Newmarket’s junior hurlers bowed out of this years EPS Bison Duhallow championship at the semi final stage, when despite a brave, spirited effort they succumbed to a strong Tullylease side in the closing minutes, 1-16 to 2-7 at Lismire on Tuesday evening last.

Newmarket began brightly playing with the aid of the breeze and settled on Barry O’Leary pointing in the third minute. Tullylease tied the scores in the seventh minute but Kevin O’Sullivan converted a long range free two minutes later to restore Newmarket’s advantage. John Lane increased the advantage when he finished neatly before a Tullylease point left the score 0-3 to 0-2 after eighteen minutes. Newmarket’s hopes were considerably boosted in the twentieth minute, when a well placed ball by Barry O’Leary was gathered by Tony O’Keeffe and he drove towards goal before drilling to the back of the net.

Newmarket stepped up a gear and within three minutes Seanie Francis O’Connor scored a second goal and gave his side a seven point advantage. Tullylease responded to this setback by hitting two points before Colin O’Sullivan pointed from distance to give Newmarket a clear two goal lead, in the late stages of the half. However, the closing minutes of the half proved pivotal to the outcome of the contest. Tullylease clipped away Newmarket’s lead on scoring two points but deep into injury time they struck for a goal and as the half time whistle was blown, suddenly only a point separated the sides, 2-4 to 1-6.

Newmarket resumed by increasing their lead within three minutes through the industrious Robert Stack. Tullylease were guilty of hitting numerous wides throughout the hour, especially in the second half and had to wait until the ninth minute to raise the white flag. A dogged Newmarket hit back within a minute when John Lane pointed from an angle to regain the two point lead.

Tullylease began to turn the tide and two points in as many minutes, tied the sides for the second time, 2-6 to 1-9 after forty two minutes. Newmarket forged ahead again with Robert Stack on hand to flick a dropping free over the bar from the edge of the square. Unfortunately this proved to be Newmarket’s final score of the game and they were dealt a further body blow when influencial midfielder Barry O’Leary had to retire after sustaining a serious hand injury. A Tullylease point ensured the sides entered the last ten minutes of normal time on level terms. Tullylease piled on the pressure towards the Newmarket goal at this stage but for a long period their accuracy left them down. Eventually, Tullylease hit the front for the first time in the contest in the fifty fifth minute and once ahead they pressed on relentlessly. Five points followed in the remaining minutes and they ran out clear winners in the end to qualify for their second successive Duhallow final.

The Newmarket team wa…

John Ryan
Pa O’Brien		Brian Daly		Nicky Flanagan
Niall O’Connor		John McSweeney		Anthony Crowley
	Kevin O’Sulliivan (0-1)		Barry O’Leary (0-1)
Colin O’Sullivan (0-1)		Denys O’Brien		John Lane (0-2)
Seanie Francis O’Connor (1-0)		Robert Stack (0-2)		Tony O’Keeffe (1-0)
SUBS: Maurice Feehan, Shane Murphy