Newcastle West retain title after extra time win over Adare

CHAMPIONS: Iain Corbett, Newcastle West captain, lifts the trophy after their extra time over Adare in Kilmallock. Pic: Keith Wiseman
Newcastle West are Limerick Senior football champions for a sixth time. In a repeat of last season’s decider they needed extra-time to see off a dogged Adare side who were seconds away from taking home their fourth title since 2017.
With the game deep in second-half stoppage time, Adare resumed play with a free, but also had an extra man on the pitch, with confusion over a substitute. As a result, referee Timmy McGrath threw the ball in. Winning possession in the midfield area, Newcastle West launched one last attack. This eventually saw Thomas Quilligan find the run of full back Darren O’Doherty, who showed the composure and class, to send an effort over to force extra-time.
It was an action packed stoppage time, with James Kelly receiving his marching orders for a second yellow card and Cian Sparling receiving a black card for his involvement. With Adare already down Mikey Lyons through a black card, they were to start the extra period 13 v 15. Newcastle West kicked the scores in this period to retain the Father Casey Cup.
Before all that, it was another tense and tight affair between these foes. As well as meeting in two recent finals, six of the last seven finals had been won by these sides. Newcastle West now lead that 4-3.
Diarmuid Kelly opened the scoring on five minutes and youngster Emmett Rigter quickly doubled the advantage after a decent team move. The reply was a Mark Connolly free – as Adare struggled to hold onto the ball. The game's opening goal came from man-of-the-match Mike McMahon on 20 minutes.
The towering full-forward flicked a dropping shot from Bryan Nix to the net, with Oran Collins powerless in the Adare goal. At this point, it was 1-3 to 0-1 and one-way traffic. But Adare rallied.
Connolly landed a free before they were awarded a penalty in first half stoppage time. Sub Shane O’Connor was felled and Robbie Bourke powered a penalty, accurately, beyond the despairing dive of Mike O’Keefe. The Magpies led by just a point at the interval.
Newcastle West owned the football early in the second half, but were unable to find any scores. Willie Griffin scored from Adare’s first attack to level the game.
McMahon restored Newcastle West's advantage with a 47th minute mark but Shane O’Connor fisted to the net moments later, after Griffin’s effort was dropped short.
This was the first lead of the game for John Brudair’s Adare, who’d largely played in a defensive shell. Sub Thomas Qulligan landed two left-footed frees to level the contest as the final whistle approached.
Mark Connolly looked to be the match winner, scoring a routine free after the ball was handled on the ground 20 meters from goal.
There was time for O’Doherty, who abandoned his defensive role, to pick off a point and send the game into extra-time.
In the extra period, the winners outscored their opponents 0-3 to no score when they had the numerical advantage, as captain Iain Corbett, Shane Stack and McMahon were all on target. Robbie Bourke kept Adare in touch.
The energy sapping Kilmallock surface was full of players with cramp during the extra period, as Newcastle West did what they had to.
The final say went to McMahon who kicked over late in the second period. This insurance point put three between them and Adare couldn’t find a path through a crowded Newcastle West goalmouth in the final moments.
Jimmy Lee’s charges will face either Nemo Rangers or Clonmel Commercials in the Munster semi-final, later this month.
M McMahon 1-3 (0-1 mark); T Quilligan (frees), D Kelly (0-1 free) 0-2 each; E Rigter, I Corbett, D O’Doherty, S Stack 0-1 each.
R Bourke 1-1 (1-0 pen, 0-1 free); M Connolly 0-3 (0-2f); S O’Connor 1-0; W Griffin 0-1.
M Quilligan; M O’Keeffe, D O’Doherty, B O’Sullivan; R O’Connor, J Kelly, C Sheehan; E Rigter, I Corbett; S Murphy, S Stack, D Kelly; E Hurley, M McMahon, B Nix.
T Qulligan for Hurley (47), T Donovan for Murphy (54), S Hurley for Kelly (full time), Hurley for O’Connor (61), A Neville for O’Doherty (83), S Murphy for D Kelly (89).
J Alfred; O Collins, D Connolly, J Fitzgerald; J Toomey, S Doherty, P Maher; R Glesson, J Sweeney; S Costello, R Bourke, D Lyons; W Griffin, M Connolly, M Lyons.
S O’Connor for D Lyons (13, inj), J English for Gleeson (54), C Sparling for Collins (62), A Canny for M Lyons (83), C McCarthy for Griffin (89).
T McGrath (Oola)