Kenneally shines as Newcestown’s goals pave way to victory

Newcestown 3-7

Kilbrittain 2-8

JOHN MURPHY REPORTS

TWO hurling heavyweights in Carbery swapped their camáns to do battle with the big ball at misty Timoleague. Their task? To garner their opening brace of points in Roinn 2 of this season’s Bandon Co-op Carbery junior A football championship.  At the end of a keenly-contested affair, it was a case of mission accomplished for the St John’s brigade, albeit by a narrow two-point margin with the result in doubt up to the last whistle.

Goals win games – how often have we heard that before? – and we had five to adorn the final scoreboard. We hadn’t to wait long for the opening one as a sweet move involving Aaron Holland, Sam Shorten and Seán Sexton saw the latter shoot a bullet past excellent Newcestown shot-stopper Cathal Clark after barely two minutes had elapsed.

However, Newcestown had got their act together up front and four unanswered points by the influential Eddie Kenneally (2), Mark Kelly and a Ciarán O’Donovan free had put them in front by the 13th minute.

But the Kilbrittain roller-coaster was about to strike again and when Mark Hickey, Aaron Holland, Conor Ustianowski and Tomás Sheehan worked a lightning sally into attack, Sheehan’s blockbuster went in off an upright in the 16th minute.

Undaunted, Newcestown kept plugging away. With Cormac O’Sullivan, Eoghan Collins, Rick Bradfield, Darragh McSweeney, Eoin Kelly and Cathal Wilson providing great support to the swashbuckling Kenneally, by half time the deficit had been cut to the minimum, 2-2 to 0-7, thanks to superb points by the latter and Mark Kelly.

Kilbrittain soon had a repeat of the opening goal, but at their end as Eoghan Collins, Ciarán Hurley, Kenneally and Darragh McSweeney cut their defence apart for McSweeney to billow the net. It was to get worse before it got better as a Kenneally penalty in the 44th minute and a third goal by the all-action Newcestown scoring sorcerer in the 51st minute really put the cat amongst the pigeons. It was now 3-7 to 2-5.

To their credit Kilbrittain clawed back the deficit with fine scores by Sam Dewey, Fionn Ustianowski and Josh O’Donovan (free), but some magnificent defending by Newcestown saw them home in an all-action last few minutes. Newcestown manager Tom Wilson praised the work ethic of his side in those last tension–filled minutes.

‘The work ethic was brilliant on a difficult night for football. We worked very hard to grind out this result. It is a welcome boost as we have seven players nursing injuries presently. We got three goals in the second half, all crucial scores, it was difficult for Kilbrittain to counteract them. We are delighted with this important win,’ a satisfied Newcestown boss said.

Scorers

Newcestown: Eddie Kenneally 2-4 (2f, 1-0 pen); Darragh McSweeney 1-0; Mark Kelly 0-2; Ciarán O’Donovan 0-1 (f).

Kilbrittain: Seán Sexton 1-1; Tomás Sheehan 1-0; Josh O’Donovan 0-3 (1f); Bertie Butler, Sam Dewey, Fionn Ustianowski, Aaron Holland 0-1 each.

Newcestown: Cathal Clark; Cormac O’Sullivan, Eoin Calnan, Cathal Wilson; Mark Courtney, Eoin Kelly, James Burrows; Eoghan Collins, Podge Collins; Ciarán Hurley, Mark Kelly; Rick Bradfield; Ciarán O’Donovan, Eddie Kenneally, Darragh McSweeney.

Subs: Ger Murphy for Eoin Calnan (25), Derek Brady for Podge Collins (36), Dan Flanagan for Ciarán Hurley (45), Andrew Shorten for Mark Kelly (55).

Kilbrittain: Eoin McCarthy; Sam Dewey, Ivan Burke, Eoin O’Neill; Colm Sheehan, James Hurley, Nick O’Donovan; Seán Sexton, Bertie Butler; Mark Hickey, Aaron Holland, Tomás Sheehan; Conor Ustianowski, Sam Shorten, Josh O’Donovan.

Subs: Conor Hogan for Sam Shorten (48), Fionn Ustianowski for Aaron Holland (50), Eoghan Byrne for Bertie Butler (55).

Referee: Alan Long (Argideen Rangers).