Both sides tried to get the early initiative but both defences stood firm, with Newmarket led from the back by the excellent Denys O’Brien, T.J. Brosnan and Mark Reidy. A tight encounter developed before Newmarket opened the scoring in the eleventh minute. Denys O’Brien burst out from defence and found David O’Flynn with a well placed pass. As David O’Flynn surged forward, he was impeded before offloading quickly to outstanding Newmarket attacker John Lane and the vast majority of the spectators acclaimed an excellently executed point. Newmarket’s advantage was short lived as Milltown Castlemaine gained parity from their resultant kick out. As the game entered the second quarter Milltown Castlemaine edged in front. Scores were at a premium, and despite enjoying a sizeable amount of possession, Newmarket failed to add to their tally despite the exploits of John Lane who was tormenting his opponents with his ball winning ability. Unfortunately, for Newmarket, failure to add on scores in this period would ultimately prove decisive. Milltown Castlemaine added their third point in the twenty third minute before two further points within a minute stretched their advantage to four points. Crucially, as the half entered the final minute of normal time, the Kerry champions surged forward with an overlap and took full advantage to slam a goal to the net for a substantial lead. Newmarket regrouped and in the dying moments of the half, on being awarded a free in, T.J. Bodie struck the first of his afternoon’s points to end the half with Newmarket trailing by 1-5 to 0-2.

Newmarket resumed with the aid of a breeze and as ever their unrivalled support rallied behind their heroes. T.J. Bodie gave an exhibition of free taking and claimed his second point of the hour two minutes into the half. Newmarket pressed their opponents and as in the first half Denys O’Brien, T.J. Brosnan, Mark Reidy and John Lane were central to the sides revival. Milltown Castlemaine converted a free seven minutes into the second half but a spirited Newmarket effort, so evident throughout the year was gaining momentum. T.J. Bodie pointed for a third time before a move that epitomized Newmarket’s work ethic ended with a penalty in their favour. John Lane did sensational work to dispossess a defender on the edge of the square against all the odds and the resultant passage of play involving a Kevin O’Sullivan shot at goal was foot blocked to force a penalty. Once more, as so often before, Brian O’Riordan strode up calmly from his corner back position, to dispatch a perfectly struck penalty to the bottom corner of the net past a static goalkeeper and the stand erupted in appreciation. The score now read 1-6 to 1-4 with seventeen minutes remaining. With everything to play for both sides threw every ounce of effort into the remainder of the game. Milltown Castlemaine pointed next to regain a three point lead. Newmarket swept forward but faced a packed rearguard. T.J. Bodie kicked a memorable point with nine minutes remaining and when he repeated the feat four minutes later, just a solitary point separated the sides. To the frustration of the Newmarket side they could not find an equalizer and at the other end with time closing out, Milltown Castlemaine reacted quicker to a free that struck an upright to score a vital point. As the game entered injury time they added an insurance score and the final whistle brought to an end an incredible Newmarket adventure.

True to form, the magnificent Newmarket supporters applauded and cheered the side from the pitch in appreciation of their epic achievements of 2011. A remarkable campaign of nine championship games in total that exceeded the wildest of expectations will forever be etched into the annals of history and the memory bank of all who witnessed the crusade from Macroom in May to Mallow in November. The exploits of all the players and management will be recalled and treasured for years to come by people both near and far as a spark of inspiration to all Newmarket folk.

Congratulations once again to our magnificent team and management trio of Danny Culloty, Donal O’Sullivan and Danny Hourigan and at the end of a long and winding playing season they can reflect with immense pride on their exploits and what it did and meant to the parish and people of Newmarket. Who will ever forget the scenes and images of October 16th, 2011, the greatest day in the history of Newmarket GAA Club. Well done lads, enjoy the short break and more celebrations of your feats before commencing 2012 as a senior football club.

The Newmarket team and scorers…

Brian O’Riordan (1-0), T.J. Bodie (0-5), John Lane (0-1)

Niall O’Connor
Brian O’Riordan		Denys O'Brien		John Ryan
Barry O'Leary		Mark Reidy		T. J. Brosnan
	Bart Daly		Colin O'Sullivan
David O’Flynn		Kevin O'Sullivan		Tony O'Keeffe
T.J. Bodie		Nicky Barrett		John Lane
Subs: Timothy Murphy, Mark Murphy.

So it’s time to get the flags out again and show the massive support that the team is accustomed to, as it bids to continue making history.

Áth Trasna Abú

Note, if you don’t want to cook the dinner, Mallow GAA will also be providing a food service on the day.

The splendid weather conditions and awesome Newmarket support ensured the players took to the field in ideal circumstances. The magnificent John Lane settled early nerves and stamped his authority and class on proceedings by skilfully blitzing his opponents to punch a point in the fourth minute. A well fancied Clyda Rovers side showed their immense calibre by responding with three points in the following five minutes.

Bart Daly struck an unforgettable placed ball from over fifty yards for Newmarket’s second point in the eleventh minute. Newmarket were rewarded for their trademark teamwork and slick passing game in the fourteenth minute as the ever industrious David O’Flynn was impeded as he closed in on goal and a penalty was awarded. Brian O’Riordan strode up from his corner back position and as he has done so regularly and consistently in his career to date dispatched a perfect kick to the corner of the net to the raptures of the black and red brigade.

Clyda playing with the aid of a significant breeze recovered and in the twentieth minute a probing ball on the edge of the square was flicked to the net past an otherwise miserly Newmarket rearguard. Clyda established a two point advantage but Newmarket remained composed led from the back by club stalwarts Denys O’Brien, Barry O’Leary and Mark Reidy. Newmarket received the perfect tonic prior to the interval in the twenty seventh minute of the contest as Bart Daly delivered a dangerous ball into the goalmouth and the excellent Kevin O’Sullivan was on hand to pick up the break and crash the ball home to the roof of the net. This ensured Newmarket went into the break leading by 2-2 to 1-4.

Despite now playing with the advantage of the wind, it was Clyda Rovers who resumed the sharper side and two points within four minutes swung the scoreboard in their favour. The championships top scorer Nicky Flanagan ensured parity seven minutes into the half as a gripping skilful encounter progressed. Clyda Rovers edged ahead again eleven minutes into the half before another club legend Tony O’Keeffe rewarded an efficient Newmarket forward unit on pointing an equalizing point with twelve minutes remaining. Newmarket seized the initiative at this stage of a long rewarding campaign as their remarkable fitness and teamwork bore fruition in their finest hour. Nicky Flanagan edged Newmarket in front as the game entered the final ten minutes.

