Newmarket hurlers step up pace to better Freemount

Newmarket 2-17 Freemount 1-13

NEWMARKET registered a brace of points on overcoming Freemount in the Duhallow Junior B Hurling League played in Mourneabbey.

Effectively, Newmarket ensured a favourable ending to the game by absorbing third quarter pressure and gaining a deserved win. Indeed Newmarket looked the more convincing side in the opening half, the efforts of Kevin O’Sullivan, Shane McAulliffe and Eddie Allen offering plenty of conviction.

Going forward, Stephen Stokes and Robert Stack held an eye for the uprights for Newmarket before a Cathal Browne goal helped secure a 1-10 to 0-7 interval advantage. Freemount made a concerted effort to mount a comeback in the second half with Paidí Collins and Denis Curtin pointing.

However, Newmarket weren’t too keen on forfeiting their outstanding work from the initial half and a Stack goal was key to Newmarket maintaining their dominance to the finish. The contest wrapped up the preliminary series to the league, by nature of both Newmarket and Freemount finishing in first and second place secure tickets to the decider. NEWMARKET: B Newman; J O’Keeffe, K O’Sullivan, D Fitzpatrick; S McAulliffe, B Stack, G Forde 0-1, C O’Sullivan, E Allen 0-4; S Stokes 0-3, N Collins 0-1, J Flaherty 0-1; P Verling, R Stack 1-2, C Browne 1-3. Subs: P Browne 0-2, M Cottrell.

FREEMOUNT: M O’Callaghan; W O’Regan, S McSweeney, D O’Flynn; B Carroll, J Ballentyne, M McSweeney; D Curtin, P Cuirtin; S Fehin 0-1, D Collins 0-1, I Guiney; C Field, K Broderick 0-1, P Collins 0-7. Subs: J Morrissey, D O’Sullivan, T O’Callaghan.

REFEREE: D Hickey (Millstreet)

NEWMARKET: B Newman; S Murphy, M Lane, E Walsh, D Cottrell, J O’Connor; I Horgan, M Browne 0-2; H O’Connor 1-10, P O’Sullivan 1-4, A Murphy, P Goggin, R Lynn 0-2. Subs: T O’Donoughue, B O’Doherty, D Lynn, E Hourigan, S Murphy McRee.

CROKE ROVERS: J Drumn; D Heffernan, N Breen; R King, T Hegarty, C O’Sullivan, R Heffernan 1-0, A O’Keeffe, S McMahon, J Bourke, J Harrington 0-3, C O’Sullivan 0-1, S Hayes 1-2. Subs: D Vaughan, R O’Sullivan, A Heffernan, T O’Riordan, L O’Riordan.

REFEREE: M Sheehan (Liscarroll)