Charleville 1-21
Newtownshandrum 0-15
A knockout spot with a game to spare is Charleville’s after they finished well in both halves to claim victory over Newtownshandrum at Milford on Sunday afternoon.
An unanswered 1-3 in the last five minutes of first-half action allowed them to retire with a 1-11 to 0-6 half-time action and that cushion was never eroded to any great degree in the second period. While Newtown were back to within four, 1-16 to 0-15, after Jamie Coughlan’s sixth point of the game in the 56th minute, it was their last score and five points on the trot franked Charleville’s supremacy.
They will definitely be advancing from the group – though the final-round fixture against Midleton will determine whether they finish first or second – while Newtown are out.
This derby clash, the first championship meetings between the clubs’ standard-bearers since 1992, was well-attended and superbly administered by the host club, with the pitch of bowling-green standard, but the game never reached the levels of the anticipated occasion.
Charleville never trailed at any stage and could have forged an earlier lead but some over-elaboration was costly; however, they were well-served by superb effort out the field, with Jack Meade, Finbarr Cagney and Jack Buckley superb in defence while Jack Callaghan was a ball of energy at midfield, latching on to every break.
While Newtown did keep early pace, with a long-range point from their stand-out, Tim O’Mahony, and a Coughlan free tying at 0-4 each, it was the last time that parity existed.
Darren Casey of Charleville tries to hold off Newtownshandrum’s Tim O’Mahony. Picture@ Brendan Gleeson
Charleville pushed again through Seán Bresnan before Darragh Fitzgibbon was found from a quick puckout after a Newtown wide and pointed – the second time that happened – before Cagney and the excellent Zach Biggane combined for Gavin Kelleher to make it 0-7 to 0-4.
The lead was 0-8 to 0-6 after 24 minutes when it looked like early Newtown sub Stephen Minihane had the cut the lead to one – however, nobody had departed and so the score was cancelled and Charleville made the most of their let-off.
The goal came when Cathal O’Carroll’s lung-busting run created a goal chance for Danny O’Flynn; while his shot was repelled by James Bowles, O’Flynn was on the break to feed Kelleher, who crashed a shot home.
A super Biggane effort was followed by a David Forde point that originated with a Meade turnover and then Biggane was the provider for Bresnan’s second.
Coughlan did point a couple of early Newtown frees on the restart but, while Charleville didn’t have the same attacking fluency as the first half – and began to rack up wind-assisted wides – they answered those through Biggane and Callaghan and their defending ensured that no easy chances were coughed up.
Approaching the three-quarter mark, Newtown looked to have found momentum as sub Turlough O’Neill, O’Mahony with a long-range free and then a lovely Coughlan point. Despite the more wayward shooting, Charleville didn’t panic and Fitzgibbon scored his fifth with a fine effort before sub Conor Buckley marked his arrival by winning a break and firing over.
Zach Biggane of Charleville rises highest to claim possession. Picture: Brendan Gleeson
That left it 1-16 to 0-13; a cheap puckout turnover did lead to Conor Griffin pointing for Newtown and then Coughlan brought the margin back to four, but Charleville gunned for the line.
Great work from Conor Buckley and Cathal O’Carroll led to sub Jack Doyle being fouled and Fitzgibbon pointed before Conor Buckley benefited from an O’Carroll turnover. Another from Buckley made it 1-19 to 0-15 and the clock was in the red before Newtown had anything like a goal chance, Conor Reynolds saving from O’Neill.
Another replacement, Tim Hawe, extended the lead and the final play summed up Charleville’s industry – Callaghan forced one last turnover and Fitzgibbon fed sub Robert O’Carroll for a huge point from his own 65, nine points in it and the end.
Scorers for Charleville: D Fitzgibbon 0-7 (0-3 f), G Kelleher 1-1, Z Biggane, C Buckley 0-3 each, S Bresnan 0-2, R O’Carroll, D O’Flynn, D Forde, T Hawe, J Callaghan 0-1 each.
Newtownshandrum: J Coughlan 0-6 (0-4 f), T O’Mahony 0-4 (0-1 f, 0-1 65), C Twomey (0-1 sl), C O’Brien, T O’Neill, C Griffin, M Ryan 0-1 each.
CHARLEVILLE: C Reynolds; A Dennehy, J Meade, D Butler; F Cagney, J Buckley, C O’Carroll; D Casey, J Callaghan; D Fitzgibbon, S Bresnan, Z Biggane; D O’Flynn, D Forde, G Kelleher.
Subs: C Buckley for Kelleher, T Hawe for Forde (both 37), J Doyle for Biggane (46), A Cagney for O’Flynn (50), R O’Carroll (56).
NEWTOWNSHANDRUM: J Bowles; K O’Sullivan, P O’Sullivan, M Ryan; C Twomey, T O’Mahony, C O’Brien; B Collins, Rory Troy; J Lane, Robert Troy, D O’Connor; J Coughlan, R Geary, J Geary.
Subs: S Minihane for Rory Troy (26, injured), T O’Neill for Collins, T McCarthy for Lane (both half-time), E O’Mahony for Geary (38), C Griffin for Geary (50).
Referee: P O’Driscoll (Bride Rovers).