Seven minutes from time the dream was becoming reality when John Lane once again provided the spark and closing in on goal from a difficult angle he expertly placed a pass into the danger zone and the predatory Tony O’Keeffe was on hand to provide the finishing touch and the net bulged for a third time to the euphoria of the majority of patrons at the famous sporting venue. True to form Clyda Rovers dispelled the comfort of a four point margin on halving the deficit within a couple of minutes to ensure a compelling conclusion. Newmarket’s exemplary discipline and composure engineered a critical free and T.J. Bodie perfectly bisected the posts with an inspirationally struck left footed kick from underneath the covered stand.

As so often throughout the campaign the Newmarket rearguard answered the ominous onslaught and as the gap was reduced to two points, Newmarket support endured a painstaking wait for the final whistle. The resultant kick out proved to be final act of a truly remarkable fairytale as the field became engulfed in a sea of black and red in acknowledgement of their heroes who had just added the proudest chapter in the history of Newmarket GAA Club.

The most worthy of team captains, Barry O’Leary, an inspirational clubman, five years on from suffering an horrific career threatening injury overcome solely for his incredible affection for Newmarket GAA Club rightfully took his place on the podium of Páirc Uí Chaoimh and graciously accepted the cup amidst unforgettable scenes.

The team were greeted to incredible support led by the ever obliging and appreciated Newmarket Pipe Band amongst historic images at the West End. Club Chairman Victor Lane, Fr. Herlihy, Richard Murphy (Chairman, Duhallow Board), Tony McAuliffe (Duhallow Board), Danny Culloty and Barry O’Leary reflected on the remarkable success story before John Cronin capped the proceedings with a perfect rendition  of our famous anthem Up Up Newmarket!!!. Congratulations to one and all.

The Newmarket team and scorers…

Tony O’Keeffe (1-1), Kevin O’Sullivan (1-0), Brian O’Riordan (1-0), Nicky Flanagan (0-2), Bart Daly (0-1), T.J. Bodie (0-1), John Lane (0-1)

Niall O’Connor
T. J. Brosnan		Denys O'Brien		Brian O’Riordan
Barry O'Leary		Mark Reidy		John Ryan
	Bart Daly		Colin O'Sullivan
David O’Flynn		Kevin O'Sullivan		Tony O'Keeffe
T.J. Bodie		Nicky Flanagan		John Lane
Subs: Kevin O’Connor, Timothy Murphy, David Quinlan, Michael O’Leary, Sean Doody, Gerard Casey, Mark Murphy, Eddie Allen, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Gavin Forde, Luke McCarthy, Pa O’Brien

Feel free to share the images, but be sure to tell everyone you got them from your friends at newmarketgaa.com!

Áth Trasna Abú

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Rain showers that preceded the game made for a slippery surface and initially the home side adapted better with a point after four minutes. Newmarket settled and were buoyed by a great move in the eighth minute which led to an excellent goal. Colin O’Sullivan drilled a pass forward into the path of Nicky Flanagan who quickly offloaded to Tony O’Keeffe and in turn he found John Lane, who side stepped the advancing goalkeeper to slip the ball into an empty net.

Nicky Flanagan converted a twelfth minute free as Newmarket found their rhythm. Denys O’Brien and Mark Reidy led in defence as several moves swept the length of the pitch. Newmarket eventually found their scoring touch in the final ten minutes of the half. Bart Daly converted a forty five before John Lane cut through the Mallow defence to punch a point. T.J. Bodie’s accuracy was unerring on the night and he kicked over his first point with a well taken score in the twenty fourth minute. Nicky Flanagan and Kevin O’Sullivan increased the advantage before a memorable score completed Newmarket’s tally for the half. Mark Reidy instigated a move deep in defence with Colin O’Sullivan, T.J. Brosnan and Nicky Flanagan involved in setting up T.J. Bodie to kick an excellent point.

Mallow ended the half with a point but Newmarket turned over from a productive display with a lead of 1-7 to 0-2.

Newmarket drove forward immediately upon the throw in and as Kevin O’Sullivan advanced in on goal he laid the ball off to T.J. Bodie to once again bisect the posts with a fine score.  A minute later, Newmarket had to call upon goalkeeper Niall O’Conner to produce an excellent stop with Brian O’Riordan helping the resultant rebound to safety. Newmarket stretched their advantage thanks to points from T.J. Bodie and Nicky Flanagan as they enjoyed an eleven point lead, ten minutes into the second half.

Mallow struck for a goal in the following minute but the clinical Nicky Flanagan ensured a lead of 1-11 to 1-2 midway through the half. Mallow finished the game strongly. A quickly taken free was dispatched to the net eleven minutes from time and two further points brought the deficit to four points with six minutes remaining. Nicky Flanagan scored a point to quell the comeback but Newmarket were grateful to substitute goalkeeper David Quinlan who produced a stunning save to spread himself and thwart a certain goal when one on one with an advancing attacker.

The excellent Denys O’Brien drove a ball in the direction of John Lane who did superbly to split the Mallow rearguard and kick over Newmarket’s final score on the night. Mallow did have the final score but Newmarket ended victors and now all talk and roads will lead to Pairc Uí Chaoimh and a historic county final appearance against Clyda Rovers on October 16th.

The Newmarket team and scorers…

Nicky Flanagan (0-5), John Lane (1-2), T.J. Bodie (0-4), Bart Daly (0-1), Kevin O’Sullivan (0-1).

Niall O’Connor
John Ryan		Denys O'Brien		Brian O’Riordan
Barry O'Leary		Mark Reidy		T. J. Brosnan
	Bart Daly		Colin O'Sullivan
David O’Flynn		Kevin O'Sullivan		Tony O'Keeffe
T.J. Bodie		Nicky Flanagan		John Lane
Subs: Kevin O’Connor, David Quinlan, Timothy Murphy, Mark Murphy, Sean Doody

Newmarket began well in the soggy conditions and some excellent approach play involving Kevin O’Sullivan and John Lane placed Nicky Flanagan in on goal and he drilled the ball past the Kinsale goalkeeper for a well finished fifth minute goal. Mark Reidy pointed superbly a minute later and T.J. Bodie converted a free in the eighth minute to give Newmarket a five point advantage. Kinsale opened their account with a thirteenth minute point before they found the target on a regular basis during the final ten minutes of the half. They reeled over five points in succession in an eight minute period to turn the game in their favour. Newmarket did regain parity with a T.J. Bodie free from the final kick of the half to leave the scoreline reading 1-3 to 0-6 at the interval.

