Impressive Newport ease past Cashel into County Minor Hurling decider

GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Minor 'B' Hurling Championship Final

Newport 7-20

Cashel King Cormacs 2-6

Report: Liam Hogan at Pairc Shilean, Templemore

North champions Newport are back in a County Minor ‘A’ Hurling Final after they had too much for West champions Cashel King Cormacs in a one-sided semi-final on Saturday.

Leading from start to finish, Newport made light work of the Cashel who were reduced to fourteen men when full back Cormac McInerney was red carded after just sixteen minutes.

The dismissal was a huge setback to Cashel who had just scored their first goal after being held scoreless up to then. The strange thing was that Newport, despite having an extra man, appeared to have stage-fright as they went about taking advantage but only managed two more points before the break while Cashel added three to leave ten points separating the teams, 3-7 to 1-3.

The interval gave Newport a chance to re-boot as they increased their lead to twelve by the 36th minute. Yet despite the big lead, they found Cashel a hard nut to crack but the West champions failed to turn possession into scores and once Charlie Tobin scored Newport’s fourth goal, there was no going back as they outscored their opponents 3-7 to 1-1 in the last quarter.

Newport had set the pace in the opening minutes with goals by Cormac Shanahan and James Ryan giving the North champions a 2-2 to nil lead after six minutes.

Helped by a disciplined backline where Stephen O’Brien, James Ryan, Ronan O’Mahoney and Kevin Fitzpatrick controlled the pace while Conor McLoughlin and Oisin Kennedy dominated midfield, Newport went for the jugular and James Ryan’s second goal in the 13th minute with Ollie Roche adding a second free which put them 3-5 to nil in front.

Yet, Cashel had their moments with Colin Maher and Evan Ryan making attempts to create danger and in the 16th minute a run by Ryan had potential when his thirty metre run saw his angled shot saved by goalkeeper Cian Donoghoe before MJ Kennedy fired home the rebound.

Cormac McInerney’ dismissal came next but pointed frees by Denis O’Callaghan and MJ Anglim (free) gave Cashel some hope but Newport replied with points by Harry Noone and another Roche free before the half finished with a point by Eimhin Ryan to leave Newport in front by ten at the changeover.

The second half began with both teams trading scores starting a with a Conor McLoughlin free from close to half way before MJ Kennedy replied from play. The sequence continued with James Ryan and Eimhin Ryan swapping points before Newport extended their lead to twelve after sub Luke McIntyre scored from play and Ollie Roche added a free in the 37th minute.

Cashel continued to take the fight to Newport and five minutes later, MJ Anglim cut a hole in the defence before he was hauled down for a penalty. Eimhin Ryan went for power but Cian Donoghoe saved and the danger was cleared.

There was more from Cashel as Colin Maher led from midfield, helped by Ben Fitzgerald, Tommy O’Connor and Kyle Cully, but the extra man would start to take its toll, and in the 46th minute, Newport scored their fourth goal through Charlie Tobin after the centre forward made most of an Ollie Roche free which came back off the upright.

However, Cashel refused to go away and within a minute they had the Newport net bulging after MJ Kennedy goaled from an acute angle.

That goal was a signal for Newport to do something about the Cashel threat and two minutes later a Charlie Tobin point led to the floodgates opening.

Within seconds, they had two goals with Cormac Shanahan and Tobin raising green flags. Another Roche free followed and with the subs bench emptied, Caleb Byrne found time to find the net as everything was falling into place for the Mulcair boys.

It was one-way traffic now and Newport used the remaining time to rattle off five more points through Roche (2), Darragh Hickey, Tobin, and the ever present Kevin Fitzpatrick who went on a run up the left wing before bisecting the posts from thirty metres to seal an impressive win and a place in the final against St Mary’s who upset Thurles Sarsfields in the other semi-final.

TEAMS - Newport: Cian Donoghue, Stephen O’Brien, Aaron Lane, Ronan Gaffney; Colm Ryan, Kevin Fitzpatrick (Capt), Ronan O’Mahoney; Conor McLoughlin, Oisin Kennedy; Darragh Hickey, Charlie Tobin Harry Noone; James Ryan, Ollie Roche, Cormac Shanahan.

Subs: Luke McIntyre for C Ryan (HT); Jack Landers for Gaffney (53); Michael Shanahan for O’Mahoney (53); Tom McCabe for O’Brien (53); Caleb Byrne for C Shanahan (54).

Cashel King Cormacs: Jason O’Sullivan; Harry O’Connor, Cormac McInerney, Scott Underwood; Kyle Cully, Tommy O’Connor, Ben Fitzgerald; Denis O’Callaghan, Colin Maher; Ultan O’Donoghue, Cian Fitzgerald (Capt), Evan Ryan; Eimhin Ryan, MJ Anglim, MJ Kennedy.

Subs: Aidan O’Dwyer for Maher (28 inj); Michael O’Brien for O’Callaghan (53); Brian Devitt for Anglim (54); Michael Conor O’Brien for Underwood (55).

Referee: John Dooley (Thurles Gaels).