Newmarket do just enough to topple Éire Óg and keep Senior A campaign alive
Hugh O'Connor wins possession in the air for Newmarket. Pic: Larry Cummins
Newmarket went from cruising at seven points clear to immediately clinging on, level after as many minutes.
Only in the last quarter of an hour did they reassert themselves to squeeze out Éire Óg in Carrigadrohid on Saturday evening.
The win keeps their Senior A Football Championship campaign alive.
Cathal Browne’s goal on 41 minutes looked like the game’s big hinge. At 1-12 to 0-8, Newmarket were away and gone, but that lead was immediately wiped out by their opponents. By the 49th minute, it was 0-15 to 1-12.
Conor O’Keeffe, who was immense up front, got the badly needed settling score on 51. Then Alan Ryan then sent Barry O’Connor clear for another, before Darren O’Keeffe added the third. Three ahead, but Éire Óg weren’t finished.
A brace of points from Daniel Goulding, either side of one from Barry O’Connor, after a brilliant pass from Darren O’Keeffe, 1-16 to 0-17.
But Newmarket hit back with two, Browne and Ryan O’Keeffe on target. Éire Óg needed goals, with just minutes to go in added time.
Colm O’Callaghan could easily have netted thrice. But he ended the game with none. The second of three chances arriving in the 62nd minute.
Jerome Kelleher to O’Callaghan, his goal effort tipped over by a brilliant Josh O’Keeffe save, three points.
Brian Hurley with the next ball in. O’Callaghan rose high to punch it – but the ball never dropped. The white flag was no help to their fortunes.
The whistle blew, Newmarket hanging on for a huge win over last year’s PSFC relegation victims.
The first half was tight, five times the sides drew level. Newmarket edged in front at the break thanks to a brilliant Darren O’Keeffe two-pointer. The second half began in their favour too, with the first two scores adding to that lead.
Then, the game changer, one of many Newmarket turnovers won. Hugh O’Connor won possession, offloaded to David Cottrell as he hit the deck, to Aidan Browne, and finally to Cathal Browne. He buried it.
Éire Óg responded immediately. O’Callaghan forced a save, Jack Murphy popped over a free, Johnny Galvin added two points. Quickfire points from Rian O’Flynn, then Brian Hurley off the bench, and Ronan O’Toole to complete the seven unanswered.
Level in a matter of minutes, though Newmarket would have the final say.
A disappointing result for the Ovens side after their first-round defeat of Kanturk. The pressure is on for their last round fixture with Kilshannig.
Éire Óg had started well, getting a point on the board after 13 seconds, courtesy of no. 13 Dylan Foley. Two minutes after, Eoin O’Shea added another, but the pendulum immediately swung from one moment. One turnover.
Rory Lynn, who was exceptional at wing-back, forced the turnover. Newmarket countered, Aidan Browne finished with a two-pointer. Ninety seconds on from that and they were two ahead, after points from Conor and Ryan O’Keeffe.
Éire Óg hit back with two, then Newmarket answered with the same. 0-6 to 0-4 after 14 minutes.
But Colm O’Callaghan got Éire Óg back in front, first after Colm Clifford got by his man and played a one-two with O’Callaghan – who bounced off two Newmarket challenges, before the Cork senior gave it back to Clifford, and he pointed from close range.
Then Jack Murphy came to the fore with a brilliant solo effort, before O’Callaghan played a quick one-two with Daire McCarthy, before looping one over and between the posts.
Newmarket’s Cork senior Hugh O’Connor wrestled through two challenges to score. Ryan O’Keeffe added another.
Eoin O’Shea levelled again for Éire Óg, but Darren O’Keeffe’s second-half score put Newmarket ahead – and their backs saw them home. Tireless, relentless, never letting Éire Óg get the goals they needed.
C O’Callaghan 0-3, D Foley, R O’Flynn, J Galvin (tp), J Murphy (1f), D Goulding (1f), E O’Shea 0-2 each, D Clifford, B Hurley (f), R O’Toole, C Clifford, 0-1 each.
C O’Keeffe 0-5, C Browne 1-1, D O’Keeffe (1 tp), R O’Keeffe 0-3 each, H O’Connor (1 f), A Browne (tp), B O’Connor 0-2 each.
C Kelly; C Clifford, M Brady, C McGoldrick; D Dineen, C O’Callaghan, D McCarthy; M Griffin, D Clifford; R O’Flynn, R O’Toole, J Galvin; D Foley, E O’Shea, J Murphy.
B Hurley for O’Shea, D Goulding for Foley (both 43), H Murphy for D McCarthy (44), J Kelleher for O’Toole (51), J Mullins for Dineen (54).
J O’Keeffe; M Browne, B Daly, P Allen; R Lynn, A Ryan, A Browne; C Browne, D Cottrell; D O’Keeffe, C O’Keeffe, D Hannon; B O’Keeffe, R O’Keeffe, H O’Connor.
B O’Connor for Hannon (41), K O’Sullivan for B O’Keeffe (51).
Alan Long (Argideen Rangers)
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