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 GAA.ie 23rd February 2004 | |||
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For the first time, Newtownshandrum have booked a place in the final of the AIB All-Ireland Club SHC following their semi-final replay victory over O'Loughlin Gaels at Thurles.
The drawn encounter six days earlier was filled with dramatic action, as the Kilkenny and Leinster champions came from behind to move into a slim lead, before Ben O'Connor equalised in n injury time. The story was not so different on this occasion either.
Once again, Ben O'Connor was a key figure in the Newtown team, scoring 0-8 of his team's total, but this time Gaels could not find that extra bit to come back from three points behind as the game moved into injury time.
Newtown looked comfortable early on, with points from Ben O'Connor (2) and John Paul King putting the Munster champions 0-3 to no score in front, but a goal from Maurice Nolan pulled Gaels back into the game.
O'Connor helped Newtown back into a tree-point lead, 0-6 to 1-0, but points from Conor Furlong and Brian Dowling cut the gap to one - the margin when the sides went in at the break, 0-8 to 1-4.
The teams swapped points in the third quarter, with Dan O'Riordan, Jerry O'Connor and Ben O'Connor having their scores cancelled by Jimmy Comerford, Nolan, Dowling and Niall Bergin.
But in the final 10 minutes, Ben O'Connor, King and Jerry O'Connor pointed to move three points head. Gaels searched for a goal but could only muster a point - not enough to end Newtown's fairytale campaign.
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