Wednesday night’s Ducon Cup final produced a high quality encounter, with extra time needed to separate the sides.

The Duhallow football league decider brought together the second sides of both Newmarket and Knocknagree at the Rockchapel venue. A quick start from Newmarket had them 1-01 up inside four minutes through a Hugh O’Connor free and a Daniel Culloty goal, with O’Connor providing the key pass for Culloty to finish. Knocknagree controlled the majority of the ball for the next ten minutes and despite a Daniel Norton point, the sides were level at the twenty minute mark. A brace of Hugh O’Connor points within minute restored Newmarket’s lead, with O’Connor also on the score-sheet as the half drew to a close, following on from an earlier Knocknagree effort. It was the Knocknagree men who managed the last score of an entertaining opening half, to trail 1-05 to 0-07 at the break.

Knocknagree had the perfect start to the second half, levelling quickly and taking a two point lead in the first five minutes. Disaster struck for Newmarket moments later when a defensive mix-up was pounced on by Knocknagree who converted the opportunity into a goal. As a result Newmarket found themselves trailing 1-05 to 1-11 with the half barely eight minutes old. A Hugh O’Connor free followed by a pair of marks from Ryan O’Keeffe reduced the arrears to three, with fifteen minutes to play. A point from Knocknagree was cancelled out shortly after by a TJ Bodie score from placed ball, with Newmarket still chasing a three point deficit entering the last five minutes. Through skill and determination, the side won a hatrick of frees which were coolly converted by Hugh O’Connor to level the tie on 61 minutes. Knocknagree raced up the field and with the possibility of a goal on offer the attacker chose to punch the ball over the bar to regain the lead. With injury time running out Hugh O’Connor was fouled around the opposition 45. Having recovered from the knock, he stroked the ball over the black spot, to send the game into extra time.

Like the opening of the second period, Knocknagree made most of the first minute getting their second goal of the contest. A Ryan O’Keeffe point on three minutes nullified a Knocknagree effort moments earlier. The sides traded scores for the remainder of the half, with a Hugh O’Connor free and a superbly curled point from TJ Brosnan leaving the Rockchapel scoreboard reading 1-16 to 2-16 at the extra time break.

A well taken Michael Lane score three minutes into the second period of extra time was followed up quickly by a Hugh O’Connor free, leaving just a single point between the sides. Knocknagree stretched their advantage to two half way through the period, with O’Connor adding another to his impressive total of twelve points on the night. With time running out Newmarket searched for the equalising score, alas it was not to be. Congratulations to Knocknagree on their 1-19 to 2-17 win and commiserations to the Newmarket players and their management on what was a high quality contest with some fantastic play on show.

The Newmarket team and scorers…

Hugh O’Connor (0-12, 11f), Ryan O’Keeffe (0-03), Daniel Culloty (1-00), Daniel Norton (0-01), TJ Brosnan (0-01), TJ Bodie (0-01, 1f),  Michael Lane (0-01)

Shane McAuliffe
Mikey Browne		Gavin Forde		Daniel Norton
Paddy Browne		T. J. Brosnan		Bart Daly
	Cathal Browne		Tim Murphy
T.J. Bodie		David Cottrell		Paudie O'Sullivan
Eddie Allen		Daniel Culloty		Hugh O'Connor
Subs: Ryan O'Keeffe for Eddie Allen (35), Michael Lane for Paudie O'Sullivan (44), DJ O'Sullivan for Cathal Browne (47), Tony O'Keeffe for TJ Bodie (56), Colin O'Sullivan for Tim Murphy (8 ET)

Management: Danny McAuliffe, David Quinlan