Kinsale had the first point after the restart before John Lane levelled the scores for a third time with a fine point seven minutes into the half. Kinsale added the next two points before T.J. Bodie brought Newmarket to within a point with his third pointed free of the game midway through the half. The game then took a significant turn in Kinsale’s favour as they scored a goal in the next minute. Newmarket struggled for the remainder of the game and were made pay for some sloppy play on several occasions as Kinsale punished errors with points on the scoreboard. During the final quarter of the contest, Kinsale added four further points to their total to run out convincing winners.

The Newmarket team and scorers…

Nicky Flanagan (1-0), T.J. Bodie (0-3), Mark Reidy (0-1), John Lane (0-1).

Niall O’Connor
Kevin O'Connor		Denys O'Brien		John Ryan
Barry O'Leary		Timothy Murphy		T. J. Brosnan
	Bart Daly		Colin O'Sullivan
Kevin O'Sullivan		Mark Reidy		Tony O'Keeffe
John Lane		Nicky Flanagan		T.J. Bodie
Subs: Sean Doody, Mark Murphy

Playing against the stiff breeze in the opening half was always going to pose its own problems and after initially settling well early, Newmarket had to withstand the inevitable pressure from St. Vincents. The city side hit the front with a fourth minute point and with the play pinned into the Newmarket half, two further points followed by the tenth minute.

Newmarket broke forward a minute later and got off the mark thanks to a sweetly struck left footed point by T.J. Bodie.

Newmarket gained the impetus at this stage and competed admirably in the middle sector of the pitch. The outstanding Denys O’Brien burst forward moments later and from deep in the opposition’s half he set an attack in motion which ended with Kevin O’Sullivan keeping his composure before his well placed crossfield kicked pass picked out David O’Flynn and the dynamic half forward, who got married just two days previous to the game, produced a sublime finish to split the posts.

Having withstood the early onslaught, Newmarket played extremely well in the difficult conditions and used their pace and neat flowing passing game to excellent effect. Team captain Barry O’Leary, John Ryan and Denys O’Brien led from the defence as a confident display unfolded. St. Vincent’s ended their thirteen minute spell without a score with a point in the twenty third minute.

The city side were guilty of inaccurate shooting and Newmarket were let off the hook on a few occasions as scores went a begging. As the half entered the final minutes St. Vincent’s increased their advantage to three points but Newmarket crucially kept their opponents within sight.

The half ended in the ascendancy for Newmarket, with the lively and influential John Lane kicking an excellent point and this proved to be the final score of the half as St. Vincent’s went into the break with a 0-5 to 0-3 lead.

Newmarket resumed with the advantage of the stiff breeze and in the third minute they cut the deficit to a single point with John Lane offloading to Tony O’Keeffe to kick a point. Two minutes later and St. Vincent’s added a point but amazingly due in no small way to the exemplary defending by the Newmarket defensive unit this proved to be their only and final score of the half.

Exchanges were tight, close and physical as a gripping encounter unfolded. Every ball was eagerly contested and scores were well earned.

Ten minutes into the half and Newmarket reduced the deficit to a point again as Kevin O’Sullivan let fly from distance from a wing forward position and let the wind carry the ball between the posts.

As the game entered the final quarter, Newmarket who upped the tempo at this stage gained parity for the first and only time of the game as T.J. Bodie pointed a glorious long distance free accurately to tie the sides at 0-6 apiece. Newmarket were not going to be outdone at this stage as their incredible hunger and industry came to the fore with Tony O’Keeffe particularly outstanding.

Newmarket swept forward in waves from defence on every occasion it demanded with considerable and impressive composure. Experienced campaigners Denys O’Brien, Barry O’Leary, Tony O’Keeffe, Mark Reidy and David O’Flynn excelled amongst a supreme team effort while up front, John Lane caused numerous problems for the St. Vincents defence.

With ten minutes remaining, Newmarket hit the front for the first time and after John Lane was upended close in on goal, Nicky Flanagan pointed the resultant free. Newmarket dominated possession at this stage but were also guilty of failing to add to their advantage. Eventually, they increased their lead with five minutes to play with David O’Flynn and T.J. Bodie linking up to place John Lane in on goal and he expertly punched a crucial point. The defence were called upon to keep their composure and discipline as the clock ran down and they did so in resounding fashion to close out a most famous and historic win for the club.

Newmarket previously contested the county intermediate final in 2002 and now following a fifth semi final appearance since 2001 they have completed a memorable journey to reach a County Final which is presently fixed for October 16th and which promises to be a special few weeks and occasion for all involved.

The Newmarket team and scorers…

T.J. Bodie (0-2), John Lane (0-2), David O’Flynn (0-1), Kevin O’Sullivan (0-1), Tony O’Keeffe (0-1), Nicky Flanagan (0-1).

Niall O’Connor
T. J. Brosnan		Denys O'Brien		Brian O’Riordan
Barry O'Leary		Timothy Murphy		John Ryan
	Bart Daly		Colin O'Sullivan
David O’Flynn		Kevin O'Sullivan		Tony O'Keeffe
T.J. Bodie		Nicky Flanagan		John Lane
Subs: Mark Reidy, Mark Murphy

The contest had a lot to live up to following a thrilling draw at the same venue six days previous, but the game began in whirlwind fashion. Naomh Aban struck the opening point within seconds of the throw in and from the resultant kickout, Bart Daly won primary possession at midfied leading to Kevin O’Sullivan being on hand to kick an equalizer seconds later.

Naomh Aban edged in front again with a fifth minute point but Newmarket settled much quicker into the game on this occasion and received a major boost in the ninth minute. Kevin O’Sullivan intercepted possession for Newmarket and a move leading to the excellent David O’Flynn closing down on goal resulted in a penalty as his goal bound shot was stopped with a foot block. Corner back, Brian O’Riordan who also had an outstanding game, stepped forward to dispatch the kick expertly to the corner of the net.

Naomh Aban replied with a point but Newmarket grew in confidence as they extended their advantage. In the twelfth minute a sweeping move ended with David O’Flynn placing an exquisite cross field  pass perfectly in front of the on running John Ryan who sent the ball over the bar for a memorable score. Seven minutes later a point resulted in similar vein thanks to the industry of John Ryan and Tony O’Keeffe with Nicky Flanagan on hand to point. Newmarket stretched their lead as Nicky Flanagan converted a free to leave the score at 1-4 to 0-3.

Naomh Aban set a comeback in motion with two quickfire points and in a three minute spell fortunes turned completely as a goal forged them ahead by a single point. Newmarket ensured parity at the break as T.J. Bodie slotted over a pointed free from a difficult angle, and the sides remained deadlocked at 1-5 apiece at half time.

