Premier IHC semi-final: Newcestown 2-9 Youghal 1-12
TO say Newcestown are dogged would be an understatement. They simply don’t know how to lose.
It may have taken two fortuitous goals to keep their Premier IHC ambitions alive against Youghal at Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday, but deep inside they know too they squandered three sublime chances at the death to book a final spot after Eoin Kelly’s 56th minute equalising goal had given them a lifeline.

But it would have been rough justice on a Youghal side that shot 10 wides in the first-half and got a real taste of Newcestown’s never-say-die mentality.

Newcestown made a super start with brothers Fionn and Cathrac Keane giving them a quick two-point advantage, Youghal settled though and Brendan Ring got their opening point in the fifth minute. But Youghal never made effective use of the strong wind at their backs in the opening half as battling Newcestown led 0-3 to 0-2 after seven minutes. And then their opening goal – you’ll never see an easier one — two minutes later, Kelly’s harmless looking shot looking easy meat for goalkeeper Richard Cunningham only for a wicked bounce carrying the ball over the line.

Undaunted, however, Youghal were in at the other end when a Newcestown defender was penalised for lying on the ball and, from the resulting 21, Lee Desmond struck a rasper to the top right corner as Newcestown led 1-3 to 1-2 after the opening quarter.

No question Youghal had plenty possession in the second quarter but they failed to make use of it. Buoyed by a solid half-back line, where Conor Spillane and Damien Ring in particular were outstanding, they were squandering too many chances. They moved Bill Cooper to full-forward to little effect and watched as Newcestown were far more economical through Hugh Curran and Kelly and, at the break. Youghal only held s a slender 1-7 to 1-6 lead after playing with the wind.

Youghal were up for the fight though in the second-half and, after a fine move, Andrew Curtin soon tied things up. And it got even better when Brett Moloney put them ahead for the first time in the 35th minute.

But Newcestown were always in their faces and with John Crowley, Kevin Long and Ger O’Driscoll working hard in defence there were no easy scores coming from Youghal.

Eight minutes into the second-half Youghal had a glorious chance of a second goal when a rash pull resulted in Colm Lyons awarding them a penalty. This time, however, Desmond’s strike was saved by goalkeeper Jim O’Sullivan. But Youghal were still in the ascendancy and Brendan Ring’s accuracy earned his side a 1-11 to 1-8 lead entering the final quarter.

It got even better when Coleman made it a four point cushion in the 47th minute. But again Newcestown’s battling spirit manifested as they whittled down the Youghal lead. Just playing two up front, first Fionn Keane pointed and then substitute James O’Mahony almost had a levelling goal. But it was soon to come – Kelly getting his second in the 56th minute with again questions over goalkeeper Richard Cunningham. And Newcestown might even have won it, three chances going abegging - Kelly’s free going wide with Fionn Keane and Daniel Twomey also missing from play. It would have been a nice steal though, they’ll have to do it all again next weekend for the right to meet Courcey Rovers in the final.

Scorers for Newcestown: E Kelly 2-3 (2fs), F Keane, H Curran 0-2 each, C Keane, M. Bradfield 0-1 each.

Scorers for Youghal: B Ring 0-5 (3fs), L Desmond 1-0f, A Curtin 0-3, D Ring, B Cooper, B Moloney, B Coleman 0-1 each.

NEWCESTOWN: J O’Sullivan; O Keane, J Crowley, K Long; B Horgan, N O’Sullivan, G O’Driscoll; D Twomey, G O’Rourke; F Keane, T Twomey, H Curran; M Bradfield, C Keane, E Kelly.

Subs: S Ryan for Bradfield (43), B O’Donovan for Twomey (57).

YOUGHAL: R Cunningham; B O’Sullivan, K Walsh, B Ring; B Goggin, C Spillane, D Ring; B Moloney, N Roche; K O’Mahony, B Cooper, B Coleman; A Curtin, L Desmond, B Ring.

Subs: J O’Mahony for K O’Mahony (ht), K Dempsey for Curtin (52).

Referee: C Lyons (Nemo Rangers).

