Original Report: Unknown publication.

Note: Minor modifications to the original publication were made due to illegibility of the print copy available.

Newmarket win second divisional title

Newmarket won their second divisional title by defeating Kanturk (holders) by 3-05 to 1-03 in a thrilling Duhallow junior hurling final at Newmarket GAA Grounds on Sunday. Newmarket regained the title last held by them in 1948 and became the first Duhallow club ever to annex divisional hurling and football honours in the same year.

Sunday’s final was a hard hitting, thrilling game played under extremely difficult ground conditions. Heavy rain during the week made the pitch so soft that players found it difficult to keep on their feet or lift the ball. The standard of hurling suffered as a consequence.

The issue was much more closely contested than the scores indicate. Kanturk fought for the full sixty minutes in defence of their title and would have been closer to the victors at the last whistle had they been luckier.

Close marking, added to the muddy pitch ruled out the hopes of an exhibition of fast open hurling, but as it was both teams served up very creditable displays. The struggle for supremacy raged fast and furious from the first whistle to the last and anything the contest lacked in quality was counter balanced by the fire, dash and enthusiasm with both sides looking for the upper hand.

FINE GOALKEEPING

The game was marked by the custodians on both sides. Between the Newmarket posts, Owen O’Riordan proved heartbreak to the Kanturk forwards and it would perhaps be only fair to say that it was largely due to his brilliance that the cup stayed in Newmarket on Sunday night.

At the opposite end, Denny Singleton enhanced his already high reputation by bringing off a number of grand saves and thus keeping up the morale of the Kanturk players on occasions when the game was inclined to run against them.
It would be difficult to pick a weak link on either side, for all thirty men played their part and gave their best while the struggle lasted.

Defences on both sides shone. The Newmarket full back line of D. Finn, J. Breen and W.J. Burke gave nothing away, while J. Lawlor, T. Kenneally and J. Barry were equally sound in the Kanturk full line. Both half lines were also good and honours broke about even at midfield, where J. O’Keeffe and M. Quane (Newmarket) and P. Daly and T. Foley (Kanturk) battled for supremacy.

Twenty minutes of ding-dong exchanges followed before P. Daly equalised with an equally fine score for Kanturk. A minute later O. O’Riordan saved a rasping shot from 70 yard range by J. O’Donoghue (KanturK), but the latter had compensation by pointing from a free immediately afterwards. Two Newmarket points were sent over by M. Quane and J. O’Keeffe and then shortly before the interval a centre by T. Cross was finished to the net by J. O’Connor to leave the challengers in front by 1-3 to 0-2 at the short whistle.

KANTURK FIGHT BACK

Kanturk came back full of determination in the second half and T.T. Galvin raised supporters spirits with a fine point in the fifth minute. Then came two great saves by D. singleton the Kanturk Custodian, before M. Quane stretched Newmarket’s lead with a further point.

Owen O’Riordan brought Newmarket fans to their toes with a grand save from J. O’Flynn in the eleventh minute. The issue was wide open until the twenty fifth minute when J.J. Jones the Newmarket full forward connected with a dropping ball to ram it home for a vitally important goal. The same player put paid to Kanturk hopes when adding another major blow as last time was being played, leaving the challengers ahead by 3-4 to 0-3 at this stage. In a great late effort the champions raised a green flag from a goalmouth melee, but it was Jimmy Kearney (Newmarket) who had the last word with a nice point just before full time.

The Championship cup was presented to Ben Finn the Newmarket captain at the conclusion of the game. Making the presentation Mr P. Cronin Chairman of the Duhallow Board paid tribute to both teams and said he hoped that Newmarket would bring the county cup to the division.

The match was played on 10th of September in Newmarket, Final score was Newmarket 3-05 to Kanturk 1-03. The team on the day was as follows:

Owen O’Riordan
Denny Finn		Johnnie Breen		W.J. Burke
Mossie Kenneally		Ben Finn (Capt.)		Connie O’Sullivan
	Mick Quane (0-2)		Jimmy O’Keeffe (0-1)
Jimmy Kearney (0-1)		Tom Cross		Mickey O’Sullivan
Ed Fitzgerald		J.J. Jones (2-0)		Jimmy O’Connor (1-0)

One point scorer for Newmarket is unknown.

Referee: W. Clancy, Mallow.