Upon the resumption, with the game so delicately balanced both sides endeavoured to take a grip of the contest. In spite of the efforts of both teams a scrappy spell followed and a scoreless period of fourteen minutes elapsed. At this stage, Newmarket gathered momentum as their terrific balanced team effort began to pay dividends. Nicky Flanagan ended the barren scoring spell in what proved to be the beginning of a five minute scoring purple patch for Newmarket. David O’Flynn doubled the advantage before team captain, Barry O’Leary surged forward from his half back position to kick an inspirational point. A rampant Newmarket side were clinical in front of goal at this stage as talisman Nicky Flanagan and midfieder Colin O’Sullivan gave the side a commanding five point lead in a matter of minutes.

Naomh Aban tried to recover from this flurry of scores and did register two excellent points within a minute to cut the deficit to three points. The momentum was with Newmaket however, and the decisive score of the game arrived with seven minutes remaining. Full back, Denys O’Brien burst forward to place a well struck pass in the direction of John Lane who performed admirably in his position, especially in the second half. With plenty still still to do,  John Lane engineered himself into a scoring position to plant the ball into the corner of the net, despite the attention of several defenders.

Newmarket capped a memorable result in the final moments as John Lane kicked a final point to complete an outstanding team effort. Newmarket now advance to the semi final on Sunday next in Ballyclough where they will meet St. Vincents in a repeat of a game at the same stage in 2008.

The Newmarket team and scorers…

Nicky Flanagan (0-4), John Lane (1-1), Brian O’Riordan (1-0), Barry O’Leary (0-1), John Ryan (0-1), Colin O’Sullivan (0-1), David O’Flynn (0-1), Kevin O’Sullivan (0-1), T.J. Bodie (0-1).

Niall O’Connor
T. J. Brosnan		Denys O'Brien		Brian O’Riordan
Barry O'Leary		Timothy Murphy		John Ryan
	Bart Daly		Colin O'Sullivan
David O’Flynn		Kevin O'Sullivan		Tony O'Keeffe
T.J. Bodie		Nicky Flanagan		John Lane
Subs: Mark Reidy

A tense opening to the game saw the action flow from end to end but scores proved elusive until Naomh Aban registered the first point in the eighth minute. The Gaeltacht side settled into their stride and three further points quickly followed by the midway point of the half. Newmarket struggled to make an impact and were punished by a further two points to Naomh Aban which gave them a commanding six point lead by the twentieth minute.

Newmarket’s challenge took a noticeable change following the introduction of substitute T.J. Brosnan who inspired a revival for the remainder of the half. In the twenty second minute he surged forward to kick an excellent point to get Newmarket on the scoreboard and the team lifted their level of performance in the attacking department instantly.

The influential T.J. Bodie was on hand to slot over a point from a free four minutes later. From the resultant kick out, Newmarket with Bart Daly and Colin O’Sullivan contesting admirably at midfield won possession from which they were awarded a free. Bart Daly dispatched a diagonal cross field ball which was well gathered by John Lane. He offloaded to the on running David O’Flynn who closed down on goal before placing a pass to Kevin O’Sullivan and he made no mistake to dispatch the ball to the back of the net and put a completely different complexion on the scoreboard.

The comeback was complete within a six minute spell as T.J. Bodie split the uprights to tie the sides, 0-6 to 1-3 less than two minutes to the interval. Naomh Aban ended the half with a point to take a slender advantage into the break, 0-7 to 1-3.

With Newmarket clearly gaining the impetus following the end of the half and playing with the advantage of a growing breeze the half resumed with Naomh Aban bursting forward from the throw in to point within seconds.

Newmarket settled into their pattern of play and revived their hopes seven minutes into the half. One of several well worked passing movements ended with John Lane shooting for a point and as his effort struck off the upright, T.J. Bodie reacted fastest to the rebounding ball and crashed the ball home to the back of the net past defenders and goalkeeper to give Newmarket the lead for the first time, 2-3 to 0-8.

Little separated the sides for the remainder of the game. Naomh Aban tied the sides thirteen minutes into the half as a similar pattern of scoring followed for the remainder of the game. Newmarket hit the front again at the three quarter mark as Bart Daly landed a spectacular point from distance. However, this was answered within a minute by an equalizing point.

Newmarket’s clever build up play saw a number of excellent performances with David O’Flynn central to several Newmarket attacks as the midfield and defenders placed well distributed passes into their forwards. T.J. Bodie pointed for the lead once more but yet again Naomh Aban gained parity as the game entered a tantalizing final ten minutes.

Newmarket seized the initiative once more as again T.J. Bodie was clinical on finding the target. An engrossing encounter saw the Naomh Aban side respond once again as neither side could forge out a telling advantage. Both sides saw possible goal chances go a begging but as the game entered the final moments both sides pressed forward and failed to settle for a draw. Newmarket hit the front for a final time in the second minute of injury time as an inspirational effort from distance by Kevin O’Sullivan was worthy of crowning any occasion. However, amazingly for one final time, yet again, Naomh Aban would not be outdone and on being awarded a free, it was duly converted for the ultimate score of the contest. There was still time for Newmarket to muster a final attack and an excellent effort from distance dropped agonizingly into the hands of the Naomh Aban goalkeeper before an exhilarating contest was brought to a conclusion.

The Newmarket team and scorers…

T.J. Bodie (1-4), Kevin O’Sullivan (1-1), Bart Daly (0-1), T.J. Brosnan (0-1).

Niall O’Connor
Sean Doody		Denys O'Brien		Brian O’Riordan
Barry O'Leary		Timothy Murphy		John Ryan
	Bart Daly		Colin O'Sullivan
David O’Flynn		Kevin O'Sullivan		Tony O'Keeffe
T.J. Bodie		Nicky Flanagan		John Lane
Subs: T.J. Brosnan, Mark Reidy

Ballinora registered the first score of the game on pointing a close in free in the second minute but Newmarket’s response was swift with Nicky Flanagan putting the sides on terms by similar means in the fourth minute. Newmarket proceeded to dominate in every sector of the field with Colin O’Sullivan, Mark Reidy and T.J. Bodie to the fore as they took control around the middle of the field.

It was T.J. Bodie who provided the finishing touches to some fine build up play with a well kicked point in the fifth minute and the alert Nicky Flanagan snapped over a point on reacting to an error in the Ballinora defence. In one of several forays into the attack Mark Reidy was on hand to kick Newmarket’s fourth point in the seventh minute. The relentless pressure was maintained as T.J. Bodie, Kevin O’Sullivan and Nicky Flanagan added to an impressive tally of seven points within the first twelve minutes of the contest.

Ballinora had their second point in the thirteenth minute but Newmarket were not to be deterred as they commanded virtually every sector of the pitch. They enhanced their position with further points towards the end of the half as the prolific Nicky Flanagan added two points, one from a free and the second a spectacular score from distance as Newmarket went into the interval with a well deserved lead of 0-9 to 0-2.

