Newcastle triumph
Shane Magee shines as Shillelagh attack falters
NEWCASTLE SHILLELAGH 1-09 2-04
NEWCASTLE got their second win in the Boom Platform Hire Junior ‘A’ Football Championship with a two-point victory, a margin which should have been greater.
Newcastle were much the better side, Shane Magee once again looking extremely impressive when given the ball.
By contrast, Shillelagh’s attack never really got going, some of their passing going in towards the full-forward line were just high, Hail Mary balls that favoured defenders.
On a couple of occasions it worked, they got a goal out of one such ball, but in general the Shillelagh threat was nullified with only one of their points coming from play.
Newcastle raced into a threepoint lead with 10 minutes played, Magee involved in all three. For the first point he got out in front of his marker Enda Foley and provided Robert O’Gara with the ball before Foley had to foul him, Warren Merriman converting the two frees.
Gary Murphy got Shillelagh off the mark in the 11th minute, Ciaran Doyle being adjudged to lie on the ball under pressure from the Shillelagh full-forward line. Magee continued to lead the Newcastle charge and had a goal chance cleared off the line before Shillelagh moved Daniel Behan over to mark him, though without much more success.
Following another Magee chance Shillelagh got a goal to somehow bring them back into the match and take the lead in the 18th minute, 1-01 to 3 points. Their attacks up to this point were snuffed out by some excellent Newcastle defending and tackling.
Full-forward Noel Murphy won a high ball played into him and with his marker having slipped he smelled a goal. Robert Elliott was in support to hit the back of the net. Merriman replied straight away with a free however to equalise.
Shillelagh almost had another goal in the next attack only for their shot to be saved and a few moments later Newcastle had the ball in the net instead. Magee, once again, was out in front to win the ball and feed Robert O’Gara racing in towards goal. He shrugged off a few would-be tacklers to raise the green flag. That opened a three point lead, 1-04 to 1-01, but with the last kick of the half Brendan Behan struck over a wonderful free from the 45 to leave two between the teams as tempers raised a little and a couple of players got to know each other.
The second half started with a greater rate of scoring, four points inside eight minutes. Philip O’Connor pointed from an impossible angle and then Shane Magee got his only point of the game. David Cullen pulled one back for Shillelagh following a mistake by Colm Yeoman who was caught in no man’s land.
Sean Ryder completed the scoring spree with a point from distance to put four between the teams, 1-07 to 1-03. The scoring slowed down in the time afterwards, 20 minutes elapsed with only two Newcastle points, both from Warren Merriman. In that time Shillelagh saw a number of opportunities drift wide and had a penalty saved.
Ciaran Doyle performed the most blatant third man tackle going, his goalkeeper Ian Lucey came to collect a ball around the square and Doyle was in no mood to let a Shillelagh player near him with a shoulder. David Whelan’s penalty was straight at Lucey though and easily saved.
Things continued to get heated also. A bit of wrestling earned Philip O’Connor a second yellow card and a few minutes later players came from all corners to get involved in a melee. A player from each team emerged with a yellow card though there could have been more, a Newcastle man lay motionless on the goal line for a few minutes, the culprit unidentified.
A couple of Newcastle players also received black cards late in the game for some uncomplimentary comments towards referee Kieran O’Shea while Shillelagh were given a lifeline with a free and then a penalty as the match entered injury time.
Paddy Byrne was on hand to convert both and they were given one last chance to pump the ball into the square. Newcastle won it though and O’Shea had seen enough, blowing the full-time whistle straight away.
– Newcastle: Warren Merriman (4f) 0-05; Robert O Gara 1-01; Sean Ryder, Philip O’Connor, Shane Magee 0-01 each.
Shillelagh: Paddy Byrne (1-00 pen, 1f) 1-01; Robert Elliott 1-00; Brendan Behan (f), Gary Murphy (f), David Cullen 0-01 each.
Ian Lucey; Barry Minogue, Ciaran Doyle, Colm Yeoman; Kyle Sheridan, Sean Ryder, Christian Mulligan; Neil Yeoman, Shane Doyle; Dylan Forde, Robert O Gara, Philip O’Connor; Shane Magee, Ryan Heffernan, Warren Merriman. Subs: Graham O’Brien for Ryan Heffernan (40 mins); Paul Magee for Shane Doyle (42 mins); Mark O’Connor for Kyle Sheridan (49 mins); Darren Gammell for Neil Yeoman (55 mins); Alan Daly for Ciaran Doyle (58 mins, BC); Oisin Doyle for Paul Magee (62 mins, BC).
Scorers Newcastle:
Laurie Cullen; Daniel Behan, Sean Carroll, Enda Foley; Ger O’Brien, Daire Foley, Jim O’Brien; Brendan Behan, Paddy Hennessey; Declan Nolan, Gary Murphy, Robert Elliott; Cathal Murphy, Noel Murphy, Francis Simpson. Subs: Keith Collins for Jim O’Brien (29 mins, inj.); Ray Murphy for Declan Nolan, David Cullen for Cathal Murphy (both HT); David Whelan for Robert Elliott, Paddy Byrne for Francis Simpson (both 36 mins); Stephen Byrne for Enda Foley (55 mins, inj.).
Ciaran O’Shea
Shillelagh: Referee: