In the opening round of the PIFC we were faced with Newmarket last Sunday in Buttevant. With training and practise games a side it was time to get back into Championship mode again after the disappointing year last year. A good start to the year would put players and management to a bit of ease if we could secure a 3rd round spot early. Newmarket, who were experienced and senior not so long ago, wouldn’t be a push over by any means and would show this through-out the game. Brian Coniry took control of a well contested match on what was a very dry day in Buttevant with a breeze blowing across the pitch in no ones favour. Newmarket would be the first to tag the score board from one of the opening plays but Fermoy reacted with 4 of their own points from the boot of Ruairi O’Hagan with placed balls and Liam Colman from a 45. At the 15 minute mark, the game was 0-5 to 0-3 and there was very little between the teams with Sean Shanahan, Jeff Daly and Alan Baragry putting their stamp on the game from the full back line. Tomas Clancy also controlled the most of the first half with brother Padraig running endlessly up and down the line acting as a outlet from defence into attack. The half ended at 0-7 to 0-4 in Fermoys favour with O’Hagan leading the scoring with 5 of the 7.
The second half would begin the same as the first with Newmarket putting up the first score of the half. Fermoy seem to rally around and start to get a wind up and O’Hagan, Morrison and Paudy Clancy would all find their range along with a well taken point from Alan O’Connor. This stretched the lead from 0-11 to 0-5. Arlen Aherne then made way for Dale Dawson 15 minutes into the second half. Newmarket pulled themselves together and began to make a charge back. While Shanahan was still very much so on top with the others in the full back line, Newmarket half forwards and mid-fielders came through on a number occasions pointing 3 but with the 4th successful effort, a sweeping move from the middle of the field and little of no contact on a Newmarket man, who always seemed to have someone overlapping or someone off the shoulder, gave Newmarket the first goal of the game. Momentum had changed and Newmarket reduced the lead to 0-13 to 1-10 heading into the last 5 minutes. The second half for the most was an excellent display of attacking with pace and Fermoy settled back and attacked in waves. One of which, saw newly introduced, Ronan O’Callaghan put O’Hagan in on goal but was very unlucky not to hit the net. Newmarket took from this and headed down the pitch only to get the final goal of the game which would prove to be defining score in the game. Coniry blew the final whistle with the score line at 2-10 to 0-15 in favour of Newmarket. Fermoy will now face either Macroom or Naomh aban in the next round. The team lined out as follows: L Colman, S Shanahan, J Daly, A Baragry, P Clancy, T Clancy, P Murphy, D O’Carroll, P De Roiste, B O’Sullivan, A O’Connor, M Brennan, R O’Hagan, K Morrison, A Aherne. Subs used: R O’Callaghan, D Dawson and R Morrison. Scorers R O’Hagan 0-8(0-6frees) A O’Connor 0-2, K Morrison 0-2, M Brennan 0-1, P Clancy 0-1, L Colman 0-1(45)