Cork SHC Final: Newtownshandrum - 0-17 Blackrock 1-9 Ben O'Connor inspired Newtownshandrum to their second Cork county senior hurling championship title in four years at Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday.
The Cork star scored 10 points in a man-of-the-match performance that helped Newtown avenge last season's defeat by Blackrock, who where denied a hat-trick of victories.
Newtownshandrum were the dominant side throughout and held a five-point lead, 0-13 to 0-8, with seven minutes left, when Blackrock claimed the only goal in front of a crowd of 13,746. It came from a well-struck penalty by Adrian Coughlan after Liam Meaney was fouled in the square.
That cut the deficit to two points, but Newtownshandrum supplied all the answers in the closing minutes, outscoring the Rockies by 0-4 to 0-1 with O'Connor firing over one of the game's best points after 56 minutes following John Paul King's tenacious play.
Within a minute impressive full forward James Bowles, who played at minor level this season, added another and two more from O'Connor and Alan O'Brien sealed victory for Newtownshandrum.
Newtown led by 0-6 to 0-5 at half-time, having played against the stiff wind. The sides were level three times during the half with Newtown also registering seven wides, one more than Blackrock.
Newtownshandrum suffered a blow to their chances when left half forward Donal Mulcahy was stretchered off with an ankle injury after just five minutes, though Jerry O'Connor showed their intentions by opening the scoring with a point after a mere 10 seconds.
A pointed free by twin brother Ben had the north Cork side two points clear inside four minutes before midfielder Paul Tierney cut a sideline ball over the bar to give Blackrock their first score a couple of minutes later.
They were tied at 0-3 each after 15 minutes following two points in quick succession by Barry Hennebry, though Ben O'Connor nudged Newtownshandrum in front again three minutes later.
Blackrock enjoyed their best spell as a Meaney point restored equality before a Coughlan free gave them the lead, 0-5 to 0-4, for the only time after 22 minutes.
A couple of Ben O'Connor frees helped Newtownshandrum go in at the break with a slender advantage.
Within 25 seconds of the restart the winners edged two points clear with a fine King effort and they stretched this to five with some well struck points from John O'Connor, King and a sideline cut from Ben O'Connor.
Coughlan's goal threatened Newtown's dominance only briefly before the winners came good again in an impressive finish.
NEWTOWNSHANDRUM: P Morrissey; J McCarthy, B Mulcahy, G O'Mahony; I Kelleher, P Mulcahy, P Noonan; A O'Brien (0-1), Jerry O'Connor (0-1); John O'Connor (0-1), Ben O'Connor (0-10), D Mulcahy; JP King (0-2), J Bowles (0-2), M Farrell. Subs: D Naughton for D Mulcahy injured, M Morrissey for Farrell, D Riordan for Naughton.
BLACKROCK: T Barry; W Sherlock, N Keane, J Browne; S Murphy, A Cummins, F Ryan; A Coughlan (1-3), P Tierney (0-2); B Hennebry (0-2), L Meaney (0-1), J Young; B O'Keeffe (0-1), A Browne, D Cashman. Sub: D Gosnell for Cashman.
Referee: C McAllister (Cork).
