White brothers fire Clonakilty hurlers to league win

Clonakilty 2-13

Newcestown 1-11

TOM LYONS REPORTS

SOUTH West champions Clonakilty sit on top of the Dubliner Cheese Hurling League Division 1 following this hard-fought win away over Newcestown on Sunday.

Despite arriving with a temporary management team and only 16 players, Clon got on top from the start and, bar a short spell early in the second half when the home side drew level, they led all the way from post to pillar.

Having seen their half-time lead of 0-7 to 0-2 cut to three points, Clon were rocked by a Newcestown goal from impressive wing forward Fiachra Ó Donnchadha that levelled the game. But that was as good as it got for Newcestown as Clon re-asserted control, especially around the middle third where the White brothers, Seán and Brian, held the upper hand.

Clon’s first goal came in the 42nd minute when a shot from Seán White was brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Ronan McSweeney, with the rebound being batted to the net by Kieran Calnan. It was tit-for-tat subsequently and the gap was still three points with ten minutes remaining. It was then Clon struck for the vital second goal when, again, McSweeney saved, from Mark White, but was helpless to stop Fionn McCarthy hammering the rebound to the net. Six points in front, there was no catching the Clon men in the closing ten minutes.

With the aid of the diagonal breeze, Clon had the three first points from hard-working midfielders, Chris Kenneally and Brian White, as well as Colm Crowley. It took Newcestown 14 minutes to register their opening score, a point from Andrew Shorten, and they were to raise only one more white flag in the first half, from a Brian Collins’ free. Clon had points from Seán and Brian White, Fionn McCarthy and Colm Crowley to lead by 0-7 to 0-2.

The blistering restart by Newcestown saw the game level within three minutes, the momentum all with the locals. However, Clon settled again and points from Seán White (2) and Brian White (free), plus Calnan’s goal saw the visitors in front by 1-10 to 1-6 at the end of the third quarter, Fiachra Ó Donnchadha replying with 1-1 for the home side.

Subs Olan Walsh and Niall Murray had Newcestown points to start the last quarter, in answer to a Chris Kenneally effort for Clon, until McCarthy’s goal in the 50th minute stretched the lead to a daunting six points. The closing ten minutes saw Cian O’Donovan and Mark White pointing for Clon, with Eoin Calnan, Mark Courtney (free) and Fiachra Ó Donnchadha answering for Newcestown. Overall, an entertaining game with Clon emerging winners by five points.

Our Star: Clon’s Seán White, at centre back and midfield, just shaded it from his brother Brian.

Scorers

Clonakilty: Fionn McCarthy 1-1; Kieran Calnan 1-0; Seán White, Brian White (1f) 0-3 each; Colm Crowley 0-2; Mark White, Cian O’Donovan 0-1 each.

Newcestown: Fiachra Ó Donnchadha 1-2; Andrew Shorten 0-3; Brian Collins 0-2f; Eoin Calnan, Niall Murray, Olan Walsh, Mark Courtney (free) 0-1 each.

Clonakilty: Shane Collins; James Hegarty, Niall Barrett, Tom Palmer; Aaron Cullinane, Seán White, Liam Knowles; Brian White, Chris Kenneally; Cian O’Donovan, Fionn McCarthy, Colm Crowley; Luke Henry, Mark White, Kieran Calnan.

Sub: Ciarán Crowley for B White (59).

Newcestown: Ronan McSweeney; Rick Bradfield, Cian Twomey, Gavin Kelleher; Eoin Calnan, Mark Courtney, Cathal Clarke; Darragh Buttimer, Oisín O’Donovan-O’Sullivan; Ger Murphy, Andrew Shorten, Fiachra Ó Donnchadha; Timmy O'Sullivan, Brian Collins, Darragh McSweeney.

Subs: Niall Murray for O O’Donovan-O’Sullivan (40), Olan Walsh for T O’Sullivan (42), O O’Donovan-O’Sullivan for N Murray (50).

Referee: Kevin Crowley (Ballinascarthy).