Newmarket-on-Fergus win but not by enough to end up in relegation & Tones trot on to quarter-finals

*Daithí Lohan and Rory Hayes battle with John Feehily. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.

NEWMARKET-ON-Fergus claimed the spoils but not by a sufficient margin to not alone miss out on a quarter-final, instead gifting the spot to their neighbours Wolfe Tones and ending up in another relegation scrap.

Newmarket-on-Fergus 1-22
Wolfe Tones 2-17
Venue: Glenomra Park, Broadford

With so much at stake it was no surprise when a large crowd attended at Broadford on Sunday evening for the clash of neighbours and great rivals Newmarket-on-Fergus and Wolfe Tones.

Without a win in the group to date, Newmarket-on-Fergus knew that they had to win by three points to qualify for the quarter-finals.

In a game that ebbed and flowed they got over the line and then it came down to score difference. A last minute goal for Sixmilebridge against Kilmaley in Cusack Park ensured that scores would be checked and re-checked as it was so tight between Newmarket-on-Fergus, Wolfe Tones and Sixmilebridge.

The tallies revealed that Wolfe Tones had edged that sought after quarter final spot with Newmarket consigned to the relegation battle for the second year in a row.

When the sides review this contest they will agree that Wolfe Tones second goal, a minute after Newmarket had opened a seven points lead, thanks to Peter Power’s major, was a crucial score.

Fans were still celebrating Power’s score, five minutes from the end when Aaron Cunningham won possession from the puck out and got through for a goal.

Seán Arthur pointed to put the Blues 1-21 to 2-13 clear but the Tones refused to concede and they hit the next four points, leaving one between the sides deep in injury time. Peter Power extended the margin to two and there was still a minute to play but neither side could manage a score in that time.

The game finished in a blaze of controversy and Newmarket-on-Fergus substitute Eoin Guilfoyle saw red as tensions boiled over.

Wolfe Tones had been reduced to fourteen with ten minutes remaining when Aron Shanagher saw red following an off the ball incident. There were a number of late tackles during the course of the game which led to a number of yellow cards being issued.

Points were exchanged twice before Newmarket-on-Fergus opened a two point lead by the tenth minute only for their opponents to hit back and level.

The game had just entered the second quarter when Aron Shanagher burst past a number of Newmarket defenders and rifled the ball to the net.

Newmarket finished the half strongly with three unanswered points to leave the teams deadlocked at 1-6 to 0-9 at the interval. They exchanged points on a number of occasions in the opening ten minutes of the second half and they were still level, 1-10 to 0-13 at this stage.

Newmarket stepped up a gear and they landed the next four scores to lead by four entering the final quarter.

The game had entered the last ten minutes and Newmarket had pushed six clear but Tones refused to go away. They pulled two back before Peter Power struck for Newmarket’s goal with five minutes remaining.
Wolfe Tones still refused to concede and Cunningham struck for their second gal a minute later.

Points were swapped and Newmarket led by four as the end of normal time approached. Two pointed frees by Cuningham and a point from team captain Evan O’Gorman had the gap down to the minimum and Newmarket were worried as they knew they had to finish at least three ahead to have a chance of qualifying.

Peter Power extended their lead to two but time ran out and while they were ahead at the final whistle, there was no celebrations from either side as attention turned to finding out where exactly each team in the group had finished.

Scorers’ Newmarket-on-Fergus: Peter Power (1-7, 0-5 frees); Seán Arthur (0-6, 1f 1line ball); Michael Power (0-5). John Feehily (0-2); Evan Crimmins, Eoin Hayes (0-1) each;

Scorers Wolfe Tones; Aaron Cunningham (1-5, 0-3 frees); Cian O’Rourke (0-4, 2 frees); Aron Shanagher (1-0); Dylan Frawley, Ben O’Gorman (0-2) each; Darragh Lohan (free), Dean Devanney, John Guilfoyle, Evan O’Gorman (0-1 each)

All photographs by Gerard O’Neill.