Newmarket were defeated by Knocknagree, despite a very creditable performance in the first round of the Duhallow junior football championship by 1-12 to 0-8 at Boherbue on Tuesday evening.

Newmarket got off to a bright start with midfielder Brian Daly landing a fine point from distance. Knocknagree levelled instantly as an open contest developed. Shane Anthony Murphy edged Newmarket in front again but Knocknagree in their next attack scored the games only goal with a fine effort on thirteen minutes. Seanie Francis O’Connor pointed from a free to reduce the arrears to a solitary point. Newmarket played with confidence and were led by the outstanding Dermot Moynihan in defence with Trevor Murphy also to the fore. The sides went on to exchange four points with Newmarket on target through Colin O’Sullivan and Shane Anthony Murphy. Knocknagree registered the final point of the half as they turned over in front by 1-4 to 0-5.

Knocknagree blitzed Newmarket in the first exchanges of the second half and this yielded three points in as many minutes and established a five point lead. Newmarket got their first point of the half through Kevin O’Connor who found the target from a long distance free. Knocknagree began to get a better grip of the contest despite a resolute Newmarket performance. Scores became few and far between with Knocknagree adding four unanswered points in a fifteen minute spell. Newmarket battled gamely in the remaining minutes and points from Shane Anthony Murphy and Seanie Francis O’Connor followed. Knocknagree did score the final point of the contest and sealed their place in the knockout stages of the championship.

The Newmarket team was…

Tadhg O’Sullivan
Donnacha O’Dea		Dan Murphy		Brendan Stack
Trevor Murphy		Dermot Moynihan		Robert Stack
	Brian Daly (0-1)		Gerard Casey
Mattie Fitzpatrick		Shane Anthony Murphy (0-3)		Seanie Francis O’Connor (0-2)
Kevin O’Connor (0-1)		Colin O’Sullivan (0-1)		Ian Flanagan
SUBS: John Scanlon, John Cronin, David Guiney