Tubber 0-13
Newmarket-on-Fergus 1-09
Venue: Gurteen
Tubber snatched victory from Newmarket-on-Fergus in the Junior B Championship Final on Saturday afternoon scoring the last five points of the contest to secure a one point win and a a place in the Junior A ranks for 2018.
Newmarket started the better building up a three point headstart as Rory Murphy, Ger Hannon and Ronan McCarthy put over points. Cyril Cunningham opened his account and Tubber’s on the ninth.
Three points without reply left The Blues in control via Brian Clancy and an Oisin Pender double. But once more it was Cunningham who provided some solace for their opponents, executing from distance and this was followed by an Eamon Taaffe point.
On two separate occasions the sides swapped scores with Paul McInerney and Brian Clancy adding for Newmarket while it was Taaffe and Cunningham for Tubber leaving the half-time score 0-08 0-05 in favour of Newmarket.
As Tubber upped the ante, Eamon Taaffe made the increased pressure count with a point early in the second half. Oisin Pender gave Newmarket a much needed lift when he ran into space picked up the breaking ball and fired past Cathal O’Grady to give them a five point advantage six minutes into the new half.
The two Taaffe’s, Eamon and James replied for the North Clare men but Paul McInerney stepped up at the other end hitting Newmarket’s first and only point of the second half on forty three minutes.
A composed and patient Tubber kept the scoreboard ticking over and hit five points on the trot, coming good at the vital time to take home the spoils.
Despite missing three frees early on, Michael Ryan’s men never panicked as the game wore on. Critically they kept adding scores while Newmarket went scoreless in the final quarter and only hit 1-01 in the second half in comparison to Tubber’s 0-08. Justin McMahon, Cyril Cunningham and Eamon Taaffe were most impressive for the winners.
A one point defeat is never easy to stomach especially on county final day and that coupled with the fact Newmarket had the winning of the game as they slowly let it slip is really going to disgruntle them. In reaching successive finals, they have had some brilliant victories but they were edged out in the decider once more. Ronan McCarthy was the standout player for John Hannon’s charges.
Tubber: Cathal O’Grady; David Fogarty, Alan Naughton; Michéal Kelly, Justin McMahon, Shaun Naughton; Cyril Cunningham, Seaghan Brosnan; David Conroy, Shane Lee, Damien Quinn; Eamon Taaffe, Cathal Murray, James Taaffe.
Newmarket-on-Fergus: Brian Tierney; PJ Enright, Eoin McInerney, Alan O’Flanagan; Ronan McCarthy (0-01), Pakie McCormack, Gearoid McMahon; Eoin Frawley, Davy McCormack; Ger Hannon (0-01), Paul McInerney, Connor Clancy; Oisin Pender, Brian Clancy, Rory Murphy (0-01). Subs: James Power for Murphy (39), Pa Burke for McCormack (42).
Ref: Martin Leahy (Ruan)
PIC: Gary Collins