Newtown are Rocked

Blackrock 2-26 Newtownshandrum 2-14

NEWTOWNSHANDRUM will face a clash with Erin’s Own to earn a place in the quarter-finals of the Co-op SuperStores Cork Premier SHC.

On Sunday in Mallow, Newtown lost out to a rampant Blackrock, who had already beaten Erin’s Own, meaning that the city side are guaranteed top spot in Group B. They will take on the already eliminated Bishopstown as they look to book an automatic semi-final spot, while the meeting of Newtown and Erin’s Own will decide second place, effectively making it a quarter-final play-off.

While Jamie Coughlan’s second-minute free for Newtown opened the scoring, they wouldn’t register again until the 14th minute, by which stage the complexion of the contest had changed dramatically, with two goals putting Blackrock in control.

Though a pair of Jamie Coughlan goals brought Newtown back to within four points by half-time, 2-10 to 2-6, the closest they could come in the second period was three points and Blackrock eased clear with five consecutive points to put the contest beyond doubt.

Alan Connolly scored 1-11 for the 2017 county finalists with Tadhg Deasy contributing 1-6 as they served notice that they are in with a real shout of contending for what would be a 33rd county title.

Just as they had a week previously against Erin’s Own, Blackrock surged into a commanding lead in the opening half. Tadhg Deasy put Blackrock into a lead they wouldn’t relinquish on four minutes with a goal after he had done well to create an opening himself following good work by centre-back John Cashman.

After Deasy and Alan Connolly added points – the latter from a free following a another Deasy goal chance, saved by James Bowles – the second goal arrived.

It was a result of the direct play to the inside line as Mark O’Keeffe picked out Connolly and he did well to calmly round Bowles and send a batted finish to the net.

They were 2-4 to 0-1 ahead following points from Connolly and Shane O’Keeffe though sub Dermot McCarthy and Jerry Lane gave Newtown some respite before the first-half water break.

After play resumed, Blackrock eased clear through Shane O’Keeeffe and Tadhg Dasy but Newtown got themselves back into game when they won a penalty, which Coughlan converted. While they were still seven points behind as the game moved into injury time at the end of the first half, Coughlan cut that to four with his second goal, set up by Jerry Lane’s run and Tim O’Mahony’s pass.

That left it 2-10 to 2-6 at the interval and four times in the opening ten minutes of the second half the lead was cut to three points by Coughlan but, on each occasion, Blackrock responded as Connolly showed himself to be flawless from placed balls.

The decisive stage of the half came when the Rockies necklaced five consecutive points together as Tadhg Deasy impressed while sub Robbie Cotter got the pick of them as he profited from excellent build-up play by wing-backs Cathal Cormack and Daniel Meaney.

By the time of the water break in the second half, they were 2-19 to 2-12 to the good and that advantage was extended further courtesy of scores from Meaney, Deasy and Cotter, bringing his tally to four points after