DEFENDING champions Newtownshandrum will start firm favourites to retain their Cork under 21 hurling championship title when they play Erins Own in this year's final at Fermoy on Sunday.

The North club, who won the championship last year after a replay with Na Piarsaigh, will have 13 of that team available to them and it's hard to see the East Cork side causing an upset.

Erins Own already have two counties in safekeeping - under 16 and minor and the under 21 grade would complete a tremendous year for the club, but they face a mammoth task which must be faced without county minor Kevin O'Shea who has a torn hamstring. The fact that they surprised a fancied Na Piarsaigh side in the semi final last weekend, is a big boost to Erins Own, but even if O'Shea was available to them, they are up against perhaps one of the best under 21 teams to play in the grade in years. Newtown coach Bernie O'Connor has nurtured this particular crop of players along since their under 12 days and has enjoyed a lot of success with them, particularly at divisional level.

Last year's under 21 victory was a huge boost to Newtown's senior team who reached the quarter finals of the county championship before going under to Imokilly by two points. The bulk of the under 21 team figured on that senior team and the experienced gained has been invaluable to them in their march to this year's final.

The team is built around the O'Connor twins Ben and Gerry, the Morrissey brothers Mike and Paul, Philip Noonan, Brian Bowles, Pat Egan and John Paul King and it's hard to see the reigning champions slipping up.

However conditions are going to play a crucial role in this final. The pace of the sliothar won't be as fast as Newtown would like it, and if Erins Own can capitalise they could cause an upset. They certainly have the players to do so. In Mark O'Connor they have a potential match winner but he tends to drift out of a game. O'Connor at his best for the full hour, a repeat of the goalkeeping heroics of last week by 16 year old Kieran Murphy and the same scoring exploits by Martin Buckley would go along way towards an Erins Own victory, but it hard to see the champions being dethroned. The one disquieting aspect about this final is playing it so late in the season. The under 21 grade has the potential to rival the senior championship, but must be played at an earlier time of the year to get the best out of it.

Irish Examiner

NEWTOWNSHANDRUM collected the last Cork U21 hurling title of the century yesterday with a decisive win over brave challengers Erins Own, and with a team which surely will bring even greater glory to the compact North Cork village.

As reigning champions, and with ten of last year's starting fifteen on view two overage, three lost to injury), Newtown started as warm favourites, and despite the fact that they held the slimmest of leads at half-time, 0-6 to 0-5, they firmly justified that favouritism in the opening half.

Little between them then on paper, at the half, but in truth, the signs were ominous, for the challengers. Only an outstanding performance at full-back by young Shane Cunningham on Gerry O'Connor kept the myriad Newtown attacks at bay, and with the magical skills of brother Ben on full display at midfield, ably abetted by Alan O'Brien, it looked only a matter of time before Newtown, with that wind behind them, would establish their superiority in the second half.

So it proved. Newtown made the major breakthrough late in the game, a sharp shot across the keeper by young John O'Connor after brother Ben's mishit shot, wrapping things up for the champions, in the 58th minute. Centre-back Peter Kelly, upfield in desperation, got a point back for Erins Own, replied to by Morrissey, and Sean Dunne got a consolation goal right at the death.

Scorers
Newtownshandrum: Ben O'Connor 0-8 0-5 frees); John O'Connor 1-0; JP King 0-2; Mike Morrissey, Alan O'Brien, Philip Noonan ('65), 0-1 each.

Erins Own: M.Buckley 0-4 0-3 frees); S.Dunne 1-0; M.O'Connor 0-1 free); E.O'Flynn and P.Kelly, 0-1 each.

NEWTOWNSHANDRUM: Paul Morrissey; Alan O'Brien jnr, Brendan Mulcahy, Denis Coughlan; Brian Bowles, Philip Noonan, Paddy Egan; Ben O'Connor, Alan O'Brien; Ronan Browne, Mike Morrissey (capt) JP King; Finbarr Reidy, Gerry O'Connor, John O'Connor

ERINS OWN: K.Murphy; M.Finn, S.Cunningham, D.Buckley; S.Walsh, P.Kelly (capt), R.Ahern; G.Lane, M.O'Connor; S.Dunne, E.O'Flynn, K.Mullins; G.Cunningham, M.Buckley, M.Griffin.
Subs: M.Coughlan for Griffin, inj. 59.