Corn Uí Mhuirí Football Q-Final – Tralee CBS 1-15 St Flannan’s, Ennis 1-12

Moriarty points the way for Tralee CBS

Tralee CBS 1-15 St Flannan’s, Ennis 1-12

By Murt Murphy for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Thursday, January 27, 2011

FANCIED Tralee CBS were made fight all the way before beating a determined St Flannan’s, Ennis side in the Corn Ui Mhuiri quarter-final at bitterly cold Glin yesterday. The game was in the balance right to the final whistle as St Flannan’s, boosted by their dominant midfield pairing of Alan O’Neill and Tony Kelly, threatened to spoil the Tralee party. However, the potent Tralee attack, led by full-forward Jamie Moriarty who bagged eight points, was enough to see the Kerry side advance. Both Niall Sheehy and Sean Moloney ran Moriarty close with some superb running and shooting from the half forward line, and, in the final analysis, those players made all the difference.

Tralee CBS, despite having to play second fiddle in the middle of the park all through, led 0-5 to 0-3 at the end of the opening quarter thanks to three points from Jamie Moriarty and one each from Shane O’Callaghan and Sean Moloney. St Flannan’s countered with points from Martin O’Leary, Jamie Malone and Conor Cleary and would have been in front but for a brilliant save by Tralee keeper Peter Nammock who denied Martin O’Leary a certain goal. Exchanges were tight until half time with midfielder Tony Kelly the stand out performer, kicking three points in the final six minutes of the half, as Tralee led 0-8 to 0-6 at the interval playing with a stiff wind. Martin O’Leary closed the gap with an early second-half free before the game exploded into life with two goals within a minute in the 34th minute. Firstly Tralee, after a great Niall Sheehy run, set up Jamie Moriarty, who had his effort saved by the keeper, but Shane O’Callaghan drilled the rebound to the net.

From the kick out the Clare side attacked and when the move broke down close to the Tralee goal, a defender attempted a hand pass across his own goal that Cathal Doohan intercepted and shot to the Tralee net. Niall Sheehy and Moriarty kept Tralee in front but points from Martin O’Leary, Jamie Malone and Cathal Doohan saw the sides tied on 1-10 apiece with 10 minutes left. However, Tralee finished the stronger, full-back Laurence Bastible a rock at the heart of their defence, and it was Niall Sheehy and Sean Moloney who became the providers as Jamie Moriarty showed his class with three late points that killed off the St Flannan’s. Tralee CBS now meet the only non Kerry side left in the competition, Coláiste Chriost Ri in the semi-final.

Scorers for Tralee CBS: J Moriarty 0-8 (0-3 frees), S O’Callaghan 1-1, N Sheehy and S Moloney 0-3 each.

St Flannan’s: C Doohan 1-1, T Kelly 0-4, C Cleary 0-3 (0-2 frees), M O’Leary and J Malone 0-2 each

TRALEE CBS: P Nammock; M Tierney, L Bastible, A Crean; J Moran, R O’Shea, C Deane; J C O’Connor, S Walsh; N Sheehy, S Moloney, I McCarthy; R Quill, J Moriarty, S O’Callaghan.

Sub: J Savage for S O’Callaghan (52)

ST FLANNAN’S: J Neylon; M Malone, G Ryan, B Clancy; E Enright, J Colleran, G O’Connell; A O’Neill, T Kelly; L Breathnach, A Downes, C Cleary; M O’Leary, J Malone, C Doohan.

Subs: E Boyce for G Ryan (24), B Lynch for A Downes (42).

Referee: M Meade (Limerick)