Evening Echo Cork County Intermediate Football Championship Quarter Final Replay
Youghal 0-09 Kinsale 0-11
The chance of a Youghal County double was ended at Pairc Ui Rinn on a rain sodden night last Friday, when Kinsale progressed through to the semi final of the Evening Echo Intermediate Football Championship with a two point win in the end.
Kinsale had the lead after just one minute when Lyndon Kiely pointed from play, but Youghal responded well with a score from Paul Kelly from play two minutes later.
Both sides were evenly matched throughout the first half and on the 7th minute Paul Moylan gave Youghal the lead, then Ken Dempsey added another score a minute later with a well taken score from play.
Derry O'Callaghan got one back for Kinsale on the 10th minute, then Youghal were in trouble, with young Ring sent off after a tackle where he clearly lost his footing in the challenge, it was a yellow card definitely but a red card was a bit harsh to say the least.
Youghal then in the conditions which were diabolical for any sport had to make up a lot of ground and Kinsale were picking holes in the Youghal side in and around the middle of the pairc and Niall McCarthy levelled on the 17th minute to make it 0-03 each.
Barry Gray then gave Kinsale the lead on the 18th minute, but Moylan was there to put over a close range free a minute later to level matters for the fourth time.
Mark Coughlan then gave Kinsale the lead again on the 20th minute of play and his team mate Gearoid Finn added another score to leave two points between the sides.
Paul Moylan narrowed the deficit with two minutes of the first half remaining, but if anything Youghal were going better than Kinsale at this stage and didn't want to hear the half time whistle, but it was blown and Youghal trailed Kinsale by the narrowist of margins at the short whistle.
It is hard to believe, but the conditions got even worse in the second half and the football suffered as both sides tried to cope with a ball that resembled a bar of soap at times.
Like the first half Kinsale were quickly out of the blocks with a score from O'Callaghan, but again the Youghal lads showed some great heart and Nigel Roche put over a great score from play.
Roche was on target again for Youghal seconds later with another beautiful score from play and all of a sudden the sides were level again.
Ken Dempsey a real leader in the team then fired Youghal into the lead with a superb score from the left wing and the Youghal tails were up.
Kinsale played their way back into the game after withstanding a ten minute stranglehold by Youghal and Finn levelled with a great score from play.
Then Kinsale's second half substitute Donal Murphy put one over from the left to give Kinsale the lead again, which was followed up by a Finn point off the right boot.
Kinsale led by a goal with just two minutes remaining when Coughlan pointed, but Youghal did get one score back through Conor Spillane from play late on.
To be honest Kinsale deserved the win on overall play, but Youghal may have lost it a small bit on the tactical side of the game as Kinsale were also reduced to 14 men, with ten minutes still left on the clock.