A far more mundane affair developed as the second half unfolded. Nicky Flanagan added to his tally in the fifth minute of the half but in contrast to the opening half, this proved to be the only score in a fifteen minute spell. Ballinora ended the scoreless period with two points in as many minutes but Kevin O’Sullivan restored a seven point advantage when kicking a fine point from a difficult angle. The game became sloppy as frequent showers of rain took its toll and several stoppages resulted. The introduction of Bart Daly and T.J. Brosnan added impetus to Newmarket and despite conceding the next two points they completed the game in the ascendancy again. Nicky Flanagan and the industrious John Lane added to the scoreboard as Newmarket closed out a fine and convincing victory.

The Newmarket team and scorers…

Nicky Flanagan (0-7),Kevin O’Sullivan (0-2), T.J. Bodie (0-2), Mark Reidy (0-1), John Lane (0-1).

David Quinlan
Sean Doody		Denys O'Brien		Brian O’Riordan
Barry O'Leary		Timothy Murphy		John Ryan
	Mark Reidy		Colin O'Sullivan
David O’Flynn		Kevin O'Sullivan		Tony O'Keeffe
T.J. Bodie		Nicky Flanagan		John Lane
Subs: Bart Daly, T.J. Brosnan

Clyda Rovers pointed in the second minute after the restart before a ten minute scoreless spell followed. The deadlock was eventually broken when some excellent play from Newmarket’s influential midfielder Colin O’Sullivan set a fine move in motion which ended with T.J. Bodie slotting over the bar for a Newmarket point. Midway through the half Clyda regained their four point advantage but at this stage Newmarket began to instigate a commendable comeback.

T.J. Bodie added to his impressive tally with his fifth point of the game before Kevin O’Sullivan did well to punch a point from a difficult angle. As the game entered the final six minutes T.J. Bodie added two more points from frees to tie the sides for the third time of the hour and the first time in fifty minutes. A confident and free flowing Newmarket outfit hit the front for the first time with little over two minutes to play as John Lane was again on target. Newmarket tried to close out a victory but an indiscretion late in injury time was duly punished and both sides have to settle for a well earned draw.

The Newmarket team and scorers…

T.J. Bodie (0-7), John Lane (0-3), Nicky Flanagan (0-2), Tony O’Keeffe (0-1), Kevin O’Sullivan (0-1).

David Quinlan
Sean Doody		Denys O'Brien		Brian O’Riordan
Barry O'Leary		Timothy Murphy		John Ryan
	Colin O'Sullivan		Gerard Casey
Tony O'Keeffe		Kevin O'Sullivan		David O’Flynn
John Lane		Nicky Flanagan		T.J. Bodie
Subs: Bart Daly, Mark Reidy, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Kevin O’Connor, Michael O’Leary

Newmarket put together several excellent passing movements during the game and as early as the second minute this yielded a point with Nicky Flanagan on target. T.J. Bodie doubled the lead two minutes later on slotting over a free and while at the other end Newmarket survived a few scares, notably one goal bound effort that came crashing off the crossbar, the forward line was unerring when presented with opportunities. Tony O’Keeffe added a third point for the efficient Newmarket attack. Grenagh came blazing into the contest midway through the half. An opening point in the thirteenth minute was followed with another in quick succession before a goal changed the complexion of the scoreboard in favour of the Muskerry side by two points. Newmarket responded immediately with the rampaging David O’Flynn pointing a fourth point for his side.

The sides were level for the first time when Mark Reidy surged in on goal to fist an equalizing point in the twenty second minute. Grenagh took the lead again by scoring the next two points but Newmarket swung the pendulum around with a brilliant goal in the twenty seventh minute. Timothy Murphy launched a huge kick into the danger area which evaded the Grenagh defence but was read expertly by Newmarket corner forward John Lane. He closed in on goal before offloading superbly, which was a feature of his game throughout, to pick out Nicky Flanagan with a defence splitting pass and he made no mistake on crashing the ball home to the back of the net. This enabled Newmarket to turn around in front by 1-5 to 1-4 at half time.

Newmarket resumed in a confident manner. David O’Flynn was upended after another fine solo run close in on goal and T.J. Bodie made no mistake from the resultant free with Nicky Flanagan on target in similar fashion a minute later.

The intensity of the contest grew as defences tightened up. Grenagh pointed seven minutes into the half before a scoreless ten minute spell followed. As the game entered the final quarter Grenagh pointed twice in a minute to tie the sides once more at 1-7 apiece with thirteen minutes remaining.

Newmarket were dealt a blow as team captain Barry O’Leary had to retire with a knee injury but in adversity to this setback the team rose to the challenge at hand.

Newmarket, despite a long spell without a score began to turn the screw. The excellent distribution of T.J. Bodie and Timothy Murphy was to the fore while the forward line worked well as a unit. Crucially for Newmarket they regained the lead thanks to the accuracy of Nicky Flanagan with little over three minutes of normal time remaining. They regained the impetus as Kevin O’Sullivan kicked an excellent point moments later. True to form Grenagh came back with a point but Newmarket were not going to be denied on this occasion and as the game entered injury time further ventures into their opponents half yielded dividends as Nicky Flanagan was on hand to convert two late frees and seal an excellent win.

The Newmarket team and scorers…

Nicky Flanagan (1-5), T.J. Bodie (0-2), Mark Reidy (0-1), David O’Flynn (0-1), Tony O’Keeffe (0-1), Kevin O’Sullivan (0-1).

David Quinlan
Sean Doody		Brian O’Riordan		John Ryan
Barry O'Leary		Timothy Murphy		Michael O’Leary
	Mark Murphy		Mark Reidy
David O’Flynn		Tony O'Keeffe		Kevin O'Sullivan
T.J. Bodie		Nicky Flanagan		John Lane
Subs: Gerard Casey, Colin O’Sullivan

Kiskeam were first off the mark on pointing within a minute. Newmarket equalized instantly thanks to a superb point from distance by Kevin O’Sullivan. Kiskeam edged in front in the eighth minute, with a well executed T.J. Bodie score restoring parity for a second time four minutes later. Newmarket took the lead for the first time a minute later when a quickly taken free by T.J. Bodie found Timothy Murphy in space in an advanced position and he slotted over another fine point.

Newmarket increased their advantage with Nicky Flanagan converting a free in the fifteenth minute. Kiskeam replied in a free flowing first half, with two points which tied sides for a third time in the twenty first minute before a third successive point restored the game in their favour. Newmarket responded in similar fashion by adding the next three points. Barry O’Leary tied proceedings once more on punching a point before Nicky Flanagan found the target twice from frees, the second of which was a superb score. The half ended with a Kiskeam point which gave Newmarket a slender advantage, 0-7 to 0-6 at the interval.

