Newport crush poor Silvermines

GAA: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Hurling – O Riain Cup Group 2

Newport 3-26

Silvermines 4-11

Report: Shane Brophy in Nenagh

For the second time in twelve months, Newport recorded an emphatic victory over Silvermines in this O Riain Cup round 2 clash on Sunday.

23-points separated the sides in last years quarter final and this victory was as dominant for Newport with only late goals putting a shine on it for Silvermines who were a beaten docket at half time when they trailed by fourteen points.

After a fifteen-point beating by Templederry in the first round, Newport were focused right from the off and produced a first half performance which showed why they got to the semi-final stage last year, full of pace and invention which was too much for Silvermines.

However, the ‘Mines didn’t help themselves with the looseness of their defending, even with a sweeper in place, they were yards off their men at times, from where particularly Kealan Floyd and Daniel Carew filled their boots, contributing sixteen points between them, eleven from play.

They also had the powerful presence of Colin Floyd at full forward who tortured Silvermines in the first half, both in the air on the ground, and finished with 2-2, a real full forwards display.

However, Newport will be first to concede they benefitted from acres of space afforded to them and at half time the Silvermines management put it to their players that their pride was in question, such was the gap in performance between the sides.

The bench was emptied in an effort to find a spark and to their credit the ‘Mines won the second half by two points, however, that was down to Jason Forde. The Tipp star finished with 3-9, 3-6 from placed balls, including a first half penalty, and also missed a second one late on following a foul on Michael Corcoran which saw Newport’s Conor O’Mahony sent off for a second bookable offence.

The opening ten minutes had a nice edge to the game but once Colin Floyd took advantage of a slip by Micheal Hogan to score his first goal on eight minutes, it was one-way traffic after that. They reeled off six unanswered points before Jason Forde doubled the ‘Mines total with Colin Floyd pointing for a 1-9 to 0-2 lead at the water-break.

Things didn’t improve for the ‘Mines in the second quarter as Newport were a yard quicker in everything they did as Carew, Floyd, Pa Ryan, Darragh Carroll and Thomas Carroll brought their first half tally to 1-18 with Silvermines way back on 1-4, Forde scoring the lot, including an injury time penalty after he himself was fouled.

Any hope of a Silvermines revival was extinguished within seconds of the restart as a surging run by Sean O’Brien from throw-in led to Colin Floyd firing to the net.

Silvermines cancelled it out quickly when Jason Forde fired a 21-yard free to the net after the lively Padraig Fogarty was initially denied.

Newport weren’t as clinical in the second half with the game well in hand, but Peter O’Sullivan did score their third goal in the 43rd minute, however, two minutes later it was responded to by Padraig Fogarty, set up by Forde.

The Mulcair men were twenty points to the good at one stage in the final quarter before Silvermines made a late burst with two more goals from Forde, both from 21-yard frees to reduce the final margin of defeat to twelve, which could be important if quarter final or relegation placings in the group are decided on score difference.

Player of the Match: Daniel Carew (Newport)

Newport: Paul Hogan (6); Jordan Young (7), Odhran Floyd (7), Andrew Hickey (7); Conor Floyd (7), Conor O’Mahony (0-1, 7), Sean O’Brien (8); Cian Flanagan (7), Peter O’Sullivan (1-0, 7); Daniel Carew (0-6, 9), Darragh Carroll (0-1, 7), Thomas Floyd (0-1, 6); Kealan Floyd (0-10, 5f) 9), Colin Floyd (2-2, 8), Pa Ryan (0-3, 1 s-cut) 8).

Subs: Aidan Moloney (0-2, 7) for Ryan (48); Aaron O’Neill (6) for O’Sullivan (48); Rob Houlihan (6) for Young (52); Jack Delahunty (NR) for Hickey (60+2); Aidan Ryan (NR) for Flanagan (60+2).

Silvermines: David Shanahan (6); Patrick Leamy (5), Micheal Hogan (5), Edward Ryan (5); Michael Corcoran (7), Darragh Nolan (6), Darragh McKelvey (5); Ruairi Maher (5), Mark Daniels (6); Conor McKelvey (6), Jason Forde (3-9, 2-6f, 1-0 pen) 9), Ronan Sherlock (5); Orrie Quirke (7), Padraig Fogarty (1-0, 7), Oisin Murphy (0-1, 6).

Subs: Noel Quirke (6) for Hogan (23); Bryan Seymour (6) for Sherlock (30); Colin O’Brien (7) for D McKelvey (HT); Andrew Hayden (6) for Maher (HT); Sean Spillane (6) for C McKelvey (48).

Referee: Philip Kelly (Ballinahinch)