Newmarket’s under 21 football team produced a memorable display of football, in regaining the Duhallow championship for the first time in six years, when they defeated Boherbue by 2-12 to 1-8 in the replayed final at Dromtariffe on Sunday evening.

Newmarket were a different side from the one that drew the original game and early pressure yielded a John Ryan point. Newmarket were boosted in the fifth minute when outstanding goalkeeper Niall O’Connor produced a superb save in denying Boherbue from the penalty spot. Newmarket took great confidence from this and points followed from John Ryan and Kevin O’Sullivan.

The first quarter ended with Newmarket producing a top class move involving Conor Cronin, John Ryan and John Lane who set up T.J. Bodie and he sent an unstoppable shot to the roof of the Boherbue net. Boherbue regained their composure and produced a top quality goal of their own in the twentieth minute, with a point four minutes later reducing the arrears to just two points. Newmarket maintained their composure and their next sweeping forward move saw Timothy Murphy send in a quite sublime pass and Kevin O’Sullivan punched expertly to the back of the net from the edge of the square. T.J. Bodie and Nicky Flanagan pointed to send Newmarket in at half time with a seven point advantage, 2-5 to 1-1.

Boherbue resumed with two early second half points but John Ryan and John Lane responded with scores for Newmarket. Try as they may, Boherbue could not make an impact on the deficit as Newmarket answered each subsequent Boherbue score with one of their own. Nicky Flanagan had a point sandwiched between a couple of Boherbue scores before Newmarket added three points in as many minutes with high quality scores from John Lane twice and Nicky Flanagan again. Newmarket led at this stage by 2-11 to 1-5 with thirteen minutes to go. Boherbue kept battling to the end and had three points for their efforts and John Lane registered his sides final point with his fourth of the game, before the final whistle heralded Newmarket’s seventh success at this level.

The team eventually emerged in a repeat of the minor final of three years ago and made amends for last years defeat. In claiming the title they have defeated Kiskeam, Knocknagree and Boherbue, producing many memorable and entertaining moments along the way. On the night Niall O’Connor was superb in goal and set the platform for the game on saving the early penalty. The backs as a unit were excellent coping admirably with all that was asked of them. Kevin O’Sullivan and Micheal Murphy were extremely influential while the fast moving forward line were devastating at times scoring many fine points with Ricky Reidy acting as an excellent target man and foil to the other forwards, especially his livewire corner forwards John Lane and Nicky Flanagan who chipped in with seven points between them.

Team captain Bart Daly was presented with the trophy after the game by Duhallow Board Chairman, Sean McAulifffe. Congratulations to the teams mentors and selectors, Paul Murphy, Pat Flanagan, Ben O’Keeffe, Tony O’Keeffe and Seanie Francis O’Connor on their fine achievement. The team as ever received great support throughout the campaign and the supporters contribution is greatly appreciated by the players.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MdfBJkvnI0&rel=0 412 308]

The Newmarket team was…

Niall O’Connor
David Guiney		Paul Cashman		Brian O’Riordan
Conor Cronin		Bart Daly (captain)		Sean Doody
	Kevin O’Sullivan (1-1)		Micheal Murphy
T.J. Bodie (1-1)		John Ryan (0-3)		Timothy Murphy
John Lane (0-4)		Ricky Reidy		Nicky Flanagan (0-3)
SUBS: Michael Kenneally, Sean Irwin, Micheal O’Connell, Michael O’Callaghan, William Lehane, Robert Stack, Ian Flanagan and John Scanlon