Newmarket had a narrow escape within seconds of the restart with a Kiskeam goal effort narrowly slipping past the post but they were not as fortunate a minute later when the Kiskeam attack slipped past the Newmarket rearguard to find the net from close range and added a point moments later to gain a three point advantage.

Newmarket had to wait seven minutes of the half to register their next score which came courtesy of a Nicky Flanagan free. Newmarket were grateful to debutant goalkeeper David Quinlan, for producing a brilliant save when faced with a one on one scenario and cut the deficit to a point with T.J. Bodie finding the target with his second point of the contest. As the game entered the final quarter, Kiskeam took a firm grip on proceedings, firstly they added a point before a second goal followed within a minute and another point gave them a substantial six point lead with little over ten minutes remaining. Newmarket battled gamely to the end and while they never threatened to find a much needed goal. They cut the deficit through points by T.J. Bodie twice and another to John Ryan, but ultimately the task proved too great and they now enter the third round and a championship knockout encounter in their next outing.

The Newmarket team and scorers…

T.J. Bodie (0-4), Nicky Flanagan (0-4), John Ryan (0-1), Barry O’Leary (0-1), Kevin O’Sullivan (0-1), Timothy Murphy (0-1).

David Quinlan
T. J. Brosnan		Brian O’Riordan		John Ryan
Barry O'Leary		Mark Reidy		Kevin O'Sullivan
	Mark Murphy		Timothy Murphy
David O’Flynn		Tony O'Keeffe		T.J. Bodie
John Lane		Denys O'Brien		Nicky Flanagan
Subs: Michael O’Leary, Gerard Casey.

Despite the terrible conditions both sides served up a gripping encounter and it was Bantry who were the much sharper side in the opening half. They scored the first point of the game in the second minute and added a second eight minutes later. Newmarket’s defence were made to work overtime in the first quarter and having scored a third point, Bantry’s command was strengthened on getting a goal in the sixteenth minute which owed much to the conditions on the night. Two further points put Newmarket really on the back foot before Nicky Flanagan got Newmarket on the scoreboard in the twentieth minute on slotting over a free. Bantry were next to score but Newmarket were improving at this stage with Kevin O’Sullivan and Nicky Flanagan pointing. As the half came to a conclusion Nicky Flanagan pointed between two Bantry scores and the West Cork enjoyed a sizeable lead of 1-8 to 0-4 at the turnover.

Nicky Flanagan was again unerring from a placed ball three minutes into the second half but Newmarket failed to add to their tally despite their endeavours while at the other end Bantry added three further points in a five minute spell. Newmarket failed to be deterred and as the third quarter concluded the outstanding T.J. Brosnan led by example as a trademark forward run ended with him clipping over a fine point. Newmarket grew in confidence and having threatened the Bantry goal on a couple of occasions, David O’Flynn swept a goal home from close range as Newmarket’s challenge gathered momentum. Nicky Flanagan added his fifth point to reduce the gap to four points as Newmarket swept forward in waves. The intensity and endeavours on both sides resulted in four dismissals in a quick spell as the game ended up thirteen a side. Newmarket maintained their challenge and David O’Flynn added two further points but ultimately time ran out on a brave committed effort.

The Newmarket team and scorers…

Nicky Flanagan (0-5), David O’Flynn (1-2),  Kevin O’Sullivan (0-1), T.J. Brosnan (0-1).

Niall O’Connor
T. J. Brosnan		Gerard Casey		Michael O’Leary
Barry O'Leary		Timothy Murphy		Brian O’Riordan
	Mark Murphy		Bart Daly
David O’Flynn		Tony O'Keeffe		Kevin O'Sullivan
John Lane		Denys O'Brien		Nicky Flanagan
Subs: John Ryan, T.J. Bodie.

Ballingeary stormed out of the blocks and reeled off four points within the first five minutes. Newmarket responded with a productive spell that yielded three points in succession through David O’Flynn, John Lane and Tony O’Keeffe all within the opening ten minutes.

Ballingeary took control as they scored the first goal of the evening and a point followed before they repeated the feat with a second goal and another point leaving a nine point difference between the sides 2-6 to 0-3 after sixteen minutes.

Newmarket contributed to a rip roaring contest and brought themselves into the game again when the outstanding Kevin O’Sullivan responded fastest to a ball that came off an upright before expertly clipping a pass across the square to Nicky Flanagan who made no mistake in finding the net from close range. The excellent David O’Flynn added two superb points which both instigated deep within the Newmarket defence before some blistering quickfire passing movements yielded the scores.

Once more, Ballingeary enjoyed a productive spell as they scored three of the last four points of the half as T.J. Bodie pointed Newmarket’s final score of the half which left them trailing by 2-9 to 1-6.

As the second half got underway, it was Newmarket’s turn to blitz from the outset. John Lane pointed twice either side of a T.J. Bodie score and all three were again as a result of excellent approach play. Ten minutes into the half and Ballingeary registered their first score since the turnover as Newmarket’s defence tightened considerably and made some telling interceptions and launched several free flowing moves from the back. Newmarket’s hopes were further strengthened in the forty third minute when a probing pass from Barry O’Leary found John Lane who raced in on goal before producing a bullet of a finish to the net for a superbly executed goal to leave the score reading 2-10 to 2-9.

Ballingeary had the next point but a rampant Newmarket were in full gear with fine individual performances littered throughout the field. Kevin O’Sullivan scored a point his performance truly deserved before John Lane brought the sides level for the first time of the night at 2-11 apiece with six minutes remaining as Newmarket retrieved a nine point deficit from early in the game in impressive fashion. Both sides left nothing in reserve throughout as they both pushed on to clinch victory. Ballingeary edged in front again late in the contest and despite the fact that time was rapidly against them, Newmarket kept pushing forward and gained a priceless equalizer late into injury time when half back Brian O’Riordan kept his composure in a crowded goalmouth to clip over a point to bring a memorable contest to a fitting conclusion.

The Newmarket team and scorers…

John Lane (1-4), David O’Flynn (0-3), Nicky Flanagan (1-0), T.J. Bodie (0-2), Tony O’Keeffe (0-1), Brian O’Riordan (0-1), Kevin O’Sullivan (0-1).

Niall O’Connor
T. J. Brosnan		Gerard Casey		Michael O’Leary
Barry O'Leary		Timothy Murphy		Brian O’Riordan
	Bart Daly		Mark Murphy
David O’Flynn		Tony O'Keeffe		Kevin O'Sullivan
John Lane		Denys O'Brien		Nicky Flanagan
Subs: T.J. Bodie, John Ryan, Conor Cronin, Shane Murphy.

