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 Irish Independent 23rd February 2004 | |||
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POWERFUL last quarter by Cork champions Newtownshandrum carried them through to the All-Ireland Club senior hurling final when they forged past Kilkenny title holders O'Loughlin Gaels in the replay of their semi-final at Thurles on Saturday.
Newtown may have been fortunate to grab a late draw a week previously, but they were a much better side in the replay and were not flattered by their three-point win.
For a long time the game was in the melting pot, but when it mattered most the Cork champs had the edge, pulling away at the finish from a Kilkenny side that were never able to impose their will on the game.
The replay was not up to the standard of the drawn game, but it was an absorbing affair and the result was right.
A pacey Cork attack, inspiringly led by Ben O'Connor, stretched the Kilkenny defence all through. Newtown were three points up after seven minutes and cruising, but then O'Loughlins hit them with a Maurice Nolan goal against the run of play. It didn't stop Newtown, who had three points in six minutes, but gradually O'Loughlins began to find their feet, coming level in the 20th and 27th minutes. But at the interval it was Newtown who led by 0-8 to 1-4.
The pattern was similar in the third quarter and entering the last quarter the sides were still locked together. Then Newtown pushed for home. Ben O'Connor pointed a free, John Paul King added another and Jerry O'Connor pointed a third to set the Cork champions on their way to the final.
Pat Mulcahy and Ben O'Connor spearheaded the Cork challenge, ably supported by John McCarthy, Alan T O'Brien, Jerry O'Connor and John Paul King. For O'Loughlins, Sean Dowling, Martin Comerford, Maurice Nolan, Alan Geoghegan and Brian Murphy did well.
Newtown will play Dunloy of Antrim in the final on St Patrick's Day when both clubs will be chasing their first title.
SCORERS - Newtownshandrum: B O'Connor 0-8, JP King 0-3, J O Connor 0-2, D O'Riordan 0-1. O'Loughlin Gaels: M Nolan 1-1, B Dowling, N Skehan 0-2 each, N Bergin, C Furlong, J Comerford 0-1 each.
NEWTOWNSHANDRUM - P Morrissey; J McCarthy, B Mulcahy, G O'Mahony; I Kelleher, P Mulcahy, P Noonan; A T O'Brien, J O'Connor; D Mulcahy, B O'Connor, JP King; J Bowles, D O'Riordan, M Farrell. Subs: D Naughton for O'Riordan, J O'Connor for Farrell.
O'LOUGHLIN GAELS - K Cleere; B Kelly, B Hogan, B Murphy; A O'Brien, A Comerford, S Dowling; N Bergin, A Geoghegan; M Comerford, C Furlong, N Skehan; J Comerford, M Nolan, B Dowling. Subs : S Cummins for J Comerford, J Lawlor for Bergin.
REF - P Horan (Offaly)
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