Newcestown dig deep to beat Kanturk on penalties
BATTLE: Newcestown's David Buckley tackling Kanturk's Colin Walsh. Pic: Denis Boyle
This Cork Senior AFC quarter-final wasn’t so much an arm wrestle as a mud fight, one that required penalties to separate the combatants in atrocious conditions.
A pair of saves from Christopher White – nicknamed ‘Blue’ – finally split Newcestown and Kanturk, keeping West Cork hopes of a senior A double alive.
After their hurling semi-final against Carrigtwohill next Saturday, they now have a final-four clash with Newmarket to look forward to – a repeat of their 2001 semi-final smash-and-grab that’s still being talked about to this day.
They made the right calls in the frantic final moments to get there. Edmund Kenneally and Niall Kelly were subbed back in for the shoot-out and they slotted their kicks. Tadhg Twomey and Jack Meade made it a perfect four from four.
Surprising, so, that manager Tim Buckley revealed their penalty practice was as infrequent as it was despair-inducing.
“We didn’t do penalties much, the odd night, but it was horrendous to watch us. We were saying, where are we going to get penalty takers?
“In fairness, there was five lads put up their hands. We stuck four of them and the game was over.”
Kanturk had also tried to bring Cameron Hendry back on in the last play but after some debate, referee Robert Whelan ruled the final whistle was already blown.
Paul and Ian Walsh scored but White guessed right to leave Alan Walsh and Grantus Bucinskas feeling blue.
“John Cleary might be looking for him if he has an outing like that again,” added Buckley of his shot-stopping hero.
It was a typically never-say-die effort from Newcestown who crawled back from three points behind to level in both regulation and extra-time.
“Coming down here to Coachford this morning, we thought the game would be called off,” said Buckley.
“It was a dour first half, conditions were terrible, and it became a real battle. We knew it coming down, Kanturk are probably steelier than us but we’re known too for being steely.
“Ye all know it’s hard to beat us. We mightn’t be the prettiest at times but we know how to dig out matches over the years. We’re keeping on the club culture of dig in and get there.
“And we owed them one, they beat us in a hurling county semi-final two years ago, so we got our own back.”
Buckley had hailed their final-round victory over Bishopstown as “champagne football” but this contest quickly turned to vinegar.
The half-time score read Newcestown 0-2, Kanturk 0-1. As many first-half points as there were frees for picking the ball off the sodden ground. There was no score in the entire second quarter.
On the resumption, the Duhallow men found 1-3 without reply to jump four clear, the goal from Ryan Walsh. But Newcestown battled back with points from captain Luke Meade and two David Buckley frees.
His father, Tim, acknowledged that Kanturk were unlucky in perhaps the game’s decisive moment when a point up with two minutes of normal time to go. Ryan Walsh’s fierce shot cannoned off the inside of both posts and out to Brian O’Sullivan but his follow-up also hit the upper frame. Two shots, three pings off the post, and Newcestown were still breathing.
It wasn’t just luck, though, as a 30% conversion rate from 20 shots won’t cut it even in dire conditions.
Newcestown’s subs made a difference, three of them involved in working the ball patiently for Micheál McSweeney to fist the 61st-minute leveller. 0-7 to 1-4.
Midfielder Gearóid O’Donovan was black-carded deep into stoppage time but, crucially, he had already been booked. His red card meant he could be replaced for extra-time, rather than leave Newcestown down to 14 men for 10 minutes.
Both teams changed into a new set of jerseys but it was the one Kanturk man who didn’t swap tops that got their second goal; late substitute Hendry hacking a loose ball to the net before limping off.
It was cancelled out by another substitute, Carthach Keane, who seized upon a dropped Colm Dineen cross.
The second extra period was played with minimal risks; one blocked shot and no scores.
“A soccer match,” joked Buckley. True to form, it went all the way to penalties.
D Buckley (0-5, 4 frees); C Keane (1-0); M McSweeney, L Meade (0-1 each).
R Walsh, C Hendry (1-0 each); I Walsh (0-2, 1 free); C Mullane, L McLoughlin (0-1 each).
C White; T Horgan, C Twomey, N Murray; J Kelleher, M McSweeney, L Meade (capt); C Goggin, G O’Donovan; R O’Sullivan, T Twomey, J Kenneally; N Kelly, E Kenneally, D Buckley.
S O’Sullivan for J Kenneally (45), C Keane for Kelly (45), J Meade for E Kenneally (55), C Dineen for Kelleher (55), R Sweeney for O’Donovan (e-t), E Collins for L Meade (68, inj), E Kenneally for R O’Sullivan (75), Kelly for S O’Sullivan (79).
G O’Donovan (60+2).
R Cashman; J McLoughlin, J Browne, D Browne; B O’Sullivan, Aidan Walsh, T Walsh; Alan Walsh, P Walsh; C Mullane, R Walsh, L McLoughlin; G Bucinskas, C Walsh, I Walsh.
C Clernon for R Walsh (38-40, blood), C Hendry for Bucinskas (59), Clernon for C Walsh (64, inj), M Healy for L McLoughlin (h-t e-t), Bucinskas for Hendry (73, inj).
R Whelan (Aghada).
A collection of the latest sports news, reports and analysis from Cork.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
