Hard not to pity October hurlers. The champions of Cork and Waterford met on a dreadful day in Walsh Park yesterday and it was the home side, courtesy of a late Tony Browne goal, who live to march through grimmest winter.
Newtownshandrum, on their maiden provincial campaign, will revisit the closing minutes of this match many, many times and arrive at the conclusion that they ought to have salvaged a draw.
After Tony Browne, loitering around a crowded mess of a goalmouth, got timber to Eoin Kelly's dangerously floated ball to strike the decisive blow in the 53rd minute, Newtownshandrum quickly cut the deficit to two after a Ben O'Connor free.
In the last four minutes, however, Mike Morrissey blasted an admittedly acute scoring chance into a row of poplars and then O'Connor, on the money all afternoon, fired wide with a free chance. Conversions here would have earned the Cork champions at least another Sunday, which would not have been undeserved.
Mount Sion, after a rusty first 15 minutes during which they oozed negativity, gradually came to terms with the appalling day and the fact that their young opponents were up for it. With Ken McGrath increasingly influential and Brian Flannery in dominant form at wing back, they took an early lead in the 90 seconds following the halftime restart and never fell behind again.
Down 2-4 to 1-4 at the half, Ken McGrath opted to drill a shot low at the goal from 20 metres out. The Newtownshandrum defence was ready, but couldn't stop the effort. From the puck out, Eoin McGrath was held by Brendan Mulcahy, and Tony Browne drilled the free.
From then, the teams settled into a taut, absorbing search for daylight and served a quality of hurling that totally belied the foul, blustery conditions.
Pat Mulcahy was an omnipotent force at centre back for Cork, assured under dropping balls, fastidious when it came to sweeping loose ball and a solid bulwark down the middle. Sean McCarthy also had a fine game at corner back for the Cork men and Gerry O'Connor struck three fine points from play and taking a faltering cause to Mount Sion as the game ebbed.
Both teams aspired to hurl honestly despite the grease and driving rain. Ben O'Connor's wonderfully taken point, after a slick exchange between Bertie Troy and Donal Mulcahy, set Newton's mood and they produced some fine scores.
It was Ben O'Connor who hit the first goal, haring on to a long dropping free and torching his shot beyond Paul Morrissey. A Gerry O'Connor point, after another web of neat passing, put the Cork side into a 1-4 to 0-1 lead after 17 minutes and at that early stage, their opponents had an unconvincing look.
Mount Sion, however, demonstrated lethal timing throughout this game. On 22 minutes, midfielder Eoin Kelly, a sensational prospect, took a pass from Browne and loped around the Newtownshandrum defence before blazing a shot past Paul Morrissey that wakened his side.
By the 27th minute, they had squared the game at 1-4 each. Newtownshandrum had the final say of the half, with Donal Mulcahy spinning out of trouble to lay a fine hand-pass which Ian Kelleher latched on to before casually netting but the impetus was with the Waterford men.
The mood grew ragged and flared a little as the afternoon worsened, mocking the players' efforts and at times making the game virtually ungovernable. The shame was that these two sides, luminous in skill more so than fibre, could not have met on reasonable ground and on a day without storm warnings.
No matter to Mount Sion, however, who are back in business after a long siesta following their county championship win. It was a tough conclusion to Newtownshandrum's memorable year and a game to remind them that, at this unforgiving time of year, chances come scarce.
MOUNT SION: P Flynn; G Harris, G Gater, K O'Connor; B Flannery, R McGrath, K O'Neill; E Kelly (1-1, point from free), P Fanning; E McGrath (0-1), A Kirwan, T Browne (1-5, points from frees); M O Regan, K McGrath (1-0, free), B Browne. Sub: D Acheson for A Kirwan.
NEWTOWNSHANDRUM: P Morrissey; J Griffin, B Mulchay, J McCarthy; D Murphy, P Mulcahy, P Noonan; I Kelleher (1-0), A O'Brien; M Morrissey (0-1), B Troy, J O'Connor (0-3), D Riordan, D Mulcahy , B O'Connor (1-5, 4 frees).
Referee: Seamus Roche.