Cork County Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship
Semi Final
Youghal 1-12 Newcestown 2-09
When the dust settles and everyone has had time to draw their breath, maybe a draw was a fair result in the end and only for two errors in judgement, Youghal could have found themselves in the County Final .
Then on the other side of the coin, four late wides from Newcestown could mean that this could be Youghal's year, one thing is for certain we are going to have a minimum of 60 minutes more hurling to see who will make it through and Youghal showed enough, courage and belief in the second half in particular to convince me that they are by far the better hurling side.
Youghal played with a significant wind at their backs in the first half, but early scores were as rare as hens teeth for the Eochaill Gaels and it was Newcestown who took the early lead with two scores in the third minute from Fionn Keane and Cathrach Keane.
Youghal's first white flag came of the stick of Brendan Ring from play, but back came Newcestown with a score from their most impressive player Eoin Kelly from play on the sixth minute.
Youghal narrowed the deficit to just a single point sixty seconds later, when man of the match Damien Ring struck over from 65 yards off a placed ball.
Then a moment of misjudgement by the Youghal keeper let Kelly in for a goal and Youghal had to re-build again.
Re-build they did and in some style too on the 14th minute when from the '21' Leigh Desmond slotted home a beautifully struck shot passed a wall of Newcwestown players into the top right hand corner of the net , to just leave a point between the sides again.
After a long period of play, Youghal were level on the 20th minute when Brendan Ring fired over a free, but instantly and lets not forget into the wind Newcestown moved the ball back up to the 'City End' goal and Hugh Curran pointed to re-gain the lead.
This game was hotting up now and back came Youghal with a very well worked move down the right wing, where Bill Cooper hand passed the ball back to Andrew Curtin on the Newcestown '45' and the Youghal number five made no mistake with the shot sending the ball over and the match level again.
End to end stuff in the opening half Newcestown who cleverly dropped two forwards back into the centre of the field in the first half scored two points without reply, off Kelly and Curran. Youghal needed to respond before half time and with just two minutes remaining Brendan Ring was on target again with a free to leave the narrowest of margins, then a minute later the sides were level for the third time when Bill Cooper was on target.
Eoin Kelly did have the last say ahead of the short whistle with a pointed free for Newcestown and the talk during half time in the main stand, was all about how would Youghal cope with the Newcestown attack, especially as they had the wind at their backs for the final 30 mins.
Peter Queally must be some half time team talker, because the side that re-emerged were 100% better than the team that went in at half time.
Immediately Youghal's movement and anticipation was excellent and within 90 seconds Andrew Curtin had the sides level yet again with another well taken score from play.
It was going to take an almighty effort from the Youghal defence in this game playing into the elements and it must be said that Barry Ring, Barry Goggin and Conor Spillane were outstanding throughout the second half and they needed to be if Youghal were going to have any hope.
Youghal took the lead for the very first time in this match on the 36th minute following a point from Brett Moloney who had a very good match in Lar Na Pairca.
Newcestown responded from Mikey Bradfield with a score, but then for the next 14 minutes it was all Youghal. Andrew Curtin had his third score from play seconds later, then Brendan Ring had a further two scores, one from a free and the other from play in a cleverly worked one-two off a quick '65'with Brett Moloney.
Brendan Coleman added a further score from play and with just twelve minutes remaining Youghal led by a significant four points, then after a fourteen minute gap since the fourth minute of the second half, Fionn Keane reduced Youghal's Lead to just a goal.
With four minutes to go after a savage seven minutes of play Youghal gave away their second sloppy goal, making the last few minutes very difficult, but credit the Youghal men who fought valiantly to the final whistle and now a semi final replay awaits Peter and his Eochaill Gaels.

Scorers for Youghal:Brendan Ring 0-5 (3f) Leigh Desmond 1-0, Andrew Curtin 0-3, Damien Ring, Brett Moloney, Bill Cooper and Brendan Coleman 0-1 each.

Scorers for Newcestown: Eoin Kelly 2-3, Fionn Keane and Hugh Curran 0-2 each, M Bradfield and Cathrach Keane 0-1 each.

YOUGHAL: Richard Cunningham; Brendan O'Sullivan, Kenneth Walsh, Barry Ring; Barry Goggin, Conor Spillane (Cpt) Damien Ring; Brett Moloney, Nigel Roche; Ciarain O'Mahony, Bill Cooper, Brendan Coleman; Andrew Curtin, Leigh Desmond, Brendan Ring.
Substitutes: James O'Mahony for Ciarain O'Mahony (Half Time) Ken Dempsey for Andrew Curtin (52)

NEWCESTOWN: Jim Sullivan; Odhran Keane, John Crowley, Kevin Long; Barry Horgan, Niall O'Sullivan, Gerard O'Driscoll; Daniel Twomey, Gearoid Burke; Fionn Keane, Tadgh Twomey (Cpt) Hugh Curran; Mikey Bradfield, Cathrach Keane, Eoin Kelly.
Substitutes:Seany Ryan for Mikey Bradfield (43)

Referee: Colm Lyons (Nemo Rangers)

Man of the Match: No question it was Damien Ring. Rings complete and total dominance of the half back line was incredible. He was fouled on numerous occasions but got up and got on with it, even though there was plenty positives to take away from the game, the most positive was the performance of the Youghal number 7.

Games top Score: Definitely Leigh Desmond's 14th minute rocket into the top right hand corner of the Newcestown Net, it came at a crucial time and without Leigh s goal the Youghal side at that time in the game looked in a small bit of trouble.