Midleton 0-24
Newtownshandrum 0-19
Midleton never trailed as they assumed the early leadership of Group 2 of the Co-op SuperStores Premier SHC with victory over Newtownshandrum on Saturday night.
The second game of the Páirc Uà Rinn double-header never truly came to life but, even though the margin at the end was five points, the Magpies had led by eight as the game neared the conclusion of normal time.
Leading by 0-14 to 0-9 at half-time, the winners conceded the first score of the second half – Tim O’Mahony’s free the sixth of an 11-point haul – before responding with good points from Cormac Beausang and Seán O’Meara.
When a multi-pass Newtown move broke down without a shot being taken, Midleton were able to display their greater incisiveness as Conor Lehane set midfielder Alex Quirke away for his second point and a 0-17 to 0-10 lead.
Ross O’Regan of Midleton battles for the high ball with Newtownshandrum’s David O’Connor. Picture: Jim Coughlan
With O’Mahony impressive from dead balls, Newtown’s battling qualities got them back to within four points on more than one occasion after that but they needed a goal to really trouble their opponents and, with Jamie Coughlan absent with a calf injury, one never looked like materialising.
A pair of O’Mahony frees from his own 65 left it 0-20 to 0-16 with 13 minutes remaining, but again Midleton were able to respond. Eoin Moloney and O’Meara set up Quirke for his third with another swift counter-attacking move and Patrick White notched his second after a turnover to make the lead six.
A Mikey Finn block-down a clearance gave Cormac Beausang a chance to go for goal – his low shot was deflected wide but Conor Lehane, who broke even in his battle with Cormac O’Brien, sent over the 65 and another free to make it 0-24 to 0-16. A long-range O’Brien effort and two O’Mahony frees were not sufficient to turn things around here but may be useful in the final denouement of a group that also features Charleville and Newcestown.
Patrick White of Midleton tussles with Tim O’Mahony of Newtownshandrum. Picture: Jim Coughlan
In a lacklustre first half, Midleton never trailed – their biggest advantage was seven points, it was reduced to four after that and they retired with a five-point advantage.
Lehane had six of those while David Cremin hit a purple patch midway through the half that yielded three points – that was followed by a tangling with Kieran O’Sullivan that led to a scuffle, though the wing-forward escaped with a yellow card.
Just prior to that, Newtown had threatened to forge a goal opening in a game where they had been thin on the ground up to then, but Ronan Geary’s progress was halted by a heavy-duty Luke Dineen challenge that yielded a booking.
Tim O’Mahony converted the free that resulted to leave it 0-12 to 0-7 and, while Lehane replied with his fifth, O’Mahony hit a free from halfway and then forced a turnover from the puckout to set up his namesake Eoin O’Mahony to reduce the margin to just four.
Lehane had the final say to leave five in it at the break; the margin was the same at the end.
Scorers for Midleton: C Lehane 0-9 (0-5 f, 0-1 65), D Cremin, C Beausang. A Quirke 0-3 each, P White 0-2, S O’Meara, T O’Connell, K McDermott, M Finn 0-1 each.
Scorers: T O’Mahony 0-11 (0-10 f), C O’Brien 0-2, R Troy, D O’Connor, E O’Mahony, R Geary, M Ryan, T O’Neill 0-1 each.
MIDLETON: B Saunderson; L Dineen, E Moloney, C Smyth; S O’Meara, T O’Connell, R O’Regan; A Quirke, M Finn; D Cremin, C Lehane, K McDermott; L O’Farrell, C Beausang, P White.
Subs: A Daly for Quirke (6-13, temporary), T O’Leary Hayes for McDermott (7, injured),
NEWTOWNSHANDRUM: J Bowles; R Troy, P O’Sullivan, T McCarthy; C Twomey, C O’Brien, K O’Sullivan; B Collins, J Geary; T O’Mahony, R Troy, D O’Connor; E O’Mahony, C Griffin, R Geary.
Subs: M Ryan for Geary (half-time), T O’Neill for D O’Connor (40), S Minihane for Griffin (46), J Lane for Collins (53, injured), D Ryan for O’Sullivan (60+1).
Referee: S Stokes (Tullylease).