The Vale Star
19th October 2000

AND so history was made at Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Sunday 15th October, 2000, in a County Senior Hurling Final which played on the emotions. The game which was originally pencilled for Sunday 8th October, was deferred to Sunday 15th October, following the death of Dan Mulcahy, and there were a few misty eyes in the attendance when Brendan, Pat and Donal took to the field. If you add to that a sensational last minute penalty which ended up in the net but was disallowed, you have a game which will live long in the memory.

For Newtown to win a County Final is a wonderful David and Goliath act, the small North Cork town taking on the best teams in the county and taking the ultimate prize. It is a remarkable achievement, though perhaps not a surprise to knowledgeable observers who have seen Newtown win U16, Minor and U21 titles last year.

The County Final win is a logical progression for the marvellous club, and given the traumatic events of the past two weeks, few would begrudge them their victory. As a game, the County final would not have excited the neutral observer, apart from the last minute penalty controversy, but for Newtown and Erin's Own it was a very hard fought contest, the tension of the occasion almost certainly resulted in a game without any great passing or striking. Still, as they say, a win is a win, and the Newtown team, mentors and supporters will not be complaining. To their credit, Newtown were never behind in the game, and their great stamina in the final quarter was enough to see them over the winning line.

Newtown played against the wind in the first half, but rushed into a 2 point lead within 5 minutes. The contrast in play between the sides was noticeable, with Newtown playing a short hand-passing game, while Erin's Own adopted a long, high dropping-ball strategy which generally met brick-wall resistance from centre back Pat Mulcahy. At this stage Newtown were flying, and in a great 12 minute spell they raced into a 5 point lead, 0-8 to 0-3, as the game neared half time. At this stage, however, the wheels came off as Erin's Own struck back to reduce the lead to the minimum at the break.

After the restart Erin's Own struck over the equaliser and the fans on both sides held their collective breath as the game teetered on a knife edge. It was at this stage that Newtown's greater appetite and stamina began to tell, and when Ben O'Connor put them back in front, everything seemed set for a great North Cork victory. With only two minutes to go Ben O'Connor pointed to put a bit of daylight between the teams, but the game had a final act to play out when Erin's Own were awarded a penalty as the final seconds ticked away. Newtown argued that the Erin's Own player had not alone taken too many steps, but also that he had been fouled outside the square, but after consulting his umpires, referee Diarmuid Kirwan awarded the penalty. The penalty was saved at the first attempt and then forced into the net in a frantic goalmouth melee.

Erin's Own thought they had the lead, but their joy turned to disbelief when the referee awarded a free out for a foul on Newtown's Philip Noonan. A great cheer of relief rose from the banks of Newtown supporters, and when Ben O'Connor put 3 points between the sides as the game entered injury time, the delight exploded from the terraces.

Celebrations at the fulltime whistle

The full time whistle blew shortly afterwards, resulting in very emotional scenes as Newtown players and mentors celebrated an amazing win. Ben O'Connor was top scorer for Newtown on the day slotting 6 points over the bar, 4 from play, 1 from a free and 1 from a '65. Other scorers were Jerry O'Connor 0-3, Declan Murphy 0-2, Donal Mulcahy, Pat Mulcahy and Mike Morrissey 0-1 each.

The team arrived back in Newtown on Sunday night to a fantastic reception, and celebrations will no doubt continue for a little longer. Congratulations to all concerned, both team and mentors on an unforgettable day for Newtownshandrum GAA.