Late barrage not enough to save Mallow’s title hopes

Newcestown 0-15 Mallow 0-14

NEWCESTOWN withstood a barrage of late pressure to overcome Mallow by the narrowest of margins in Round 3 to the County Senior Football Championship at Coachford last Saturday.

It wasn’t the case that Mallow hadn’t chances to swing the balance their way but a combination of missed opportunities and defensive heroics by Newcestown left the North Cork men unable to rescue the game.

An all important win for Newcestown, not only reaching the quarter-finals, but also securing an automatic place in premier senior ranks in next season’s newly structured championship.

Apart from brief spells, Newcestown looked far more the formidable side, playing comfortably within themselves. In fairness, Mallow chased the game to the finish, clocking up the closing three points and within touching distance of forcing parity and extra time.

Late on, Mallow laid siege to the Newcestown danger zone in a frantic finish but tenacious last ditch defending carried the day. Newcestown team manager Tom Wilson revealed his players had resolved to give it everything to the end and expressed satisfaction on their application.

“For the last 10 minutes, we had to pack our defence, once they didn’t get a goal, a couple of points wasn’t going to win the game for Mallow, so that’s what we had to achieve,” he said.

Mallow entered the fray on the back of a resounding victory over St Nicks seven days previously. And with key marksman Cian O’Riordan back from suspension, they stood every chance of making it to the last eight.

Not too much between the sides on the scoreboard for much of the opening half yet Newcestown were winning more possession but at times, they couldn’t quite get the necessary precision into their play to convert ball into scores.

Central to Newcestown’s best play, Micheál McSweeney and Cian Twomey formed a solid barrier, while Cathrach Keane and Mark Kelly won a massive amount of ball and the attacking flair of David Buckley and Daniel Twomey held a cutting edge.

Still Mallow were always well in contention, O’Riordan pointed a pair for stalemate. Possession wise, the initiative was running with Newcestown, points from Daniel Twomey. Buckley and Jack Meade opened up a gap.

That presented Mallow with a test of their composure yet they remained firmly in the hunt. Indeed Mallow passed up on a glorious goal chance, O’Riordan, the provider for Pa Herlihy only to be pressurised and ‘keeper Christopher White turned the ball away for a ‘45 with Newcestown enjoying a 0-8 to 0-6 grip at the break.

Points either side of the interval from Ryan Harkin for Mallow ensured a nip and tuck affair. However, Newcestown took a grip on the proceedings, a spell of pressure earned points for Kelly, Colm Dineen and Daniel Twomey.

Back came Mallow for flags to O’Riordan and Mike O’Rourke to narrow the arrears yet Newcestown were equal to the task, the Meade brothers, Luke and Jack obliging for a 0-13 to 0-9 advantage at the three-quarter mark.

Mallow provoked a response, pointed frees by Harkin and O’Riordan halved the arrears, that offset on Newcestown substitute Eoin Kelly and Tadgh Twomey involved in a terrific move for Buckley to split the uprights as did Cathrach Keane.

Mallow remained resolute in their pursuit, good work by young Seán McDonnell allowed O’Riordan test Newcestown custodian White. Now Mallow drove on in earnest, Harkin and O’Riordan points had it down to a solitary one in a tension filled closing.

With a wall of Newcestown defenders attempting to block out further advances, Mallow kept plugging away, substitute Killian O’Connor, close to a reprieve only for the timely intervention of Newcestown full back Cian Twomey to erase the danger.

At the full-time whistle, joy for Newcestown, advancing to a quarter final and setting up an all West Cork clash against Ilen Rovers.

NEWCESTOWN: C White; M Kennelly, C Twomey, M McSweeney; G O’Donovan, L Meade 0-2, C Dineen 0-1; F Keane, S O’Donovan; M Kelly 0-1, C Keane 0-1, D Buckley 0-4; J Meade 0-2, T Twomey, D Twomey 0-4(0-3f) Sub: E Kelly for M Kennelly (60)

MALLOW: J Murphy; M Quirke, J Loughrey, O Carroll; A Cahill, A Cashman, M Taylor 0-1; E Stanton, S Merritt; K O’Sullivan, R Harkin 0-4(0-1f), M O’Rourke 0-1f; C O’Riordan 0-7(0-4f), S McDonnell 0-1, P Herlihy Subs: K O’Mahony for O Carroll (ht), P Hennessy for A Cahill (40), J Dillon for M O’Rourke(46), K Sheehan for P Herlihy (46), K O’Connor for S Merritt (54)

REFEREE: J Ryan (Macroom)