by Noel Horgan
The Corkman
Friday, October 16th 2003

Newtownshandrum 0-17    Blackrock 1-9

Sweet revenge for Newtownshandrum last Sunday as they powered their way to victory over Blackrock in the permanent

Sweet revenge for Newtownshandrum last Sunday as they powered their way to victory over Blackrock in the permanent tsb county senior hurling championship final at Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

The result earned the North Cork men a second title in four seasons, and it shattered Blackrock's hopes of completing their first three-in-a-row since 1931, and collecting a 33rd crown in all.

But, without doubt, the most satisfying aspect of this Newtown triumph was the fact it banished the bitter memory of the 2002 decider when they failed to measure up and were flattered to finish just five points adrift of the holders.

Convinced that they hadn't done themselves justice last year, the desire for redemption was always going to be a huge spur for Newtown in this contest.

And their tremendous will to win was matched by a brand of composed and skilful hurling that Blackrock simply couldn't cope with on the day.

Setting about their task with immense purpose and enthusiasm from the outset, Newtown got the start that was needed to galvanise their self-belief when they fired over two points inside the first five minutes.

And they never allowed Blackrock, favoured by a fresh breeze, to settle into a rhythm in the first half, at the end of which Newtown led by 0-6 to 0-5.

It must have been glaringly obvious to all Blackrock supporters in the 13,746 attendance at the interval that the champions were pitted against a Newtown team that, apart from the names on the match programme, bore little resemblance to that which had been put to the sword last year.

Equally, the Blackrock players would have realised that Newtown were a different team from 2002.

Newtown's James Bowles leaves Blackrock's Noel Keane in his wake as he turns and heads for goal.

And it was distinctly possible that the Rockies confidence had been eroded to no little extent by developments in the opening period.

The fact is Newtown had provided ample evidence before the break that they were in no way intimidated by the reputation of their much-vaunted opponents.

More importantly, they had shown that they were every bit as accomplished as the odds-on favourites.

In the circumstances, one felt that the psychological advantage was with Newtown as they trotted out for the second half, and they soon made it clear on the resumption that they had no intention of relinquishing it lightly.

Faced with a severe test of character, Blackrock, to their credit, fought like true champions on the turnover, with the result that issue was to remain delicately balanced for most of the third quarter.

But Newtown began to tighten the screw after rampant centre-forward Ben O'Connor picked up a poor clearance by Blackrock 'keeper, Trevor Barry, to pop over a point that made it 0-10 to 0-7 after 42 minutes.

And they appeared to be firmly on course for victory after an O'Connor point from a sideline cut left them 0-13 to 0-8 to the good approaching the last ten minutes.

Given that Blackrock, as had been the case from the very start, were struggling alarmingly in attack, it seemed a sizeable advantage at that stage.

But Newtown were stung badly three minutes later when Blackrock's Liam Meaney won a penalty that was blasted to the net by Adrian Coughlan.

The notion that Coughlan's strike might spark off a match-winning surge by Blackrock was quickly dispelled, however as Ben O'Connor replied with a point for Newtown in the 55th minute, and, in truth, the challengers never looked back after that.

It was entirely fitting that Ben O'Connor should have the satisfaction of shooting what was effectively the most crucial point of the match, because he had been a major thorn in the Blackrock rearguard from the moment he converted a free that he had won himself in the fifth minute.

And he had accumulated a total of ten points, six from play, by the end of the hour, making him virtually and automatic choice for the man-of-the-match accolade.

Having failed to produce anything close to his true potential in last year's showpiece, O'Connor was clearly a man on a mission last Sunday.

And, in regularly unhinging a defence that is generally regarded as the mainstay of this Blackrock team, O'Connor certainly made his point, confirming in the process that he is a real class act when he hits top form.

Pat Mulcahy, who found Liam Meaney a bit of a handful last year, was another one of Newtown's key players to go into this match with a point to prove.

And, just like his Cork colleague, Mulcahy did so in no uncertain manner, comprehensively mastering Meaney this time with a performance as majestic as any, and there have been many, he has produced at the heart of the Newtown defence in the past.

With O'Connor and Mulcahy both firing on all cylinders, Newtown's prospects of upsetting the odds were bound to be hugely enhanced.

But, while the significance of the contributions from O'Connor and Mulcahy has to be acknowledged, it was essentially a highly efficient and determined team display that enabled Newtown to turn the tables on the Rockies.

