Goals prove key for Newcastle West in Limerick SFC win over Monaleen

NEWCASTLE West confirmed second place in Group 1 of the Irish Wire Football Championship with a 3-10 to 1-10 victory over Monaleen in Sean Finn Park, Rathkeale.

The outcome of the game didn't matter as both sides had already qualified for the championship quarter-finals and neither could overtake Fr Caseys for the top spot in the table that assured direct passage to the semis.

Although wind-assisted Newcastle enjoyed most of the early possession and got off the mark with Brian Foley's point.

Monaleen could have taken off with their first attack but Darragh Murray's goalbound shot off a pass and return was stopped on the line before Mark Torpey sent over an equalising point.

After declining two chances of two-point frees, the Magpies decided to go for doubles from play and bounced into a lead of four when Thomas Quilligan and Rigter both struck from distance.

Monaleen eventually settled and a quick attack led to Conal Ó Duinn finding the target and they pulled back another when they turned over the resulting kickout to draw a foul for Murray to punish.

However, their efforts were cancelled out by Eoin Hurley firing over a two-point free and they were then were hit with another thump when, after recovering a point effort from distance that dropped short, Peter Hempenstall's rasper was stopped on the line

The Magpies' lightning break from their own square drew a spot kick for Corbett to drill home after Lee Woulfe was pulled down with the goal at his mercy.

A man up following Charlie Casey's black card for the penalty to add to their wind advantage, it should have been the signal for Newcastle to move on and, while they extended their lead when Hurley bettered Barry Griffin's reply with a two-pointer, their intensity dropped coming up to the break.

A few sloppy passes went astray and it looked as if they'd been caught on the hop when a disputed line ball was turned over and a quick delivery found Niall Loughran to belt home a spectacular goal.

However, play was called back, the sideline call was turned over and the lead remained at 1-9 to 0-3 in Newcastle West’s favour at the break.

Monaleen upped the ante on the restart but, after having Hempenstall's goal effort disallowed for a square ball, the only reward from their siege was a Murray free.

Newcastle West then had a stroke of luck when Brian Hurley's speculative shot dropped short only to pass through fumbling hands and over the goal line.

Murray's two-pointer free undid some of the damage but relief was short-lived as an all-out Monaleen attack was turned over, and Newcastle's turbo-charged break from deep found Woulfe who bashed home his side's third goal at the second attempt.

When Murray's free was answered by Rigter's strike, the gap remained at nine with just nine regulation minutes to go as the Magpies concentrated on running the clock down and secured a comfortable victory.

SCORERS - NEWCASTLE WEST: Eoin Hurley 0-4 (1 tpf), Iain Corbett (pen), Brian Hurley, Lee Woulfe 1-0 each, Emmet Rigter 0-3, Thomas Quilligan 0-2, Brian Foley 0-1; MONALEEN: Darragh Murray 0-5 (3f, 1 tpf), Barry Griffin 1-0, Darach Ó Siochrú 0-2 (1f), Mark Torpey, Conal Ó Duinn, Shane Dolan 0-1 each.

NEWCASTLE WEST: Mike Quilligan; Michael Cremin, Darren O'Doherty, Brian O'Doherty, Con Hayes, Aaron Neville, Brian O'Sullivan; Iain Corbett, Lee Woulfe; Emmet Rigter, Eoin Hurley, Brian Foley; Thomas Quilligan, Mike McMahon, Shane Stack; SUBS: Brian Hurley for Hayes (42 mins, inj), Ruadhan O 'Connor for Stack (49 mins), Jody Woulfe for Rigter (50 mins), Bryan Nix for E Hurley (52 mins).

MONALEEN: Cian Ó hAodha; Darragh Clifford, Pádraig Quinn, Andrew Kearney; Tadhg Ó Siochrú, Darragh Kennedy, Peter Hempenstall; Niall Loughran, Charlie Casey; Mark Torpey, Conal Ó Duinn, Barry Griffin; Alan Nicholas, Darragh Murray, Shane Dolan; SUBS; Darach Ó Siochrú for Hempenstall (36 mins), Stephen Kiely for Ó Duinn (41 mins), Luke Murphy for Casey (46 mins), Jamie Crowley for Nicholas (46 mins), Colm Mullally for Ó hAodha (54 mins, inj).

REFEREE: Jonathan Hayes (St Senan's).