A gallant Newmarket team were eventually well put away by Millstreet , 0-19 to 1-6 in the first game of the EPS Bison Duhallow hurling championship game, played in ideal conditions at a resplendent Banteer on Saturday evening.

Newmarket started strongly and debutant John Lane converted a second minute free. After weathering the early Newmarket onslaught, Millstreet eventually found their form and struck over five points in as many minutes. Colin O’Sullivan was next to find the target with a long range point before Millstreet landed a sixth point. Newmarket’s efforts for the half were justifiably rewarded when John McSweeney delivered a huge free to the Millstreet square and Donnacha O’Dea gathered and finished impressively to the back of the net for what proved to be the games only goal. A Kevin O’Sullivan point tied the sides with five minutes of the half remaining. Millstreet’s unerring accuracy from frees yielded four more points which left them in front by 0-10 to 1-3 at half time.

Millstreet gradually moved further away from Newmarket with three early second half points. Shane Anthony Murphy and Maurice Feehan points kept Newmarket in touch at the three quarter stage, trailing by 0-14 to 1-5. Millstreet’s dominance yielded four more scores with John Lane pointing for a battling Newmarket side. Millstreet completed the scoring with a point to confirm a ten point victory.

Newmarket had fine displays from goalkeeper John Ryan, captain John McSweeney his usual inspirational self, the half back line of Kieran Hayes, Pa O’Brien and Anthony Crowley with Kevin O’Sullivan, Maurice Feehan and John Lane also prominent.

John Ryan
Gerard Sheahan		John McSweeney		Donnacha Fitzpatrick
Kieran Hayes		Pa O’Brien		Anthony Crowley
	Kevin O’Sullivan (0-1)		Shane Anthony Murphy (0-1)
Maurice Feehan (0-1)		Colin O’Sullivan (0-1)		John Lane (0-2)
Donnacha O’Dea (1-0)		Shane Murphy		Martin O’Doherty
SUBS: Sean Irwin, Michael Kenneally, Nicky Flanagan and Niall O’Connor