'Champagne football' from Newcestown knocks out battling Bishopstown

Bishopstown’s superior scoring difference meant they knew that a draw would be enough, but Newcestown pulled through

Bon Secours County Football Senior A Football Championship at Cloughduv: Newcestown's Tadgh Twomey and Bishopstown's Michael Murphy. Picture Denis Boyle

Cork Senior A FC: Newcestown 1-19 Bishopstown 2-10 

This was it for Newcestown and Bishopstown, do or die.

The winner of their clash in Cloughduv yesterday would live to fight another day in the Cork SAFC with their place in the quarter-finals secured.

For the loser, their run in the championship would be over for another year while in the event of a draw, Bishopstown would progress.

This decider was created as the two sides were locked on two points apiece in Group C having both emerged victorious against already eliminated Ilen Rovers and both losing against already qualified Dohenys.

But Bishopstown’s superior scoring difference, albeit only by two points, meant a stalemate here would send them through. But they couldn’t get the result they needed.

Instead a sensational scoring burst at the start of the second-half proved to be the difference as Newcestown earned their place in the last eight.

“It was a good day at the office,” admitted Newcestown manager Tim Buckley.

“We played champagne football for 50 minutes so we’re happy, very happy, especially after playing six games — three hurling and three football — and qualified in both.

“It felt like a 50:50 game at half-time so thanks be to God we had a ten minute spell after half-time that was vital.”

Bishopstown started the game on the front foot and either side of Brian Clifford opening the scoring with a well-taken free, they ought to have found the back of the net but both Michael Nunan and Jack Murphy were denied by goalkeeper Christopher White.

A relieved Newcestown reacted well to those huge let-offs as they soon took control of proceedings. Inspired by the excellent David Buckley and Richard O’Sullivan, they would claim six of the game’s next eight points to lead 0-6 to 0-3 after 23 minutes.

That advantage could easily have been greater, but Edmund Kenneally saw a goal-bound effort hacked off the line by the alert Mike Power before Richard O’Sullivan blasted wide when he was through one-on-one with the keeper.

They would remain ahead by that margin at the interval — 0-8 to 0-5 – but Newcestown would all but seal the victory in the opening nine minutes of the second period when they blew Bishopstown away.

In that time they would outscore Bishopstown by 1-4 with the brilliant Tadhg Twomey coming to the fore with a couple of fine scores before Edmund Kenneally coolly slotted the ball into the far bottom left corner.

Bishopstown, to their credit, battled until the very end and they would pull two goals back thanks to midfielder Darragh O’Connor, although Michael Nunan may claim he got a touch on his first as he challenged the keeper for a long ball.

But those goals proved to be just consolations as Newcestown continued to add on the points with Twomey grabbing the picks of the bunch to ensure they held onto the six-point victory.

Scorers for Newcestown: D Buckley (0-9, 5f), E Kenneally (1-2), T Twomey (0-4), R O’Sullivan (0-3), N Kelly (0-1, 1f).

Scorers for Bishopstown: D O’Connor (2-0), S Collins (0-4), B Clifford (0-3, 3f), M Power, M Nunan and L Arslan (0-1 each).

NEWCESTOWN: C White; N Murray, C Twomey, J Kelleher; C O’Donovan, M McSweeney, L Meade; E Collins, G O’Donovan; C Dineen, T Twomey, R O’Sullivan; N Kelly, E Kenneally, D Buckley.

Subs: C Goggin for E Collins (inj, 23), S O’Sullivan for C O’Donovan (inj, 26), C Keane for C Dineen (ht), R Sweeney for N Kelly (51), N Kelly for R O’Sullivan (57).

BISHOPSTOWN: C Fitzpatrick; M Murphy, M Power, D Quaid; K Murphy, E Byrne, N Gough; D O’Connor, C Dorman; D O’Donovan, M Nunan, S Collins; K McFadden, J Murphy, B Clifford.

Subs: L Hogan for E Byrne (inj, 19), C Dunne for D O’Donovan (ht), L Arslan for J Murphy (41), C Daly for K McFadden (50), F Stevens for D Quaid (55).

Referee: Peter O’Leary (Cloughduv).