Delvin advance with victory over Newcastle

Gerry Buckley reportsA brace of goals from full forward Niall Williams, the second arriving in the nick of time in the 59th minute, were enough to propel a clearly ring-rusty Delvin into the second round of the Leinster junior hurling championship, by virtue of a two-point win over Newcastle, in Arklow last Saturday afternoon.Overall, the game was far from a classic, but Delvin will be pleased to have emerged from the Garden County with a precious win. The visitors started impressively and had 1-4 (to their opponents 0-2) on the board by the tenth minute. They proceeded to go a full half an hour without adding to their total and, in truth, they looked like they would fall at the first hurdle until Williams came good with a very well-taken goal in the second last minute of normal time.A small crowd was present for this game, the ground virtually clearing after the local under-12 hurling curtain-raiser ended. Delvin dominated the early exchanges and they were three points to the good by the fifth minute, courtesy of a great opening point from 60 metres by Anthony Clune and a brace from Killian Murphy - a fabulous score from a tight angle, followed by a converted 45-metre free. After the same player was narrowly wide with an attempt for a hat-trick of points, the home side got on the scoreboard with a terrific point from 50 metres by their most consistent player over the hour, John D. O’Brien (one of seven brothers and cousins with that surname on the team). In the seventh minute, great approach play by Killian Murphy teed up Niall Williams for a well-taken goal from close range.The respective number 10s - John D. O’Brien and Anthony Clune - then traded points from a free and open play respectively. Killian Murphy’s free from an acute angle came off the Newcastle upright, as a combination of scrappy play from both teams and profligacy by the visitors contributed to a poor spectacle for what remained of the first moiety. Newcastle added five unanswered points between the 18th and 28th minutes, with John D. O’Brien pointing frees for the first and last of these, sandwiched between which Mick O’Brien (two) and Paddy Kavanagh got their names on the scoresheet. Delvin’s worst miss of this period came in the 27th minute when an unmarked Padraig O’Shaughnessy hit the upright from 30 metres when a score seemed assured. Another poor wide came in added-time, with Killian Murphy shooting badly off target from a good position. At the break, the scoreboard read: Delvin 1-4 Newcastle 0-7.Within a minute of the resumption of play, Newcastle took the lead for the first time, John D. O’Brien pointing a 35-metre free. Delvin proceeded to spurn three chances from placed balls, ironically taken by three different players - Killian Murphy (65 metres), Kevin Williams (45 metres) and Niall Williams (50 metres) - and it was difficult to see where scores would come from. However, fine play by Patrick Farrelly soon led to the visitors’ first score in a whopping 30 minutes, Killian Murphy applying the finish from 40 metres. The latter player and John D. O’Brien (a close-range free) exchanged points to leave the sides tied (1-6 to 0-9) approaching the midpoint of the second half. More poor shooting ensued from both teams before Delvin had a very lucky escape when Mick O’Brien teed up Ciaran Doyle for what looked a certain goal, but his batted attempt was kept out by the feet of Gareth Halpin.A composed finish by John D. O’Brien from 50 metres, availing of a loose Delvin clearance, edged Newcastle ahead with seven minutes of normal time remaining. Three minutes later, the same player notched his eighth point of the hour, this time from a 35-metre free and the Wicklow champions looked set for a place in the next round. However, an astute pass from Niall Williams set up centre half back Patrick Clune for a neat point and, with time running out, the former got in for his second gaol, after being teed up by substitute Barry Williams. Patrick Clune was dismissed on a second yellow card (ironically, the game was sportingly contested and well refereed all through) before John D. O’Brien surprisingly elected to try and work a goal from a close-range free, but to no avail. In the dying seconds, Gerry Connors came forward from defence to try and blast a goal from another free, but the cheers of the home fans soon abated when they realised that it was the side netting which had shaken. A minute later, the Delvin players, who will need to improve dramatically if they are to progress further in the competition, were celebrating an unimpressive win.Delvin: Gareth Halpin; Thomas Clune, Francis McGrath, Johnny Cogan; Patrick Farrelly, Patrick Clune (0-1), Kevin Williams; Pat Farrington, J.P. Farrelly; Anthony Clune (0-2), Damien McHugh, Padraig O’Shaughnessy; Killian Murphy (0-4, 0-1 from a free), Niall Williams (2-0), Ross Fay. Subs: Barry Williams (for Fay, 38 mins), Darren Flynn (for O’Shaughnessy, 51 mins).Newcastle: Craig Butler; Andy O’Brien, Tom Berry, Paddy O’Brien; James O’Brien, Gerry Connors, Stephen Morris; Ta O’Brien, Graham O’Brien; John D. O’Brien (0-8, 0-6 from frees), J.P. Kelly, Paul Murphy; Mick O’Brien (0-2), Paddy Kavanagh (0-1), Ciaran Doyle.Referee: Paud O’Dwyer (Carlow).