Minors sparkle for Newmarket

Newmarket 5-6
Sixmilebridge 3-3

Newmarket-on-Fergus added the minor A championship title to the senior crown on Sunday afternoon with victory over neighbours, Sixmilebridge in Éire Óg. Sixmilebridge opened the scoring with a pointed free inside the first minute.
Both sides tried hard for the next score and while the ’Bridge launched attack after attack, the Newmarket defence, led by captain Bríd Enright and Clodagh Lawlor, kept them scoreless. It wasn’t until the 14th minute that Newmarket got on the scoreboard, Eimear Murray blocked the first shot from Kate O’Neill but the ball was sent to the ’Bridge net by Caroline Feehily. Niki Kaiser converted a free and when Laura McMahon goaled for Newmarket having collected possession when the ball came off the post, the ’Bridge girls looked to be in trouble.
Maire McGrath pulled back a point for the ’Bridge when she sent over a point in the 18th minute. Newmarket, however, were on a mission and McMahon’s second goal in the 24th minute, when she got inside the ’Bridge full-back line, gave her side an eight-point advantage approaching half-time. Kaiser converted another free for the Blues two minutes later.
Sixmilebridge received a boost before the break. Rachel O’Halloran won the puck-out and after a solo run sent her shot past Mary Hayes to leave the half-time score 3-2 to 1-2 in favour of Newmarket.
The second half saw Newmarket add two more points, Kaiser in the opening minute and McMahon after she was set up by a long drive from Kaiser. The ’Bridge pulled two goals back, both inside a minute, when Mairéad Hyland and Ali Quinlan managed to break through Newmarket’s defence to narrow the deficit to two points.
However, the Blues pushed on and Kaiser sent in a long-range free, which was blocked but Kate O’Neill sent the rebound to the ’Bridge net. Kaiser added another point to push Newmarket’s lead back to six points with 12 minutes of play remaining. The ’Bridge had another point from Rachel O’Halloran, leaving the last two scores of the game to Newmarket, O’Neill with a point and Kaiser who, having been involved in all the Newmarket goals, grabbed a goal for herself with a shot that looked to be going over but dipped under the bar at the last minute.

Newmarket-on-Fergus: Mary Hayes; Sinéad McInerney, Caroline Feehily, Aislinn Keogh, Clodagh Lawlor, Brid Enright, Rachel Mulcaire, Niki Kaiser, Kate O’Halloran Kate O’Neill, Katie Hayes, Laura McMahon, Stephanie Coughlan.
Subs: Saoirse Gleeson for Stephanie Coughlan (half-time); Ciara Mulcaire for Kate O’Halloran 50 mins

Sixmilebridge: Eimear Murray; Emma Robbins, Sinéad Hyland, Ciara Whelan, Ellan Roche, Fiona Murphy, Maire McGrath, Slaine Carey, Rachel O’Halloran, Mairead Hyland, Ali Quinlan, Sinéad Tuohy, Aishling Hassett.
Subs: Laura Whelan for Aishling Hassett (28 mins); Elaine Carroll for Rachel O’Halloran (59 mins)

Referee: John Dolan, ­Clarecastle.