Newcestown 1-9

St Finbarr’s 1-9

JOHNNY CAROLAN REPORTS

WHILE Newcestown manager Jim O’Sullivan was pleased to see his side earn a draw against St Finbarr’s after trailing in the first half of Saturday’s McCarthy Insurance Group FL Division 1 game, he felt that they could have given themselves a chance to win.

Against the wind in the first half, Newcestown fell 1-7 to 0-2 behind after a Cillian Myers Murray goal but Humphrey Canty netted for the hosts before half-time and they clawed their way back in the second period, with Richard O’Sullivan kicking a long-range leveller at the death.

For his father Jim, it was a case of a glass that was 50 percent full.

‘I thought we didn't manage it well in the last ten minutes,’ he said.

‘I felt we just panicked a small bit and we were trying to force it, but, as I said, the conditions were brutal – it was very hard to hold on to the ball and the balls were spilling.’

Newcestown were without Christopher White, Luke Meade, David Buckley, Seán O’Donovan and others and, against the wind in the first half, they wasted a couple of early chances. In contrast, their opponents were able to build a 0-6 to 0-0 lead, with Myers Murray and Enda Dennehy impressive.

Richard O’Sullivan and Eoghan Collins did belatedly get Newcestown off the mark but Myers Murray’s super finish beyond Eoin McSweeney threatened to send the Barrs into the kind of lead that could not be overhauled.

However, Newcestown found hope as Canty played a one-two with Jack Meade and looped a shot beyond Darragh Newman to leave five in it at the break and the deficit could have been eroded even further on the restart.

The second half wasn’t two minutes old when Micheál McSweeney was fouled for a penalty but Newman pushed Meade’s effort out for a 45.

Richard O’Sullivan converted that and a Canty point left three in it before the Barrs responded through Myers Murray and Cathal Crowley for a five-point lead with 19 minutes left.

They were not to score again, but it took Newcestown time to reduce their arrears. Twice they went close to a goal, with Newman saving well from Canty and moments later the latter’s intended pass was just behind Séamus O’Sullivan when he would have had a good chance.

Nevertheless, each of the O’Sullivan brothers waved white flags and the gap was down to just one when Richard O’Sullivan converted a free following sideline dissent.

Myers Murray put a free wide at the other end while Newcestown lost Collins to a second yellow card but then the Barrs were brought to 14 too as John Wigginton Barrett was black-carded.

Newcestown stayed patient and they had the equaliser when Richard O’Sullivan exchanged passes with Colm O’Donovan before sending over a massive effort. Given the list of absentees, it was a creditable outcome.

‘We said at the start of the year that our mission was to find players and to build a panel,’ Jim O’Sullivan said,

‘Today was a day where it was probably less about football than it was about character and we showed a lot of character, so it was great.’

Scorers

Newcestown: Richard O’Sullivan 0-6 (2f, 1 45), Humphrey Canty 1-1, Eoghan Collins, Séamus O’Sullivan 0-1 each.

St Finbarr’s: Cillian Myers Murray 1-5 (0-3 f), Enda Dennehy 0-2, Cathal Crowley, Cian O’Sullivan 0-1 each.

Newcestown: Eoin McSweeney; James Kelleher, Colm O’Donovan, Gavin Kelleher; Richard O’Sullivan, Micheál McSweeney, Colm Dinneen; Joe Kenneally, Eoghan Collins; Podge Collins, Séamus O’Sullivan, Daire McAree; Jack Meade, Flor Kenneally, Humphrey Canty.

Subs: Carthach Keane for Flor Kenneally (38), Oisín O’Sullivan for McAree (56).

St Finbarr’s: Darragh Newman; Sam Ryan, Dylan Quinn, Trevor Howe; Billy Hennessy, Alan O’Connor, Enda Dennehy; Ciarán Doolan, Cathal Crowley; Adam Lyne, Ian O’Callaghan, John Wigginton Barrett; Jack Brady, Cillian Myers Murray, Cian O’Sullivan.

Subs: James Kennefick for Brady (ht), Seán Kirby for O’Sullivan (46).

Referee: John Ryan (Macroom).