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Newtown survive late penalty dramaby Brendan Larkin FOR an hour, yesterday’s Cork county hurling final was nothing to write home about, but the three and a half minutes of added time more than compensated for the lack any real sparkle.
Newtownshandrum were within sight of the winning post as they led 0 13 to 0 11 with time up when Erins Own were awarded a penalty after Sean Dunne was fouled going through.
It looked as if the corner forward had taken at least ten steps, and when the foul was committed he appeared to be outside the big square. However, the referee he signalled a penalty after consulting his umpires.
Needing a goal to stay in the race and possibly win, goalkeeper Erins Own was entrusted with the penalty — enormous pressure shot for a 17 year old — but Kieran Murphy had scored from a similar situation in the drawn semi final against Imokilly, so there was no reason to suspect he would fail in this occasion.
In a style all of his own, Murphy raised the siothar and by the time he hit it he was on the 13 metre line, but his effort was blocked by the three man wall. In the ensuing melee, the ball was forced home by inrushing Erins Own forwards.
Amid the consternation, no one noticed that the referee had pointed for a free out, and he later clarified his decision by saying it was for a foul on Newtown’s wing back Philip Noonan, who had been flattened in the melee.
It was a brave decision by referee Diarmuid Kirwan, and from that let off Newtown swept downfield for Ben O’Connor to slot over the insurance point and set in train some of the most emotional scenes ever witnessed in Pairc Uí Chaoimh.
Postponed last Sunday due to the death of Dan Mulcahy, father of Newtown’s Brendan, Pat and Donal, yesterday’s final certainly won’t be remembered as a classic, but that won’t worry the new champions, and as coach Bernie O’Connor said later in the pandemonium of their dressing room, “I’d rather win a bad one than lose a good one.”
Maybe it was the tension of the occasion, but the hurling was extremely poor. There was too much picking and poking, with little or no excitement at either end, apart from those injury times minutes, but it’s all about winning and Newtown are now forever etched in the history books as the new millennium senior hurling champions of Cork — and deservedly so.
Newtown played against the wind in the opening half, and led two point to nil after five minutes. Both centre backs, Pat Mulcahy and Brian Cocoran, were dominant in those early minutes, and it was the latter’s excellent clearances which led to his side being on level terms by the eighth minute.
With Tony O’Keeffe keeping a tight rein on Ben O’Connor, Erins Own looked to have Newtown’s measure, but their persistence in dropping high balls in on Mulcahy was futile as the centre back tidied up everything that came his way. Taking inspiration from his dominance, Newtown began to string some great moves together, playing the short hand passing game.
That style of play must have infuriated any old timers present in the 11,500 attendance, but it worked extremely well for Newtown, and in a devastating 12 minute spell, with Donal Mulcahy playing a captain’s part at right half forward, they hit over five points in a row to lead 0 8 to 0 3 after 25 minutes.
In an attempt to curb Mulcahy’s influence, Erins Own moved Timmy Kelleher over and he succeeded to a degree, and with Corcoran ruling the 40, the East Cork side finally managed a point through Tomas O’Leary.
Significantly, it was their first score for 18 minutes, and as Newtown’s short game began to get them into trouble, Erins Own finished the half with four unanswered points. John Corcoran’s excellent free taking claimed two of them, and for all their earlier dominance, Newtown could only manage to carry a one point lead, 0 8 to 0 7, into the dressing room.
Whatever the game lacked in atmosphere, it more than compensated through honest endeavour and Mark O’Connor tied the scores for the second time with a wonder point from out near the touchline in the 34th minute.
Newtown brought Gerry O’Connor to the 40, and his electrifying pace had Corcoran in trouble, but he wasted a great chance to put his side in front when he took too much out of the ball instead of opting for the point there for the taking.
As the half wore on it, was noticeable that Newtown’s pace was telling, and after Ben O’Connor eased his side in front with a point, Erins Own were grateful for a marvellous double save by Kieran Murphy from Ben O’Connor and sub Dan Riordan before O’Connor pointed a 65.
The O’Connor twins, Ben and Gerry, were now having a huge influence on the game, and as the tension mounted Ben put his side two points in front with two minutes to go after Mike Morrissey set up him.
If there is one kind of lead a team doesn’t want coming up to the full time whistle it’s a two pointer, but that’s the way the scoreline stood as the watch ticked over the 60 minutes. In one last ditch effort Erins Own won that penalty, and every Newtown heart in the crowd must have skipped a beat as Kieran Murphy lined up to take the shot.
What happened following the penalty is now confined to the history books, but when Ben O’Connor slotted over the insurance point deep in injury time, all the emotions that had built up among Newtown players and supporters during previous seven days spilled over at the final whistle.
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