Newmarket’s senior football voyage began with defeat against Dohenys by 2-9 to 0-10 in the Tadhg Crowley Cup quarter final played on a fine January evening at Dunmanway on Sunday.

The sizeable Newmarket support witnessed some sublime football in the opening twenty minutes but a Dohenys goal three minutes prior to the interval proved pivotal to the overall outcome.

Newmarket began in blazing fashion. Nicky Flanagan slotted over the clubs first point at senior level on converting a second minute free with T.J. Bodie doubling the advantage with an excellent effort off his trusty left boot. Dohenys opened their account with a fourth minute free but Newmarket were superb on the heavy surface, playing some sublime, attacking football.

Nicky Flanagan provided the finish to a terrific build up that spanned the length of the pitch involving the outstanding T.J. Brosnan, Tony O’Keeffe and Seanie Francis O’Connor in the fifth minute. The Newmarket attack then reacted fastest when a T.J. Bodie free struck an upright with Eddie Allen and Seanie Francis O’Connor on hand to place John Lane with a pass which he duly clipped between the posts in the eighth minute.

Newmarket stretched their advantage thanks to a T.J. Bodie free from distance before T.J. Brosnan kicked an inspiring point from distance that sailed between the posts after initially involving David O’Flynn and Ian Flanagan in a well worked score. Dohenys kicked their first point from play in the eighteenth minute but Newmarket responded with another memorable score from Tony O’Keeffe with Nicky Flanagan and John Lane providing the link up play, and this left Newmarket with a lead of 0-7 to 0-2 after nineteen minutes of the contest.

As the game entered the final five minutes of play, the home side began to turn matters in their favour as they added their third point of the evening. Crucially, Dohenys found a way through the Newmarket defence on finding the net from close range to cut the deficit to a single point and before the half concluded, Newmarket’s advantage was wiped out in minutes as an equalizing point left the score reading 0-7 to 1-4 at the turnover.

The home side resumed with the impetus and three quickfire points in four minutes established a clear advantage. Newmarket withstood further pressure to surge forward in the ninth minute of the half with Tony O’Keeffe and John Lane splitting the Dohenys rearguard to place Nicky Flanagan in on goal before his effort grazed over the crossbar. The sides then traded points with a T.J. Bodie converted free leaving the score reading 1-8 to 0-9 in Dohenys favour midway through the half.

Conditions took its toll at this stage, as fitness and strength began to flourish in the sapping underfoot terrain. Dohenys established a three point advantage with four minutes remaining and they sealed the contest when a powerful shot found the roof of the net for a second goal. Newmarket completed the scoring thanks to a Nicky Flanagan free but it was Dohenys who progressed to the semi final.

The Newmarket team and scorers…

Nicky Flanagan (0-4), T.J. Bodie (0-3), Tony O’Keeffe (0-1), T.J. Brosnan (0-1), John Lane (0-1).

Niall O’Connor
John Ryan		Denys O'Brien		Michael O’Leary
Sean Doody		Barry O'Leary		T. J. Brosnan
	Colin O'Sullivan		David O’Flynn
T.J. Bodie		Tony O'Keeffe		Seanie Francis O Connor
Eddie Allen		Nicky Flanagan		John Lane
Subs: Ian Flanagan, Daniel Culloty, Paudie Allen.