Extra-time needed in season opener but win for Newmarket

ON Sunday last at Macroom the Intermediate footballers opened their season with a three point victory over Macroom in round one of the Tom Creedon Cup, which went into extra- time.

Captained by Alan Ryan, Newmarket led the home team by one point at half time, 0-7 to 1-6, with Conor O’Keeffe sending over points in the third and sixth minutes.

Macroom were awarded a penalty in the 13th minute and Pa Luceys shot to the right hand side gave David Quinlan no chance in Newmarket’s goal line.

Barry O’Connor, cutting in from the right wing, equalised in the 19th minute. Both sides exchanged points in the 20 and 22nd minutes as Conor O’Keeffe slotted over the Newmarket point from a 13 metre free.

Barry O’Connor and Conor O’Keeffe sent over points in the 25th and 28th minutes to a Macroom point almost at the interval to leave the visitors leading 0-7 to 1-3.

Newmarket introduced six substitutes at the start of the second half.

Bart Daly (frees (2) and Darren O’Keeffe (1) (play) had points for Newmarket in the second half, while Pa Lucey (4) and Sean Kiely (1) sent over Macroom points to tie the game 1-8 to 0-11 at the end of normal time, with T J Brosnan sending over a point from 30 metres out.

This took the game to extra time, of eight minutes a-side.

Pa Lucey, Macroom’s most dangerous forward, equalised in the second minute with a point, but a minute later John Murphy had the home side in front with a point from play - it was now 1-10 to 0-12, with the second period of extra time to come.

And that period belonged to Newmarket, with Conor O’Keeffe equalising in the third minute from a close in free. Macroom launched an all-out attack on the Newmarket goal line but the Black and Red cleared their lines, and Kevin O’Sullivan catching a superb pass from Tim Murphy found the net and thus closed the scoring on a 1-13 to 1-10 victory.

Line out: David Quinlan, Paudie Allen, Aidan Browne, Donnacha Fitzpatrick, T J Brosnan, Bart Daly, Gavin Forde, Alan Ryan (Capt), Mike Cottrell, John Ryan, Conor O’Keeffe, Darren O’Keeffe, Barry O’Connor, Kevin P Sullivan, Ryan O’Keeffe; subs: Colin O’Sullivan, Shane McCaulliffe, Jack Guiney, Mike Kenneally, Eddie Allen, Timothy Murphy, Cathal Browne, Jack Murphy (all used) and Aaron O’Callaghan Scorers: Conor O’Keeffe 0-6 (0-3frees) Kevin O’Sullivan 1-0, Barry O’Connor 0-2, Bart Daly 0-3 (0-3frees) T J Brosnan 0-1, Darren O’Keeffe 0-1.

Newmarket now play Kinsale in the quarter-final, probably this weekend at Newmarket.