Culloty is toast

offered an aggressive offensive and the reward came in the 62nd minute match winning goal.

In the height of the drama, TJ Brosnan punted a long range delivery into the danger zone and from the breaking ball in a cluster of players, somehow Daniel Culloty got a touch for the ball to ricochet off a Fermoy player over the goal line.

A degree of controversy reigned, Fermoy adamant that the ball had been stopped but match official Brian Coniry sided with his umpires to award the match winning goal.

Though trailing at various stages, positional changes in addition to Newmarket’s dogged determination and honesty held the capacity to resurrect all their powers of stubbornness.

The old saying about two points being a dangerous lead became a sickening reality for Fermoy yet they can avail of another opportunity to remain in the championship in round 2.

Newmarket had enjoyed a flyer of a start, Culloty pointing inside the opening min. only for Fermoy to answer from Rory O’Hagan. Indeed last season’s county finalists began to create inroads, their power emanating from the influence of Tomas Clancy at centre-back with Darragh O’Carroll and Padraig de Roiste working solidly in midfield, well supported by Padraig Clancy and Kieran Morrison.

‘Keeper Liam Coleman stepped up to point a free as did Martin Brennan and O’Hagan find the target. For a spell, Newmarket with Kevin O’Sullivan as sweeper put the brakes on the Fermoy surge, neat points from TJ Brosnan and Barry O’Connor cut the deficit 0-4 to 0-3.

Though a diagonal breeze blew, both sides served up entertaining fare, an excellent O’Hagan point matched by Culloty. As Newmarket pressed, their wides tally stacked up on a trio of consecutive yielded nothing in addition to a ball coming off the woodwork.

That compared to a much sharper Fermoy, the enterprising