NEWTOWNSHANDRUM were crowned Cork county senior hurling champions for the second time in four years following a merited victory over holders Blackrock at Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday.

A sparkling display from Ben O'Connor was a key factor in allowing the north-Cork side to avenge their defeat by the Rockies in last year's decider.

O'Connor finished with a personal tally of ten points, six from play, and made it a very difficult afternoon for his former inter-county colleague Fergal Ryan.

But Newtown had many heroes on the day, not least in their defence where Brendan Mulcahy and Gerard O'Mahony crucially snuffed out the threat from Blackrock's key forwards, Cork's full-forward Alan Browne and Brian O'Keeffe respectively.

That the Blackrock forwards managed just four points between them for the entire hour speaks volumes for the efficiency of the commanding Newtownshandrum rearguard in which inter-county star Pat Mulcahy was a colossus at centre-back.

Alan T O'Brien and Jerry O'Connor also made significant contributions at midfield for the winners, while John Paul King and James Bowles provided most support for the rampant Ben O'Connor in attack.

Blackrock, for whom Wayne Sherlock excelled at right corner-back, led for the only time in the game when Adrian Coughlan pointed a free to make it 0-5 to 0-4 after 20 minutes of play.

But thanks to two quick points it was 0-6 to 0-5 in Newtown's favour at half-time, and they steadily increased their grip when backed a fresh breeze after the break.

They had stretched the gap to five points before a penalty goal from Adrian Coughlan rekindled Blackrock's hopes with nine minutes remaining to play in the match.

But Newtownshandrum were not to be denied and they held their composure impressively.

A flurry of scores from the influential trio of Ben O'Connor, James Bowles and Alan T O'Brien put paid to mighty Blackrock's bid for a 33rd title, and their first three-in-a-row since back in 1931.

SCORERS - Newtownshandrum: B O'Connor 0-10 (4f), JP King, J Bowles 0-2 each, Jerry O'Connor, John O'Connor, AT O'Brien 0-1 each.
Blackrock: A Coughlan 1-3 (1-3f), B Hennebry, P. Tierney (1f) 0-2 each, L Meaney, B O'Keeffe 0-1 each.

NEWTOWNSHANDRUM - P Morrissey; J McCarthy, B Mulcahy, G O'Mahony; I Kelleher, P Mulcahy, P Noonan; AT O'Brien, Jerry O'Connor; John O'Connor, B O'Connor, D Mulcahy; JP King, J Bowles, M Farrell.
Subs: A Naughton for D Mulcahy (injured), M Morrissey for Farrell, D Riordan for Naughton.

BLACKROCK - T Barry; W Sherlock, N Keane, J Browne; S Murphy, A Cummins, F Ryan; A Coughlan, P Tierney; B Hennebry, L Meaney, J Young; B O'Keeffe, A Browne, D Cashman.
Sub: D Gosnell for Cashman.

REF - C McAlister (Midleton).