There wasn't a weak link, for instance, in the Newtown defence where Brendan Mulcahy at full back and Gerard O'Mahony in the left corner deserve the utmost credit for the manner in which they snuffed out the threat from Blackrock's ace attackers Alan Browne and Brian O'Keeffe respectively.

The evergreen John McCarthy ruled the roost against a variety of different opponents in the right corner to play a captain's part and complete a rock-solid full back line in front of flawless custodian, Paul Morrissey.

The intensity of Sunday's county final is exemplified here as Newtownshandrum's John P King tries to elude the challenge of Blackrock's Paul Tierney as Alan Cummins looks on.

Ian Kelleher and Phillip Noonan were both very much on top of their game too at either side of Pat Mulcahy in the half back line.

And the full extent of Newtown's dominance in defence can be gauged from the fact that the Blackrock forwards registered just four points from play between them for the hour.

Jerry O'Connor and Alan T O'Brien were both regularly seen to good effect at midfield, while John Paul King, James Bowles, and to a lesser extent, John O'Connor all put a shoulder to the wheel in the second half as the Newtown attack - which also benefited from the introduction of Mike Morrissey on the '40 for the last 20 minutes - worked tirelessly as a unit.

By contrast, not too many of the Blackrock players managed to emerge from the fray with their reputations intact - the most obvious exceptions being Wayne Sherlock, who turned in yet another marvellous performance at right corner back, and Paul Tierney, who played his heart out and kept the flag flying at midfield for long periods.

In the final analysis, Newtown were much the better team, and one sensed that they were firmly focused on the job on hand after Jerry O'Connor, taking a pass from Alan T. O'Brien, got them off the mark within seconds of the throw-in.

Following an exchange of points between Ben O'Connor, from a free, and Paul Tierney, from a sideline cut O'Connor pushed Newtown 0-3 to 0-1 ahead in the eighth minute, prompting Blackrock to move Fergal Ryan to centre back in a switch with Alan Cummins.

In fairness, Ryan kept a tighter rein on Ben O'Connor, and Cummins also fared better on going to the left win on John O'Connor, as the Rockies enjoyed their best spell midway through the first half.

Wayne Sherlock, Noel Keane and John Browne gave little away in the full back line, Paul Tierney was very involved at midfield, while Barry Hennebry made a brief impact at wing forward to pilfer a couple of points off Philip Noonan.

After Ben O'Connor made it 0-4 to 0-3 to Newtown, following good work by Ian Kelleher and James Bowles, in the 19th minutes, a mistake by Pat Mulcahy, who could be also held responsible for an earlier point by Hennebry, allowed Liam Meaney to bring Blackrock back on terms again within seconds.

Mulcahy was harshly penalised, and Adrian Coughlan pointed the resultant free to put Blackrock in front for the first time in the 24th minute.

But they weren't to lead again after Ben O'Connor equalised for Newtown from a free two minutes later.

Another O'Connor point from a free served to separate the sides at the interval, and Newtown - with Philip Noonan putting the shackles on Barry Hennebry, Pat Mulcahy going from strength-to-strength at centre back, and Jerry O'Connor and Alan T. O'Brien giving them an edge at midfield - appeared to be growing in stature as the first half drew to a close.

John Paul King stretched the gap within a minute of the resumption, but Newtown had a lucky escape shortly afterwards when Alan Browne fluffed a chance of a goal for Blackrock after an Adrian Coughlan free had rebounded off the upright.

As things transpired, however, that was the only time that Blackrock threatened to snatch the initiative in the second half.

And it seemed as if Newtown, hurling with style and authority in all sectors, were ready to pull away after points in quick succession from Ben O'Connor, John Paul King, now posing a share of problems for John Browne, and John O'Connor saw them ease five clear, 0-12 to 0-7, by the 46th minute.

Although Adrian Coughlan's 53rd minute goal from the penalty threw Blackrock from building on the boost of Coughlan's goal.

Blackrock did cut the deficit to two points again, 0-14 to 1-9, courtesy of a Coughlan score from a free in the 56th minute.

But Newtown finished in control, with James Bowles, Ben O'Connor, who proved much too elusive for Fergal Ryan, in the second half, and Alan T. O'Brien landing the late scores that sealed a famous, and richly merited, win.