Bodyke hang on to intermediate status

*Bodyke’s Jamie O’Donnell. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill

BODYKE made things difficult for themselves but shook off a late Newmarket-on-Fergus revival to guarantee their place in the premier intermediate hurling championship for 2025.

Bodyke 0-19
Newmarket-on-Fergus 2-7
Venue: O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge

A six point win for Bodyke ensured they will line out in the Premier Intermediate hurling championship next season but they survived a late scare from an incredibly wasteful Newmarket-on-Fergus.

Two soft goals in the space of three minutes saw the Blues narrow the deficit to three points entering the final ten minutes of the contest but Bodyke hit the last three points of the encounter via Paddy Fitzgerald, Cathal McKenna and Thomas Wiley.

Fourteen first half wides, the majority of which came from their half-back line served as a downer for Newmarket-on-Fergus as their decision making and use of possession left a lot to be desired. Not for the first time in the meeting of the clubs, Newmarket-on-Fergus made Cian Minogue look very impressive by launching ball on top of the centre back who for the second championship game in a row between the clubs absolutely dominated.

Wides were reduced to two in the second half for The Blues but both of these stemmed from scoreable placed balls which hindered their ability to make inroads.

Remarkably Aaron Moroney had the first score of the game to put Newmarket-on-Fergus in front but it was their sole contribution on the scoreboard for the opening half with Bodyke firing eight points in reply for the remainder of the half. The East Clare side were well able to pick off scores via Thomas Wiley, Seanie Doyle and James Howard in particular.

They managed to carve out a ten point lead in the final quarter but Newmarket-on-Fergus picked up two soft goals through Cian Foley and Malachy Noonan which forced Bodyke to panic and fuelled an unexpected mini-resurgence.

Crucially, Newmarket never kicked on from the two goals with Noonan missing two frees subsequent to the green flags and Bodyke steadied with the last three scores to record a deserved win.

Undoubtedly the 2024 campaign is a major step back for Bodyke, they finished top of their group last season to advance to the quarter-finals while this year they were nowhere near the knockout stages and had to battle to retain their status. Injuries didn’t help their cause but the ground lost this year coupled with a serious lack of discipline which included a player breaking a hurley off Aaron Moroney which bizarrely received no caution means it will be no quick fix for Bodyke to be back competing in the knockout stages.

Dropping down to a glorified Junior A championship is a blow for Newmarket-on-Fergus, make no mistake. In order for their senior side to push on, they need the second team to be consistently making the knockout stages of the premier intermediate, this was greatly hindered by losing key players to the senior side where they had limited championship roles. The shortage of players on the club’s conveyor belt coming through is a worry and again comes back to decision makers in the club having a penchant for competing in B championships at underage in recent years in instances when they would have benefitted from appearing in the A competition.

Scorers Bodyke: T Wiley (0-5), S Doyle (0-4 1f 1’65), J Howard (0-3), P Fitzgerald (0-2), C McKenna (0-2), K Moloney (0-1), F Slattery (0-1), P Flower (0-1).

Scorers Newmarket-on-Fergus: C Foley (1-2), M Noonan (1-1), S Frost (0-2), A Moroney (0-1), J Liddy (0-1).

Bodyke:
1: Cormac Doyle

5: Michael O’Brien
3: Eanna Doyle
7: Kevin Drost

2: Tadhg Kilkenny
6: Cian Minogue
4: Tiarnan Slattry

9: Fionn Slattery
8: Cathal McKenna

10: Thomas Wiley
11: Keith Moloney
12: Seanie Doyle

13: Peter Flower
14: Paddy Fitzgerald
15: Jamie Howard

Subs:
17: Tomas Minogue for Slattery (8) (inj)

Newmarket-on-Fergus:
1: Adam Enright

18: John Hogan
3: Alan O’Flanagan
4: Ronan O’Rourke

7: David Frost
5: James McInerney
6: Aaron Moroney

8: Jamie Power
9: Cathal Cullinan