Newmarket’s minor footballers recorded a third successive league victory and maintained a perfect start to the year when a storming final ten minutes put paid to a resilient Killshannig side in heavy and poor conditions at Newmarket on Saturday afternoon.

The final scoreline of 2-14 to 1-5 put a very favourable look on the victory but it was a scoring return of 2-4 without reply in the closing minutes that proved the defining difference.

Newmarket opened the scoring when Peter Lynch pointed on receiving a pass from Barry O’Connor in the second minute. The home side added to their advantage when Daniel Culloty was on hand to point after a build up involving Alan Ryan and Gavin Forde. Daniel Culloty pointed a free in the eleventh minute before Kilshannig scored their first point of the afternoon a minute later.

Newmarket’s fourth point in the eighteenth minute owed much to the individual endeavours of Barry O’Connor who closed in on goal from a difficult angle to create an opening to point in impressive fashion. Daniel Culloty added two pointed frees to ease Newmarket to a five point advantage after twenty minutes play. Kilshannig found their range on scoring a second point before two more points followed in quick succession to reduce the arrears to just two points with six minutes of the half remaining. Newmarket went into the interval boosted by an excellent individual point from the forward running Con McAuliffe who kicked a superb point from distance to leave the home side in front by 0-7 to 0-4 at the interval.

Kilshannig pointed early after the resumption but Barry O’Connor regained a three point lead for the home side almost instantly. However, Newmarket’s advantage disappeared on a Kilshannig goal four minutes into the half which tied the sides for the only time in the game, 0-8 to 1-5.

It was Barry O’Connor once more, who put Newmarket into the lead and Michael Cottrell doubled the margin as the home side recovered to establish an advantage. Conditions proved very difficult and a scoreless ten minute period ended on Gavin Forde pointing. Newmarket finished in resounding fashion as Barry O’Connor found the net to gain a substantial lead of 1-11 to 1-5 with nine minutes remaining. Daniel Culloty and Gavin Forde added points as a ruthless Newmarket rampaged to the end. Alan Ryan found the net in style for a calmly taken goal when in an advanced position before Con McAuliffe ended proceedings with his second superb point and complete a fine Newmarket win.

The Newmarket team and scorers…
Barry O’Connor (1-3), Daniel Culloty (0-5), Alan Ryan (1-0), Con McAuliffe (0-2), Gavin Forde (0-2), Michael Cottrell (0-1), Peter Lynch (0-1).

Shane McAuliffe
Jeremy Murphy		Jamie Hayes		Daniel O'Doherty
Con McAuliffe		Donal Hannon		Paudie Allen
	Jonathan Flaherty		Gavin Forde
Michael Cottrell		Alan Ryan		Peter Lynch
Daniel Culloty		Barry O'Connor		-
Subs: Eoin O’Connell, Patrick Kelly, Conor O’Keeffe, Damien O’Keeffe