K. Holland, C. Walsh, R. Walsh (0-1 each)

NEWMARKET: J. O’Keeffe; M. Browne, A. Ryan, P. Allen; TJ Brosnan (c), G. Forde, B. Daly; M. Cottrell, D. O’Keeffe; J. Ryan, K. O’Sullivan, B. O’Connor; C. O’Keeffe, R. O’Keeffe, C. Browne.

Subs: D. Norton for Brosnan (blood, 15-17); D. Cottrell for D. O’Keeffe (52); D. Norton for J. Ryan (58)

KANTURK: J. Fullerton; J. McLoughlin (c), D. Browne, L. Cashman; L. O’Neill, J. Browne, B. O’Sullivan; P. Walsh, A. Walsh; L. O’Keeffe, L. McLoughlin, R. Walsh; I. Walsh, C. Walsh, M. Healy.

Subs: D. O’Connell for L. O’Keeffe (41); C. Clernon for R. Walsh (50 ); K. Holland for Healy (53); A. Walsh for C. Walsh (60).

Referee: J. Ryan (Macroom).