Newtown survive penalty scare to lift Cork crown

 NEWTOWNSHANDRUM 0-14
 ERIN'S OWN 0-11

IMPRESSIVE Newtownshandrum won survived a late penalty scare before winning the Cork Senior Hurling Championship title for the first time after a dramatic final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday.

The North Cork side were leading by two points with the game gone into injury time when Erin's Own won a penalty after Sean Dunne was taken down while going through on goal.

Goalkeeper Kieran Murphy came up to take the shot, but his effort was blocked and in the ensuing melee the ball was forced over the line by Dunne for what looked to be the match-winner.

However, in all the excitement, nobody noticed that the referee had blown for a free out. When the free was eventually taken, the sliotar came to Ben O'Connor and the Cork senior star slotted over the insurance point to give Newtown their first ever title at the first attempt.

Newtown played into the wind in the opening half and the sides were level at two points apiece after ten minutes.

However, the North Cork side's inter-passing game caused endless problems for Erin's Own and when they hit six six unanswered points in a row during a marvellous 12 minute spell, the East Cork side looked in serious trouble.

However, Brian Corcoran was having a tremendous match at centre-back for Erin's Own and he inspired a comeback which saw them go in at half-time just a point in arrears at 0-8 to 0-7.

Play continued to be very scrappy in the second half as the sides swapped points and they were level twice more before the Ben O'Connor was moved out to centre-forward in a switch that had the desired effect for Newtown.

Using his pace to great effect, O'Connor tacked on two extra points and with the winning post in sight Newtown looked to be home and dry.

However, Erin's Own refused to lie down and in those dramatic last few minutes could have snatched victory had the goal from the penalty rebound stood, but it would have been rough justice on Newtown who had led from start to finish.

SCORERS - Newtownshandrum: B O'Connor 0-6 G O'Connor 0-3 D Murphy 0-2 D Mulcahy P Mulcahy M Morrissey 0-1 each. Erin's Own: J Corcoran 0-7 (fs) M O'Connor 0-3 T O'Leary 0-1.

NEWTOWNSHANDRUM - P Morrissey; J Griffin, B Mulcahy, J McCarthy; A O'Brien, P Mulcahy, P Noonan; I Kelleher, D Murphy; J P King, M Morrissey, G O'Connor; B Troy, D Mulcahy, B O'Connor. Sub: D Riordan for Troy.

ERIN'S OWN - Kieran Murphy; T O'Keeffe, M Dunne, D Mulcahy; T Kelleher, B Corcoran, S Murphy; F Horgan, P Kelly; Kieran Murphy, M O'Connor, J Corcoran; S Dunne, P Geasley, T O'Leary. Subs: F Murphy for Geasley, K O'Shea for S Murphy.

REF - D Kirwan (Eire Óg).

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