Dr. Harty Cup Hurling – Our Ladys Templemore 1-23 St. Flannans 1-12

Dr. Harty Cup

Our Ladys Templemore 1-23 St. Flannans 1-12

Report by Ed Donnelly (info.munster@gaa.ie)

Our Lady’s Templemore proved too strong for St. Flannans in Tuesday’s Group F encounter in the Dr. Harty Cup played at a sunny MacDonagh Park Nenagh.

With a new format in place, those schools in a two team group are already guaranteed a place in the last 16 of the competition. So this game was all about determining who would be progressing as the group winner and in theory, get a more favourable draw in the knockout stages.

The ultimate result in this game wasn’t in doubt from an early stage as Templemore took control from the beginning. After a couple of early wides, Our Lady’s got off the mark as Brian McGrath set up Jerry Kelly for a point from play, the first of five for the wing-forward. St. Flannans opened their account with a free courtesy of Tom O’Rourke in the eighth minute.

Templemore continued to dominate in all sectors except one, the scoreboard. By the 20th minute, Templemore were three points up, 0-5 to 0-2 but had recorded 10 wides which illustrated their dominance in general play. Templemore’s accuracy improved in the last ten minutes of the first half, finding their range with five of their last six shots to go in at the interval in front by 0-10 to 0-3.

Templemore’s play upon the resumption was more direct and by the end of the third quarter, they led by 0-18 to 0-6 with Jerry Kelly, Brian McGrath and Lyndon Fairbrother scoring at will. To St. Flannans credit, they were never going to win this game but showed commendable spirit throughout and were rewarded in the 46th minute when Gearoid Cahill ghosted in behind the Templemore full-back line to raise the green flag. This goal began a mini-revival for the Clare school as they accounted for six of the next nine points over the following 10 minutes to leave the score at 0-22 to 1-12 heading in to the last five minutes.

St. Flannans needed another goal to try and get back in to this game but alas, the goal went the way of Our Lady’s when substitute Andrew Ormond scored from close range in the 56th minute. The Templemore side would add one further point before the final whistle sounded with Our Lady’s Templemore running out winners by 1-23 to 1-12. Templemore also won the wide count, accounting for 15 as compared to 8 for Flannans.

Our Lady’s Templemore: Eoin Collins (Drom & Inch); Sean Ryan (Templederry Kenyons), Pauric Campion (Drom & Inch), Eoghan Ryan (Loughmore-Castleiney); Eanna McBride (JK Brackens), Diarmaid Ryan (Clonakenny), Aidan O’Meara (Drom & Inch); Paddy Cadell (JK Brackens, Captain, 0-2), David O’Shea (JK Brackens); Jerry Kelly (Borris-Ileigh, 0-5), Brian McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney, 0-5, 0-1 65), Gearoid O’Connor (Moyne-Templetuohy); Stevie Nolan (Drom & Inch), Ray McCormack (Borris-Ileigh), Lyndon Fairbrother (JK Brackens, 0-9, 0-6 frees)
Subs: Jason Gilmartin (Roscrea, 0-2) for O’Shea (32m), Andrew Ormond (JK Brackens, 1-0) for O’Connor (47m), Neil Quinlan (JK Brackens) for Sean Ryan (52m), Delacy Byrne (Clonakenny) for McBride (55m), Jack Ryan (Toomevara) for McGrath (58m)

St. Flannans: Ronan Callinan (Kilmaley); Mark Russell (Clarecastle), Peter Casey (Ballyea), Eoghan Tynne (St. Josephs Doora Barefield); Eoghan Wallace (Clarecastle), David Mescall (Inagh/Kilnamona, Captain), Cian Donnelly (Clarecastle); Ross Hayes (Crusheen, 0-1 free), Tom Hannon (St. Josephs Doora Barefield); Eoghan O’Hara (Clarecastle), Sean Kennedy (Kilmaley, 0-1), Gearoid Cahill (Corofin, 1-1); Tom O’Rourke (Kilmaley, 0-6 frees), Colin Haugh (Ruan, 0-1), Sean Meaney (Ballyea, 0-2)