The opening half produced four goals and the first score of the game came in the fourth minute when a long delivery goalwards by Gavin Forde was gathered by Denys O’Brien who exchanged passes with John Lane before the latter was left with the task of crashing the ball to the roof of the net from close range. Adrigole pointed in the sixth minute before a big gap appeared in the Newmarket defence which the visitors exploited to goal in the seventh minute. Adrigole pointed to take a two point lead in the eleventh minute but Newmarket regained the lead in the fourteenth minute thanks to a second goal. The build up involved a long ball goalwards  from T.J. Bodie and again Denys O’Brien made his presence felt on the edge of the square to place Nicky Flanagan in on goal and he made no mistake in slipping the ball into the Adrigolie net.

The visitors converted a free to tie the sides 2-0 to 1-3 by the sixteenth minute. Newmarket scored their first point of the game a minute later when half back Barry O’Leary surged forward to kick a fine point from distance. A free flowing half saw the play sway from end to end as Adrigole equalized and again got on level terms following a T.J. Bodie point for Newmarket. The game took another twist when Adrigole found the net for a second time to take a three point lead with five minutes remaining in the half. Newmarket responded and finished the half strongly. Nicky Flanagan added three points in succession, one in particular a stunning effort from a lineball just metres from the end line to level the sides for a third time, 2-5 apiece at the turnover.

Five minutes into the second half and Adrigole breached the Newmarket defence again to score their third goal of the game. A point quickly followed and despite a concerted effort, Newmarket struggled to get back into the game as they saw a number of opportunities go either side of the uprights. Newmarket were indebted to goalkeeper Niall O’Connor for keeping them in the game when he stopped an Adrigole penalty at the end of the third quarter, but from the resultant forty five, the Beara side slotted over a fine point. Newmarket eventually got on the scoreboard after nineteen minutes of the half when Denys O’Brien pointed to reduce the arrears to four points. Once more Newmarket despite the heroic efforts of midfielder Kevin O’Sullivan, failed to capitalize on more scoring opportunities and Adrigole proved far more clinical as they added the next two points. Newmarket did score the final two points of the game as Nicky Flanagan converted two frees but it was the visitors who claimed the spoils by four points. 

The Newmarket team and scorers…

Nicky Flanagan (1-5), John Lane (1-0), Barry O’Leary (0-1), T.J. Bodie (0-1),  Denys O’Brien (0-1).

Niall O’Connor
Michael O’Leary		Gerard Casey		David O’Flynn
T. J. Brosnan		Brian O’Riordan		Barry O'Leary
	Kevin O'Sullivan		Bart Daly
Mark Murphy		T.J. Bodie		Gavin Forde
John Lane		Denys O'Brien		Nicky Flanagan
Subs: John Ryan, Shane Murphy.

Newmarket got off to a good start with the very impressive Denys O’Brien pointing in the second minute. However, it was the home side that established an early platform as they added a succession of points by the eleventh minute to take a 0-6 to 0-1 lead. Newmarket were given a much needed lift in the next minute as Denys O’Brien who was now operating at midfield delivered a long ball goal wards and John Lane nipped in behind the Castletownbere defence to round the advancing goalkeeper and slot the ball home. Newmarket gained the impetus and points from John Lane and a converted free from Nicky Flanagan had the sides on level terms by the seventeenth minute.

Newmarket edged in front when their leading forward John Lane again found the target. The home side tied the sides for a third time in the twenty second minute before once again they put together a period of play that yielded three points in as many minutes. Newmarket ended a free flowing first half with Nicky Flanagan pointing from a free to leave them trailing at the deficit by 0-10 to 1-5.

Castletownbere doubled their lead thanks to two points within five minutes of the restart. Newmarket responded with driving force Denys O’Brien powering forward to point before Eddie Allen clipped over a neat finish in the twelfth minute of the half. Nicky Flanagan reduced the arrears to a solitary point moments later, but at this stage Newmarket saw a couple of scoring chances go a begging and were punished for some sloppy play at the other end. Castletownbere built up a three point lead once again and as the game entered the final ten minutes they added a further brace of points. Newmarket kept battling to the end. John Lane and Bart Daly added points as they tried to salvage a result. They poured forward in the final minutes but a David O’Flynn point proved mere consolation at the very death of the game.

The Newmarket team and scorers…

John Lane (1-3), Nicky Flanagan (0-3), Denys O’Brien (0-2), David O’Flynn (0-1), Bart Daly (0-1), Eddie Allen (0-1).

Niall O’Connor
Michael O’Leary		Gerard Casey		David O’Flynn
T. J. Brosnan		Brian O’Riordan		Conor Cronin
	Barry O'Leary		Mark Murphy
John Lane		Tony O'Keeffe		Sean Doody
Eddie Allen		Denys O'Brien		Nicky Flanagan
Subs: Bart Daly (0-1), Kevin O’Sullivan.

The visitors were quick off the mark pointing in style within thirty seconds and they followed up with a second score in the third minute. Newmarket settled into a rhythm and got on the scoreboard thanks to a wonderfully taken free from distance by Nicky Flanagan in the fifth minute and were on level terms within a minute when some excellent quick approach play ended with Denys O’Brien clipping over an equalizing point. Newmarket were very impressive at this stage of the game and took the lead with Nicky Flanagan again on target.

Some outstanding defending from T.J. Bodie who on three successive occasions in the same move thwarted his opponent launched a Newmarket attack and Nicky Flanagan was at the end of a fine move to kick an excellent score. Bart Daly was next on target as he converted a long distance free with some power and style. A rampant Newmarket had a sixth point in succession by the end of the opening quarter when John Ryan pointed a free.

Eire Og responded with a point but Newmarket took a sizeable six point advantage in the twenty second minute thanks to an excellently engineered goal. T.J. Bodie who was prominent at centre back, threaded a superb pass to Denys O’Brien whose awareness led him to place John Lane in on goal and he finished in style to the corner of the net. Amazingly, for some inexplicable reason this proved to be Newmarket’s final score for fully twenty six minutes having been outstanding up to this point of the game. The half ended with Eire Og reducing the arrears by a point which left the interval score at 1-6 to 0-4 in Newmarket’s favour.

The second half was dominated by Eire Og for near on twenty minutes. They slowly grew in confidence and cut at the deficit. Points in the second, seventh and tenth minutes left two points separating the sides. A minute later the visitors regained the lead on finding the Newmarket net and once in front they did not relent. Four further points by the end of the third quarter gave Eire Og a five point advantage thanks to a haul of a goal and seven points in sixteen minutes.

