Sleep-deprived Corbett caps 'amazing' week with more Limerick glory

SNUGGLED UP: Newcastle West joint-captain Iain Corbett with his son Dylan, who was born on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, after the Limerick County Senior Club Football Championship final match between Adare and Newcastle West at TUS Gaelic Grounds. Pic: Tom Beary/Sportsfile

Newcastle West 3-5 Adare 0-13  

Newcastle West may not have played their finest hour of football on Sunday afternoon, at a soaked TUS Gaelic Grounds. Somehow, for the third year in a row, they edged beyond west Limerick rivals Adare to take hope the Fr. Casey Cup. 

It is a piece of history for the club, who collecting their seventh title since their first in 1987, become the first club to do three in a row since Treaty Sarsfields did so nearly 50 years ago.

“We didn’t put a massive emphasis on the three in a row. As we reflect and see that it hasn’t been done since 1975, it is an incredible achievement. We are down a few bodies but we had full belief in ourselves”, explained captain Iain Corbett.

The Limerick star did hobble out of the game in the third quarter with a hamstring injury, before returning in stoppage time to help his side over the line. The goals, two of which were from Corbett interceptions proved the killer for Adare. 

“Eoin stuck two of them brilliantly and Bryan (Nix) stuck one as well”.

Trailing 0-6 to 0-1 after Ronan Connolly, Hugh Bourke, Robbie Bourke and David Connolly all kicked nice scores, it was scorer-in-chief, Eoin Hurley, who helped steady them. 

It was a half with only one wide, as Adare landed seven points from seven shots. They picked holes in a normally watertight Magpie defence, but they were punished ruthlessly for their own mistakes late in the half.

An instinctive flick from Hurley, with his hand, gave the winners a first green flag before Corbett read a Jeffrey Alfred pass. Adare’s goalkeeper, was on his own 45 and Corbett fed Sean Murphy who found Hurley who had an open goal. A half-time lead of a point, 2-2 to 0-7, was arguably harsh on Adare.

Another mistake in the third quarter, saw Corbett intercept. He passed to Bryan Nix in for another green flag – and from here Adare were chasing all the way to the whistle. John Brudair’s men wouldn’t restore parity and perhaps the lack of space meant that no score from play in the second period was of little surprise.

Instead of free-flowing football, Adare cut the gap of four to just a point as Alfred (two) and Bourke both scored frees. Newcastle West had earlier scored their only point from play from Michael O’Leary.

Adare, last winners in 2020, were within one in five minutes of stoppage time, when Alfred had a chance to level the clash. A long-range free off the wet surface tailed and dropped short. A host of Newcastle bodies scrambled it clear and they ran down the clock.

Lee’s men were able to suffocate their western rivals, and often had their entire 15 inside their own half. Adare couldn’t rescue the game and will be hurt having relinquished a late lead in last year's final.

The prize beyond the Limerick title is a Munster Club Championship clash with Clonmel Commercials, next weekend. The Limerick side beat the Tipperary outfit in the semi-final, after extra-time, 12 months ago, but Corbett wasn’t concerned about that game just yet.

“We are going to enjoy today, tomorrow and go back training on Tuesday." 

The quick turnaround will be a challenge but this game was perhaps the real test that they’d been craving all year. In their 21 wins on the trot, only Adare can claim to have regularly asked considerable questions of this seasoned side.

Corbett, 31, celebrated the arrival of his first child, Dylan, earlier this week so there is cause for more celebration.

“He’s five days old today. He’s off to a good start and hopefully he can stay as a lucky charm. It’s been an unbelievable week. I must give a shoutout to my partner Laura, she put me into the spare room last night, I got a few hours sleep. She has been amazing, and it has been an amazing week."

Meanwhile, Mungret St. Paul’s claimed both the second and fourth-tier titles, when winning the Limerick Intermediate title on Saturday and the Junior A on Sunday, with Dromcollogher Broadford and Camogue Rovers no match for the City club.

Scorers for Newcastle West: E Hurley 2-4 (0-4 frees); B Nix 1-0; M O’Leary 0-1.

Scorers for Adare: H Bourke 0-7 (0-6 frees); J Alfred 0-2 (0-2 frees); R Connolly; R Bourke, D Connolly, J English 0-1 each.

Newcastle West: M Quilligan; M O’Keeffe, D O’Doherty, M O’Leary; R O’Connor, J Kelly, B O’Sullivan; I Corbett (C), S Murphy; A Neville, E Rigter, B Nix; E Hurley, M McMahon, T Quilligan.

Subs: S Hurley for Corbett (Inj – 46); S Brosnan for Kelly (49); L Woulfe for T Quilligan (55); B Foley for O’Connor (blood – 56 – 58); B Foley for Neville (60); Iain Corbett for Rigter (blood – 62).

Adare: J Alfred; C Sparling, D Connolly, J Fitzgerald; R Connolly, S Doherty ©, P Maher; J English, J Sweeney; S Costello, R Bourke, D Lyons; S O’Connor, H Bourke, A Canny.

Subs: J Twomey for English (45); W Griffin for Canny (46).

Referee: John O’Halloran (Bruree)