2024 Masita All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Hogan Cup Football Semi-Final – Mercy Mounthawk 1-15 Naas CBS 1-10

Mercy Mounthawk defeated Naas CBS by 1-15 to 1-10 in the Masita All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Hogan Cup Football Semi-Final on Saturday February 24th at Bansha, Co. Tipperary.

Mounthawk turn the screw in second half to see off Naas and reach first Hogan Cup Finalhttps://t.co/yg30aCXXiM

— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) February 24, 2024

Mounthawk turn the screw in second half to see off Naas and reach first Hogan Cup Final

All-Ireland Post Primary Hogan Cup semi-final: Mercy Mounthawk (Kerry) 1-15 Naas CBS (Kildare) 1-10

Report by Murt Murphy for the Irish Examiner newspaper

A 1-3 salvo in a four-minute spell before half time saw Mercy Mounthawk take a two-point lead at the interval and a more controlled second-half display saw the Kerry side kill off 13-man Naas CBS challenge in this Hogan Cup semi-final played at Bansha this afternoon.

It is Mounthawk’s first appearance in a Hogan Cup final but it did not look likely after 20 minutes. Naas CBS dominated the early exchanges as Niall Cramer was keeping the lid on Mounthawk danger man Paddy Lane.

After early misses on both sides, Tomas Kennedy fired over the opening point for Mounthawk but Naas CBS responded with two points on the trot from defenders Matthew Kelly and Rob Murray but Paddy Lane leveled with a converted free after Ben Murphy was fouled.

But Naas CBS were winning breaking ball and attacking in numbers. After Tom Kelly kicked a fine point, Naas CBS struck for a 15th-minute goal. Liam O’Connor raced through the heart of the Mounthawk defence and found Ferdia O’Domhnaill with an inch-perfect pass, and he slid the ball to the corner of the Mounthawk net.

When fullback Brian Hoctor traveled the length of the pitch, Naas CBS had raced into a 1-4 to 0-2 lead after just 16 minutes. Garry O’Riordan and Daniel Kirby then thundered into the game as Mounthawk finally got going with Kirby being fouled twice and Lane converted both frees.

Kirby, after a Ben Murphy surge, then kicked a massive point from play, and suddenly Mounthawk trailed by only two (1-4 to 0-5) after 20 minutes.

But Naas were a side bristling with quality and points from Gilmartin brothers, Evan and Daire, pushed Naas four clear as the game approached the final five minutes of the opening half.

But Garry O’Riordan proved the catalyst for the Mounthawk comeback with a lung-bursting run to set up Paddy Lane for a point. Then when Kennedy forced a turnover, Lane found Noah Townsend inside the cover and buried the ball in the Naas net.

Kirby added an inspirational point and Tomas Kennedy scored from a mark and from being four down, Mercy Mounthawk led by two at half time, 1-8 to 1-6 at half time.

The Kerry school resumed a fired-up side as Paddy Lane moved out to the half-forward line and Mounthawk assumed complete control thanks to the Murphy brothers, Ben and Jack, Gary O’Riordan, Daniel Kirby and the unstoppable Lane.

He kicked the first point of the second half and two more Lane points and another from Kirby had Mounthawk 1-12 to 1-8 clear by the end of third quarter.

The game then took a turn when Liam O’Connor received a second yellow in the 49th minute and that ended the Naas CBS challenge. Mounthawk were always in control at the back when Naas CBS keeper Charlie Carroll upended Paddy Lane with a clear pathway to goal, he was shown a straight red and late points from Odhran Ferris and Jake Hoare put the icing on the Mounthawk cake after a tough battle.

Scorers for Mercy Mounthawk: P Lane (0-8, 5fs), N Townend (1-0), D Kirby and T Kennedy (0-3 each), J Hoare and O Ferris (0-1 each)

Naas CBS: F O’Domhaill (1-0), E Gilmartin (1f, 1m), D Gilmartin, A J Jordan (2fs) 0-2each), B Hoctor, M Kelly, R Murray and T Kelly (0-1 each).

MERCY MOUNTHAWK: M Tansley (Austin Stacks); G Riordan (Ardfert), O McGibney (Churchill), J Fisher (Austin Stacks); J Murphy (Austin Stacks), B Murphy (Austin Stacks); P O’Halloran (Austin Stacks), D Kirby (Austin Stacks), C O’Gara (Austin Stacks), N Collins (Ballymacelligott), O Ferris (Ardfert), S Corkery (John Mitchels); P Lane (Austin Stacks), T Kennedy (Kerins O’Rahillys), N Townsend (Austin Stacks)
Subs: K Sheehan (Na Gaeil) for Corkery (46), J Hoare (Kerins O’Rahillys) for Townsend (46), Oran Murphy (Churchill) for O’Halloran (53), and B Byrne (Austin Stacks) for O’Gara (59), and B Sharp (St Pat’s Blennerville) for McGibney (60).

NAAS CBS: C Carroll (Eadestown); N Cramer (Raheens), B Hoctor (Naas), M Kelly (Naas); R Murray (Naas), C McCarthy (Raheens), J McGuirk (Naas); C O’Reilly (Raheens), L O’Connor (Naas); D Gilmartin (Raheens), T Kelly (Naas), D Hamill (Raheens); F O’Domhnaill (Sallins), J Kelly (Eadestown), E Gilmartin (Raheens).
Subs: D Cooke (Raheens) for Murray (48), A Lenehan (Naas) for Hamill (48), AJ Jordan (Kill) for O’Domhnaill (50), O Thompson (Kill) for J Kelly (54).

Referee: S Lonergan (Tipperary)

Match Coverage

The game will be broadcast live on TG4 YouTube.