Newmarket eventually ended their barren scoring spell with Nicky Flanagan clinical once more from a free with twelve minutes remaining. Denys O’Brien tried to spur on his team mates and his second point of the game brought Newmarket back to within three points. As they tried to salvage a result, Eire Og pointed on the counter attack but once again Denys O’Brien pointed in response for Newmarket. The home side did come close on one occasion to finding a last gasp goal but in the end they suffered for their major collapse during the third quarter and Eire Og deservedly ended claiming the points.

The Newmarket team and scorers…

Nicky Flanagan (0-4), Denys O’Brien (0-3), John Lane (1-0), Bart Daly (0-1), John Ryan (0-1)

Niall O’Connor
Michael O’Leary		Gerard Casey		David O’Flynn
Bart Daly		T.J. Bodie		Conor Cronin
	Barry O'Leary		Mark Murphy
Kevin O'Sullivan		Tony O'Keeffe		John Ryan
John Lane		Denys O'Brien		Nicky Flanagan
Subs: T.J. Brosnan, Gavin Forde, Brian O’Riordan, Shane Murphy, Pa O’Brien

Newmarket got off to a good start and an early attack yielded a free which John Ryan slotted over the bar in the second minute. Macroom were on terms by the fifth minute and they added two points to their tally by the tenth minute. Newmarket were well in the contest but failed to take their scoring opportunities as they presented themselves. Macroom on the other hand were clinical and crashed home a goal in the thirteenth minute and by the twentieth minute two further points left them with a very sizeable advantage, 1-5 to 0-1. Newmarket eventually found the scores their play merited and it was the impressive Nicky Flanagan who kicked over two well taken frees that set a comeback in motion. John Ryan kicked a spectacular point after some excellent approach play in the twenty fourth minute as Newmarket built up a period of dominance.

Two minutes later some gritty determination forced an error in the Macroom defence from which John Lane placed full forward Denys O’Brien in on goal and he made no mistake to blaze the ball to the net. Newmarket completed the half with another notable score with Bart Daly on hand to find the target with a sublime finish and tie the sides at 1-5 apiece at the interval, as Newmarket wiped out a seven point deficit in as many minutes.

As the second half resumed, Macroom regained the early initiative and three points followed in seven minutes to re-establish their advantage. Newmarket impressed throughout the pitch for the majority of the game and one of the leading lights, Kevin O’Sullivan landed a spectacular point with Nicky Flanagan again showing some fine accuracy to cut the deficit to a solitary point as an exciting and free flowing contest entertained those present.

Macroom pointed next but Kevin O’Sullivan pointed again before Nicky Flanagan established parity again at 1-9 apiece with twelve minutes remaining. Newmarket gained the impetus with their half back line and midfield pairing of Barry O’Leary and Mark Murphy the launching pad as they created a succession of possession for the forwards. Significantly the next score of the game was a goal, as Newmarket substitute T.J. Bodie finished to the net from a rebound after seeing his initial shot stopped by the Macroom goalkeeper, to give his side the advantage for the first time in the contest as the game entered the final ten minutes. Newmarket strengthened their position as Barry O’Leary and John Ryan added well deserved points and the confidence was evident in an excellent team performance. A solid defence was breached in the final moments as Macroom were awarded a penalty which they duly converted but Newmarket held on for a well deserved victory.

The Newmarket team and scorers…

Nicky Flanagan (0-4), John Ryan (0-3), T.J. Bodie (1-0),Denys O’Brien (1-0), Kevin O’Sullivan (0-2),Bart Daly (0-1), Barry O’Leary (0-1).

Niall O’Connor
Michael O’Leary		Gerard Casey		David O’Flynn
Conor Cronin		Brian O’Riordan		Bart Daly
	Barry O'Leary		Mark Murphy
John Ryan		Tony O'Keeffe		Kevin O'Sullivan
John Lane		Denys O'Brien		Nicky Flanagan
Subs: T.J. Brosnan, T.J. Bodie (1-0), Shane Murphy, Timothy Murphy, Eddie Allen.

Newmarket were under pressure from the outset as the home side quickly established a foothold and hit the front with three points within five minutes. Kildorrery were rampant and a further flurry of three points gave them a commanding six point advantage by the fourteenth minute. Newmarket eventually settled into the contest and had their first point courtesy of a brilliant individual score from midfielder Kevin O’Sullivan. Kildorrery regained their six point advantage but at this stage Newmarket were competing well despite failing to add to their tally. Newmarket received a boost in the twenty sixth minute when approach play involving Mark Murphy and John Ryan ended with Denys O’Brien flicking a dropping ball to the net from the edge of the square for a much needed goal. The forwards then combined well before Nicky Flanagan kicked a point to leave just two points separating the sides, 0-7 to 1-2 at half time.

Within a minute of the restart Denys O’Brien kicked a spectacular point for Newmarket but Kildorrery hit back with two points in as many minutes. Newmarket benefited from some defensive errors in the sixth minute when John Lane ended up in possession and raced in on goal before being upended for a penalty. Despite seeing his penalty kick saved, Brian O’Riordan reacted quickest and followed up to crash the ball to the net for an equalizing goal, 2-3 to 0-9. The contest flowed from end to end at this stage and provided plenty of entertainment on a perfect afternoon for football.

Crucially the home side struck for a goal as the third quarter came to a conclusion before adding a point for good measure. Newmarket were spurred on by the injection of positive substitutions and points from John Ryan and Kevin O’Sullivan halved the deficit. A gripping final ten minutes followed. Four points were shared as John Ryan and impressive substitute Barry O’Leary answered Kildorrery points. A wonderfully struck point from John Ryan left just a point in the difference as time began to run out for Newmarket. Kildorrery once again established a two point advantage but they had to survive a late flurry of activity in their goalmouth as Newmarket came so close to clinching a winning goal but the defence just held out as Tony O’Keeffe kicked over the final score of a hectic conclusion to the game.

The Newmarket team and scorers…

Denys O’Brien (1-1), John Ryan (0-3), Brian O’Riordan (1-0), Kevin O’Sullivan (0-2), Nicky Flanagan (0-1), Barry O’Leary (0-1), Tony O’Keeffe (0-1)

Niall O’Connor
Michael O’Leary		Gerard Casey		David O’Flynn
Bart Daly		Brian O’Riordan		Ian Flanagan
	Kevin O'Sullivan		Mark Murphy
Gavin Forde		T.J. Bodie		John Ryan
John Lane		Denys O'Brien		Nicky Flanagan
Subs: Sean Doody, Barry O’Leary, Shane Murphy, Tony O’Keeffe, Eddie Allen