Watch and read: Bride Rovers ease to victory against Newcestown on return to top flight

Newcestown's Colm Dinneen tries to get away from Bride Rovers Cillian Tobin. Pic: David Creedon

Cork PSHC: Bride Rovers 1-20 Newcestown 0-14 

No cold feet from Bride Rovers on the big day. They eased to victory over Newcestown on their return to the top flight, pulling six ahead before the break and powering on after it.

Newcestown will be left sorely disappointed with their showing on Saturday – a knee injury to Luke Meade took it from bad to worse – but they’re under considerable pressure now after one defeat.

For Rovers it was the ideal start, and coach Steve Glasgow was impressed by what his side brought to Ballincollig.

“You just don't know, each grade is very packed and you can see Premier Senior is a new experience to our lads,” he said. “We're a young team so we're getting there at the right time maybe. We’ve the Barrs next, there’s no easy picking there.

“But I told the lads, go out and enjoy it. We've worked so hard the last five years to get where we are now. Not to fear losing, just go out and win it.” They certainly showed no fear from throw-in – even if they endured a brief wobble during Newcestown’s purple patch – and a goal from Adam Walsh helped to catapult their lead to six at the break, 1-9 to 0-6.

On the resumption, Bride raised six of the first seven white flags, while their opponents would not score from play again until the 52nd minute. And by that stage, the Carbery club had been reduced to 14-men following a second yellow card for substitute Ciaran O’Donovan. Brian Roche and Walsh were very impressive, Rovers’ full-back line were rock-solid, while Cormac Barry was sprung late for his debut and showed up well.

“Cormac O’Sullivan picked up an injury in the warm up, so Cormac Barry was drafted in last minute, and it was his debut as well,” Glasgow added. “He took to it like a duck to water.

“Again, we had a good spread of scorers, but the likes of Conleith Ryan – he does a lot of the dirty work that goes unseen. He's up and down that pitch from half-forward.” 

Their work-rate kept Newcestown to only seven points from play across the hour, and while Luke Meade got them back on track with a brilliant effort with eight to go, their hopes of a comeback had long evaporated, even as they kept Rovers scoreless for the remaining five minutes plus six added.

Newcestown's Richard O'Sullivan and Bride Rovers Ronan O'Connell chase the dropping ball. Pic: David Creedon

Newcestown opted for Luke Meade as a sweeper in the first half – Rovers did likewise with Tobin – but the Rathcormac/Bartlemy men were well on top. With the exception of a nine minute spell where Newcestown turned a 0-5 to 0-1 deficit after 13 minutes into a 0-6 to 0-5 lead after 22, Rovers were in control.

Brilliant efforts from Ronan O’Connell and Tobin nudged them back in front, and then Walsh fizzed to the net to push them four clear.

Conor Hazelwood floated one in beautifully from distance, looking for the target of Walsh, who plucked the sliotar, shook off the challenge of Eoghan Collins, and buried to the roof of the net. Frees from Cian Hogan and Walsh increased their advantage to six, leaving it 1-9 to 0-6 at the break.

Bride picked up where they left off on the restart, each white flag ensuring Newcestown would be left floored by the end of the third-quarter.

Tempers began to flare in that period too, and Ciaran O’Regan would end up flashing a total seven yellows to go with the red, but the intensity dropped in the fourth quarter as Newcestown reduced arrears to nine by the finish.

Scorers for Bride Rovers: A Walsh (1-7, 0-7 f), B Roche (0-4), R O’Connell (0-3), C Tobin, C Hogan (2 fs) (0-2 each), Cormac Barry, P O’Flynn (0-1 each).

Scorers for Newcestown: R O’Sullivan (0-9, 0-7 f), D Buckley (0-2), L Meade, C Dineen, N Kelly (0-1 each).

BRIDE ROVERS: C Hogan; E Roche, D Cashman; C Tobin; J Ahern, K Kearney, C Hazelwood; Cormac Barry, R O’Connell; C Ryan, B Roche, P O’Flynn; D Barry, A Walsh, L Roche.

Subs: C O’Riordan for B Roche (42-43 temp), O’Riordan for Ryan (56), Conor Barry for D Barry (60 inj).

NEWCESTOWN: C Wilson; M McSweeney, E Collins, J Kelleher; L Meade; Colm O’Donovan, D McAree, C O’Neill; G O’Donovan, J Meade; S O’Donovan, C Dinneen, R O’Sullivan; D Buckley, P Collins.

Subs: N Kelly for P Collins (HT), J Kenneally for O’Neill, Ciaran O’Donovan for C Dinneen (both 36), E Kenneally for McAree (47), McAree for L Meade (60+1 inj).

Referee: C O’Regan (Ballyhea).