Newmarket open up Ducon Cup campaign with a draw
Newmarket claimed an equalizing point with the last kick of the game, from a Nicky Flanagan free, to share the spoils with Dromtariffe, 1-7 each at Dromtariffe on a crisp, dry Sunday afternoon.
The home side got the season off to the best possible start with a goal after four minutes. The impressive Nicky Flanagan got Newmarket off the mark with a fine point four minutes later. The sides went on to exchange four points in the next ten minutes and it was Nicky Flanagan twice, who responded for Newmarket with points, the latter coming from a free. Scores proved difficult to come by for both sides with defences on top, Donnacha O’Dea and David Guiney to the fore for Newmarket throughout the game. John Ryan slotted over a point within two minutes of the break and this left the score reading 1-2 to 0-4 at half time.
Upon the resumption, both sides again found defences difficult to breach. The first score arrived in the ninth minute with Dromtariffe extending their lead. Newmarket replied through Nicky Flanagan and within a minute Maurice Feehan pointed to level the sides for the first time in the contest after forty two minutes. At the end of the quarter, Newmarket strung together a superb move spanning the length of the pitch. Donnacha O’Dea emerged from defence before Kevin O’Sullivan swept forward and offloaded to Maurice Feehan, he then produced a sublime defence splitting pass to set up Nicky Flanagan and he duly finished in some style to the roof of the net. This left Newmarket in front by 1-6 to 1-3.
It was the home side however that gained the upper hand. They gradually reduced the deficit and at the same time were guilty of missing a number of other opportunities. However, four points in succession edged Dromtariffe in front as they dominated the final stages of the game. Newmarket were given one last chance to reprieve the deficit, and the free scoring Nicky Flanagan kept his composure to slot over the equalizing point, in the games final cameo.
The Newmarket team was…
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| Niall O’Connor | ||||
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| Donnacha O’Dea | Mark Murphy | David Guiney | ||
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| Brian Daly | Kevin O’Sullivan | Brian O’Riordan | ||
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| Gerard Casey | Colin O’Sullivan | |||
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| Sean Doody | Timothy Murphy | Maurice Feehan (0-1) | ||
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| John Ryan (0-1) | Nicky Flanagan (1-5) | Shane Murphy | ||
| SUBS: Shane Anthony Murphy, Trevor Murphy, Michael Kenneally, Conor Cronin | ||||
