*Marco Cleary catches the sliotar above Mark Delaney. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
FIRST blood was decisively inflicted by a rampant Éire Óg who despite being rescued to 14 late on, overpowered Newmarket-on-Fergus to get an early head of steam in Clarecastle.
Éire Óg 2-24
Newmarket-on-Fergus 1-18
Venue: Clarecastle
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With Group 3 also including reigning senior and intermediate champions Feakle and Wolfe Tones, this derby was always going to be significant and certainly played out that way in a tense, seesaw opening period that saw a more efficient Éire Óg edge matters by 0-11 to 0-09.
With Newmarket hitting as many wides as scores in that wind-assisted opening period, they would be punished royally on the resumption as Éire Óg struck for two goals inside the first five minutes of the throw-in.
Danny Russell had just converted his eighth placed ball before Darren O’Brien completed the first 90 seconds with a goal as his shot for a point from the left wing saw David Reidy and Colin Guilfoyle’s clash at the edge of the square distract goalkeeper Paudie Guilfoyle on its way to dipping into the far corner of the net at 1-12 to 0-09.
Eoin Guilfoyle was a glimmer of a chance of a reprieve but was quickly swallowed up by a miserly Townie last line. So while Peter Power did arrow over the resulting ’65, they would be duly floored once more in the next passage of play when Aaron Fitzgerald and Darren Moroney combined to tee up Marco Cleary to cooly round goalkeeper Guilfoyle and fire to an empty net to power eight points clear.
Try as they might, there was no way back for a Blues side that seemed to abandon any pre-match tactics board and continue to pump in long, high aimless deliveries to an inside line of Seanie Arthur and Peter Power that craved a low supply line.
They did attempt to grab a lifeline but Peter Power would be snuffed out, Sean Arthur’s shot through a crowed goalmouth was blocked while Colin Guilfoyle’s 20 metre bullet free at the turn of the final quarter was superbly deflected away by Ciaran Russell.
Indeed, Russell, Aaron Fitzgerald, Robert Loftus and Fionan Treacy came out time after time with inspirational possession while up the other end debutante Darren Moroney had a shot saved by Paudie Guilfoyle despite having Danny Russell waiting at the edge of the square.
The unerring Russell and Darren O’Brien actually stretched the gap to double figures entering the final ten mutes that ensured that in spite of a straight red for substitute Luca Cleary for an off-the-ball strike on Jack Enright, Gerry O’Connor’s side never looked like letting their cushion disappear.
Mikey McInerney did grab a spectacular goal in the 57th minute following good work from best player Liam O’Connor but even that would be wiped out before the hour mark as captain David Reidy scored two and set up replacement James O’Dwyer for a third to restore a nine point final margin.
Ultimately Newmarket will rue a profligate first half in which they slumped to nine costly wides. Starving their inside line with a booming high supply-line would leave them frustrated. Having successfully curbed Éire Óg county senior duo Shane O’Donnell and David Reidy for long periods of that opening half through man-markers Jack Enright and Liam O’Connor, it was that lack of firepower and cohesion that would let the Blues down.
Eanna Crimmins was a loss but Peter Power, Eoin Guilfoyle and Sean Arthur were never utilised to their vast potential in contrast to an Éire Óg sides that varied their play and played some inch-perfect crossfield balls to main threats Russell and Marco Cleary.
Cleary teed up Darren Moroney for a chance in the seventh minute that agonisingly came back off the post while later in the half David McNamara found himself in space to strike just at goalkeeper Guilfoyle before the sides were tied together at 0-8 to 0-8 by the 28th minute.
It wasn’t the most entertaining of contest but that was indicative of a derby that meant so much not only to the winner but also the loser that would be facing an uphill battle for the remaining two group ties.
Danny Russell stepped up with three of the last four points of the half to inch the Town into the break two in front and from there they would never look back over their shoulders as within five minutes of the new half, a brace of goals had sealed Newmarket’s fate.
Scorers for Éire Óg: Danny Russell 0-13 (8f, 1’65); Darren O’Brien 1-3; Marco Cleary 1-2; David Reidy 0-3; James O’Dwyer 0-2; Darren Moroney 0-1
Scorers for Newmarket-on-Fergus: Peter Power 0-10 (7f, 2’65); Mikey McInerney 1-0, Sean Arthur 0-2; James Freeman 0-2, Shane Lynch 0-1, Colin Guilfoyle 0-1 (f), Eoin Hayes 0-1, Stephen Casey 0-1
Éire Óg
1: Darragh Stack
2: Fionán Treacy
3: Ciaran Russell
7: Rian Mulcahy
5: Robert Loftus
6: Aaron Fitzgerald
4: Liam Corry
8: Oran Cahill
9: Darren Moroney
10: Shane O’Donnell
11: David Reidy
12: David McNamara
15: Marco Cleary
14: Danny Russell
13: Darren O’Brien
Subs
17: Jarlath Collins for Corry (47)
20: Luca Cleary for O’Brien (47)
19: Conor Perrill for Cahill (54)
18: James O’Dwyer for M. Cleary (59)
21: Nially McMahon for Collins (62, inj)
Newmarket-on-Fergus
1: Paudie Guilfoyle
23: Damien Lyne
3: Colin Guilfoyle
19: Mark Delaney
7: James McInerney
6: Liam O’Connor
2: Jack Enright
8: Shane Lynch
9: John Feehily
12: James Freeman
4: Paudie McMahon
10: Mikey McInerney
20: Sean Arthur
15: Eoin Guilfoyle
21: Peter Power
Subs
30: Stephen Casey for Freeman (47)
22: Conor McCarthy for Delaney (47)
24: Eoin Hayes for McMahon (54)
27: Séadhna Liddy for Arthur (54)
5: Niall O’Connor for J. McInerney (62)
Referee: John Bugler (Whitegate)
