High drama as Davis grabs late Newtown winner

at Aughrim lum, and the impressive Ross Davis replied. Odlum almost got in for a goal too but his shot was blocked and he had to be content with fisting the rebound over the bar.

Davis levelled the game as the half-time whistle neared, but Newtown still had time to reel off another 1-2. Odlum set up Darragh Callan for a point and Newtown led for the first time. Callan quickly doubled that lead before Avondale defender Liam Kinsella wasn’t quick enough to the ball from a kick out and let a Newtown player steal in and get it. Odlum had been left unmarked for the kick out straight in front of goal and he sent the Newtown crowd into celebration. It was 1-6 to four points at half time.

The Newtown defence deserve credit for their marshalling of McGraynor and Conor Byrne. Any time McGraynor was inside the Newtown 45 Glen Carthy greeted him warmly. Shane Mooney won his battle with Byrne while Robert Greenan was the spare man in the full-back line.

He didn’t act as a sweeper getting to the ball before the intended recipient, rather he helped out in tackling the man with the ball. It was very disciplined tackling and put Avondale under fierce pressure when shooting their seven first half wides.

The Avondale defensive tactics played into the Newtown defence’s hands though at times. Late in the first half all of the Avondale players, with the exception of McGraynor, were inside their own 65 metre line while McGraynor was surrounded by four or five defenders. He couldn’t offer himself as an outlet and the ball was brought out slowly.

It took ten minutes and another three Avondale wides in the second half before substi- Ryan Cahill registered the first point. He added a second straight away to reduce the deficit to a goal. Ross Davis scored an outrageous free from out near the side line but McGraynor replied with his second free.

There were ten minutes to go and a goal between the teams. Luke Martin saw red for kicking an Avondale defender straight in front of the referee that put his side under pressure, and two Byrne points along with Mark Baker’s second levelled the game with time up.

Then the shouting and roaring went up a notch as referee John Keenan played seven minutes of injury time. Five minutes into that Keith Dalton won a free and Odlum had a shot at victory about fifteen metres in from the right hand side line. He hit it poorly but it was kept in play and Stephen Davis popped it over the bar to end a pulsating contest. NEWTOWN SCORERS: Dean Odlum (1-1); Ross Davis (0-3, 1 free); Darragh Callan (0-2); Declan Doyle, Stephen Davis (0-1 each). AVONDALE SCORERS: Conor Byrne (0-3); Conor McGraynor (0-2 frees), Mark Baker, Ryan Cahill (0-2 each); Ian MacDonald (0-1). NEWTOWN: Kenneth Turner; Glen Carthy, Shane Mooney, Robert Greenan; Darren Walsh, Neil Martin, Stephen Davis; Mark Fitzsimons, Paul O’Riordan; Darragh Callan, Dean Odlum, Ross Davis; Declan Doyle, Ciarán McGuirl, Luke Martin. Subs: Oisín Greenan for Ciarán McGuirl (56 mins); Stephen Kelly for Darren Walsh (60 mins); Keith Dalton for Declan Doyle (61 mins). AVONDALE: Brian Burke; Shane Beevor, Eoin Burke, Simon Cullen; Liam Kinsella, Eugene Dunne, Paddy Kinsella; Eamonn Kearns, Ian McDonald; Mark Baker, Barry Sheehan, Dean Gahan; David Baker, Conor McGraynor, Conor Byrne. Subs: Ryan Cahill for Dean Gahan (34 mins, inj.); Saoirse Kearon for Patrick Kinsella (28 mins, inj.); Sean McGraynor for Shane Beevor (58 mins); Dean Gahan for Barry Sheehan (65 mins, inj.). REFEREE: John Keenan.