Clonakilty 1-17

Newcestown 2-13

TOM LYONS REPORTS

EVERYBODY knows Newcestown never die on the pitch but one would have excused them if they had crept off into the sunset in this thrill-a-minute McCarthy Insurance Group Premier Senior Football Championship quarter-final in front of a huge crowd in the Sam Maguire Park, Dunmanway on Saturday.

Seven points in arrears with four minutes remaining on the clock, Newcestown had been completely outplayed by 14-man Clonakilty for 25 minutes of the second half. Even their most faithful followers must have been giving up the ghost.

A brief schemozzle at the half-time whistle involving a few mentors and players had resulted in a red card for Clon defender Dan Darragh and a black for Newcestown forward David Buckley, plus reds for two officials.

Clon, trailing by two points at the break following a 32nd minute goal from Eoin Collins, threw caution to the wind with their 14 against Newcestown’s 14 for 10 minutes and, with the breeze, gained complete control of the game.

Their five unanswered points in 10 minutes had them three to the good.

Clonakilty's Conor Daly is tackled by Newcestown's Tadhg Twomey. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

Even when Buckley returned to action, Clon continued to dominate. A lovely goal from sub Dylan Harrington, in the 51st minute, saw them building what looked like an invincible lead of seven points, and worth every one of them with some superb football.

But then the effort of playing 14 against 15 finally caught up with them in the closing five minutes, and no better team than Newcestown to take the opportunity.

In those closing four minutes, plus two of injury time, they laid siege to the Clon goal and 1-3 without reply, the goal coming from the dangerous Séamus O’Sullivan in the 59th minute, had the gap down to one amid tremendous excitement.

But time ran out on the St. John’s brigade before they could land an equaliser. Tremendous scenes of delight and relief rifled through the Clon camp as they finally recorded a victory in the knockout stages of the championship.

In truth, Clon would have been worth a seven-point win in this local derby, fought out with fierce intensity that kept the huge crowd on their toes. Against the breeze in the first half, they played controlled possession football, staying with Newcestown on the scoreboard until falling behind to that late Collins goal.

Clonakilty's Des Kenneally tries to get around Newcestown's Colm O'Donovan. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

The third quarter saw the Brewery town at their brilliant best, and they held the opposition scoreless until the 50th minute.

A few poor misses prevented them from putting the game to bed but Newcestown, too, nodded in that department in the second half. Incredibly, Newcestown had no wide in the first half while Clon recorded only two. In the end, it was seven wides for Clon, four for Newcestown.

‘As regards the finish, to be fair, we were down to 14 for the second half and the lads just got tired. We made a few tired mistakes, missed a few scores, a couple of bad passes. I’m wrecked after it,' said Clonakilty mentor, Eoin Ryan.

‘Newcestown never die, we knew it was going to be a fight, a real battle. But we stood up to them, and we’re delighted with the result. The goal before half-time was a killer for us and then the sending-off on top of it.

‘For the first 20 minutes I thought we played the game on our terms, even though we were against the breeze. There was a skirmish then and they got the goal. We kind of went away from what we had been doing. When we play football, we can be very, very good, but when we don’t?

‘Look, we’re delighted to be in the semi-final. We knew we’d get nothing soft from Newcestown. That kind of a win should really stand to us. The lads are putting in a ferocious effort, and Mazzer and all the backroom team.’

It was Clon who began well with points from Chris Kenneally and Conor Daly but back came Newcestown with scores from Seán O’Donovan and Séamus O’Sullivan.

Clon were back in front when the commanding Seán White pointed, but then David Buckley kicked a superb two-pointer to put his side ahead for the first time.

Newcestown were very effective in turnovers by a tight defence at this stage, breaking forward rapidly in attack. In contrast, Clon were playing more possession football, a little too lateral at times, but outstanding centre-back Tom Clancy had them level at the end of a lively first quarter.

Dara Ó Sé (free) and White shoved Clon in front but the tall Seán O’Donovan and Eoin Collins were lording the kick-outs for Newcestown, and they kicked the next four scores out of five, the flying Luke Meade, Buckley (two, both frees) and Collins pointing.

However, Clon’s only reply was a two-point free from goalkeeper Mark White, and it was all level for the second time.

Lively wing-back Chris Kenneally kicked his second point, Clon in front, but then came Eoin Collins’s fisted goal on the stroke of half-time, set up by Colm Dinnen. It left Newcestown 1-8 to 0-9 in front at the break.

Then came the shenanigans in an otherwise very sporting contest, and it reduced both sides to 14 men for the start of the second half.

Clonakilty's Conor Daly celebrates with Dara Ó Sé. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

Clon were rampant in the third quarter, kicking five points in 10 minutes from Conor Daly, Kenneally, Darragh Gough, Seán White and Dara Ó Sé. Buckley’s return saw an improvement from Newcestown, their top forward, Séamus O’Sullivan, kicking their first point of the half in the 50th minute. However, Clon continued to dominate and struck for the most vital score of the game in the 51st minute when corner-back David Lowney cut through the centre of the Newcestown defence on a great solo run and parted to young sub Dylan Harrington, who finished coolly to the net.

‘David came running through and I kind of pulled away from him,’ said goalscorer Harrington.

‘There was space at the back post and when I got the ball, the goal was on. I just put my foot through it.

‘It was great to get that goal to get me into the game, just back from injury, a great boost to the confidence.’

Points from Clancy, McEvoy and Ó Sé, with a single response from Buckley (free), had Clon deservedly seven to the good in the 54th minute.

Done and dusted? No way, as Newcestown launched their late, courageous rally.

A pointed free from Buckley, O’Sullivan’s goal followed by a point, and then another from sub Humphrey Canty, leaving just a single point in it.

Nervous times for exhausted Clon but the final whistle came to their rescue and a single-point win was enough to see them into their first semi-final since 2021 and a meeting with St. Finbarr’s.

OUR STAR: It was the class and work rate of Clon’s Seán White that impressed most, kicking three points into the bargain.

Scorers

Clonakilty: Dylan Harrington 1-0, Chris Kenneally, Seán White and Dara Ó Sé (1f) 0-3 each, Conor Daly, Thomas Clancy and Mark White (1 2pf) 0-2 each, Darragh Gough and Seán McEvoy 0-1 each.

Newcestown: Séamus O’Sullivan 1-4, David Buckley 0-5 (3f, 1 2pt), Eoin Collins 1-1, Seán O’Donovan, Luke Meade and Humphrey Canty 0-1 each.

Clonakilty: Mark White; Dan Darragh, Dan Peet, David Lowney; Thomas Clancy, Jack O’Mahony, Ben Ridgeway; Maurice Shanley, Des Kenneally; Dara Ó Sé, Seán White, Seán McEvoy; Darragh Gough, Conor Daly, Chris Kenneally.

Subs: Dylan Harrington for B. Ridgeway (38), Eoghan Deasy for S. White (53).

Newcestown: Chris White; James Kelleher, Colm O’Donovan, Gearóid O’Donovan; Richard O’Sullivan, Mícheál McSweeney, Colm Dineen; Seán O’Donovan, Eoin Collins; Luke Meade, Tadhg Twomey, David Buckley; Daire McAree, Jack Meade, Séamus O’Sullivan.

Subs: Humphrey Canty for J. Meade (15, injured), Cárthach Keane for T. Twomey (47), James Burrows for D. McAree (53), Joe Kenneally for R. O’Sullivan (53).

Referee: Ciarán Murphy (Glanworth).