'Drained' Bandon drop from Senior as Newmarket eventually find their mojo

It's been a tough few weeks in both codes for Bandon, as Ryan O'Keeffe hits them for 4-3 in relegation play-off

Newmarket GAA Cork

Cork SAFC relegation play-off: Newmarket 5-11 Bandon 1-8.

BANDON will be playing their football in Cork’s Premier Intermediate grade next season after they were comprehensively beaten by Newmarket in a relegation play-off on Saturday. It capped off what has been a miserable few weeks for the west Cork men but by contrast, Newmarket finally found their best form to spirit free of potential relegation.

Having drawn with Clyda Rovers and lost by a point to Ilen Rovers, they could have considered themselves unluckily to be in peril, and they didn't play anything like a team who were 60 minutes from the drop.

It was Newmarket’s O’Keeffe brothers who inflicted the damage with Ryan O'Keeffe - just back from the US - bagged a whopping 4-3 in a man of the match performance. His brother Darren got the fifth goal.

Bandon coach Colm Aherne admitted afterwards that his side were “physically and mentally drained”.

“The dual club is too much to ask, we are picking from the same group of players. I could see it coming. It wasn't there. No matter what you try and say, it's a big ask of them. This competition doesn't lie, you are where you are, you get what you deserve.” 

Newmarket, on the other hand, were firing on all cylinders. Conor O’Keeffe started brightly, putting over three early points but the Newmarket onslaught really began in the 14th minute when Ryan O Keeffe poked into the net from close range. He was on hand again six minutes later, as newmarket strided clear to lead 2-7 to 1-2 at the break.

Ryan O’Keeffe popped up with yet another goal in the 50th minute completing his hat-trick but that wasn’t it for the man of the match. Along with setting up brother Darren O’Keeffe for a goal at the back post, Ryan finished from close range for his fourth goal of the day.

Reflected Newmarket manager Donal O'Sullivan: "It's huge for us. To say we were apprehensive would be an understatement, hugely so in fact.

“When the chips were down today, our lads were absolutely outstanding. We have depth in the squad we didn't have last year. Fellas can come on and provide class and speed. We know this team is far too good to drop back down. They haven't shown that all year what they are capable of when they start moving that ball."

Scorers for Newmarket: R O'Keeffe (4-3), D O'Keeffe (1-0), C O'Keeffe 0-3, D Culloty (0-2, 1f), B O Connor (0-2), M Cottrell (0-1).

Scorers for Bandon: M McNamara (1-0, pen), M Sugrue (0-2, 1f), R Long, D Crowley, C O’Mahony, C Calnan, M Cahalane, P Murphy (0-1 each).

NEWMARKET: J O'Keeffe; M Browne, A Ryan, P Allen; A Browne, TJ Brosnan, B Daly; M Cottrell, C Browne; D Cottrell, K O'Sullivan, B O'Connor; C O'Keeffe, D Culloty, R O Keeffe.

Subs: G Forde for TJ Brosnan (27), D O Keefe for D Cottrell (42), C Buttimer for B O Connor (50), D Norton for B Daly (54), J Ryan for D Culloty (58).

BANDON: P Prendergast; D O Donovan, B Crowley, N McCarthy; A O Mahony, J Walsh, C O Mahony; P Murphy, D Crowley; C Long, J Mulcahy, C Calnan; M Sugrue, R Long, M Cahalane.

Subs: M McNamara for C Long (12), C Burke for N McCarthy (51).

Referee: P. O'Leary