Double celebrations for Newmarket

 

Newmarket 2-9   Clonlara 1-4

NEWMARKET’S season ended on a high note on Sunday when they retained the Clare Champion Cup (senior hurling league) and, in the process, sealed the senior double (championship and league) for the first time in 38 years.

In atrocious weather conditions at O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge, their hunger proved too much for Clonlara and they deservedly captured the title.

A magnificent defensive performance laid the foundations for the latest victory for Bob Enright’s charges in some of the worst weather conditions that any of the players involved have had to contend with.

Reduced to 14 men after just four minutes when full-forward Mike McInerney was dismissed on a straight red card, the champions answered this blow in emphatic style.

Shane O’Brien Junior won possession some 50m from goal and showed a clear pair of heels to the Clonlara defence before shooting low to the corner of the Clonlara net. The cheers from the Newmarket followers could be heard back in their own Fr Murphy Park.

From here on, the title holders never let up and Clonlara were always chasing the game.

The rivalry that has developed between these clubs in recent years was evident from the outset and before the ball was thrown in, there was a clash between a Newmarket substitute and a Clonlara player as the South-East Clare outfit raced onto the field for the game.

Referee Johnnie Healy produced a total of 10 yellow and two red cards and both teams finished with 14 players. Nine yellow cards were produced to Clonlara players, a number of them because of something said to the match official.

The winners took the lead in the second minute when centre-forward Shane O’Brien Senior pointed. His namesake, Shane O’Brien Jnr, struck for that magnificent goal in the sixth minute, a minute before Cathal O’Connell opened Clonlara’s account.

From here to the break, it was point for point and Newmarket went to the dressing room with a four-point advantage, 1-5 to 0-4, which was a strong position to be in as they had played with a man less from the fourth minute and against the wind.

Clonlara needed to get a grip on the tie early in the second half if they were to have a chance but inside a couple of minutes of the new half, Newmarket had strengthened their position.

They won possession from the resumption of play and moved the ball forward quickly where Shane O’Brien Snr was on hand to shoot to the net with just 30 seconds played.

Clonlara were still trying to come to terms with this blow when they were reduced to 14 as corner-back Shane O’Brien picked up his second yellow card. Their task was now all the greater and Newmarket simply never let up. By the three-quarter stage, the margin was 10 points and Clonlara just could not find a way past Newmarket’s magnificent back line.

Clonlara made a number of changes in an effort to get a grip on the match but to no avail. In the final quarter, Newmarket used their full quota of substitutes and continued to dominate.
Clonlara’s only score of the half came in the final minute when Tomás O’Donovan first-timed the ball to the net after Nicky O’Connell’s effort from a 25m free was saved.

This was an excellent team effort from Newmarket and rounded off their most successful season in over 30 years.

Nicky O’Connell was Clonlara’s best player, while Paul Nihill got through some good work. They weren’t helped by the fact that they haven’t had a competitive outing since exiting the championship, at the hands of the same opposition, six weeks earlier. However, Newmarket were the sharper outfit overall and fully merited their win.

After the game, Clare GAA vice-chairman Joe Cooney presented the Clare Champion Cup to the winning captain, Enda Barrett, in the presence of county secretary, Pat Fitzgerald. Liam Duggan, on behalf of competition sponsors The Clare Champion, presented cheques to both finalists.

Newmarket: Darren Duggan; Eoin O’Brien, James McInerney, Sean O’Connor; Niall O’Connor, Enda Barrett, Alan Barrett; Eoin Hayes, Martin O’Hanlon; David Barrett, Shane O’Brien Snr, James Liddy; Shane O’Brien Jnr, Mike McInerney, Colin Ryan.
Subs: Ronan Goode for Liddy (38 minutes), Darren O’Connor for N O’Connor, Niall Enright for S O’Brien Jnr, Shane Kelleher for Hayes and Noel Frawley for S O’Connor.
Scorers: Colin Ryan (0-6f), Shane O’Brien Snr (1-1), Shane O’Brien Jnr (1-0), Martin O’Hanlon and David Barrett (0-1 each).
Frees for: 19; wides: 8.
Bookings: Alan Barrett (28 minutes).
Sent off: Mike McInerney (4 minutes).

Clonlara: Ger O’Connell; Shane O’Brien, Domhnaill O’Donovan, Pat O’Hare; Oisín O’Brien, Nicky O’Connell, Paul Nihill; John Conlon, Cillian Fennessy; Colm Galvin, Tomás O’Donovan, Cormac O’Donovan; Darach Honan, Jason Murphy, Cathal O’Connell.
Subs: Ronan Carey for S O’Brien, Neil Ryan for Murphy, James Hastings for C O’Connell and Tommy Gillen for C O’Donovan.
Scorers: Nicky O’Connell (0-3, 1f, 1 65’), Tomás O’Donovan (1-0) and Cathal O’Connell (0-1).
Frees for: 16; wides: 2; 65s: 1.
Bookings: Shane O’Brien (2 minutes and 33 minutes), Oisín O’Brien (4 minutes), Darach Honan (10 minutes), Paul Nihill (14 minutes), Cathal O’Connell (28 minutes), Ger O’Connell (35 minutes), Tomás O’Donovan (40 minutes) and Pat O’Hare (42 minutes).
Sent off: Shane O’Brien (33 minutes).

Referee: Johnnie Healy, Smith O’Brien’s.