Dr. Harty Cup Hurling Q-Final – Our Lady’s Templemore 1-17 Midleton CBS 3-11

Cahill the Midleton hero with dramatic injury-time leveller

Midleton CBS 3-11 Our Lady’s Templemore 1-17

By Fintan O’Toole for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Thursday, January 20, 2011

MIDLETON CBS rescued their Dr Harty Cup campaign when Dillon Cahill grabbed a dramatic injury-time goal to force a draw against Our Lady’s Templemore in a pulsating quarter-final clash in Cahir yesterday afternoon. The East Cork school appeared on the brink after producing a below-par second-half display. They held fine prospects for success at the break as they possessed a 2-7 to 0-6 advantage but a resurgent Our Lady’s performance ensured that Midleton’s lead had morphed into a four point deficit nearing the finish.

However, after Conor Lehane trimmed it to three, the same player swung over a sideline from the right wing and midfielder Cahill flicked the ball through a scrum of bodies past Our Lady’s netminder Jack Bourke. The stunning finale was not without a degree of controversy. In the build up, the linesman on the left wing raised his flag to award a sideline against full-back Killian Burke yet referee Damien Fox allowed the action to proceed and Midleton took maximum advantage. The match was largely defined by two outstanding attacking displays by Liam McGrath, cousin of Tipperary senior Noel, and Conor Lehane. McGrath racked up a total of 0-14 for Our Lady’s while Lehane weighed in with 2-9 for Midleton CBS. The bulk of those scores were from placed balls yet both players won plenty frees through incisive running and they displayed nerve and leadership to provide scoring inspiration for their teams.

Our Lady’s opened in a positive fashion courtesy of a brace of points from McGrath, including an exquisite sideline cut, but Midleton quickly settled to the pace of the game. With Burke and Ian Kennefick resolute in defence, they rattled off five points on the trot to lead 0-5 to 0-2 by the 17th minute. Our Lady’s kept in touch through the relentless accuracy of McGrath yet the match took a decisive turn against them in the 26th minute when a long-range Lehane free evaded everyone and dropped into the net. To compound matters the Templemore school failed to clear their lines again in the 30th minute when Lehane fired in a free from distance and another green flag was raised. Those two fortuitous goals afforded Midleton a seven-point lead at the break.

Our Lady’s conjured up a terrific recovery in the second-half. Corner-forward Martin Kelly whipped a long delivery to the net inside the opening minute and that ignited their revival. Thomas Harnell, Liam Treacy, and John and Liam McGrath all proceeded to stamp their authority on proceedings and by the 45th minute they were level, 2-9 to 1-12, when Kelly landed their first point from play. Liam McGrath’s outstanding marksmanship continued to be a shining feature of the game, he struck eight points in the second-half, and once Our Lady’s hit the front on the scoreboard in the 50th minute, they had the momentum to kick on. A long-range point by midfielder Liam Treacy pushed them in front by 1-17 to 2-10 in the 59th minute yet just as they seemed poised for victory, Midleton’s battling qualities surfaced to register the late scores that tied the game. The replay will take place next Wednesday afternoon in Cahir at 2.30pm.

Scorers for Midleton CBS: C Lehane 2-9 (2-7 frees); D Cahill 1-0; C Walsh, M Hennessy (0-1 each).

Scorers for Our Lady’s Templemore: L McGrath 0-14 (10 frees, 0-1 ‘65, 0-1 sideline); M Kelly 1-1; S Hassett, L Treacy (0-1 each).

MIDLETON CBS: W McCarthy; D O’Brien, K Burke, N O’Regan; D Dineen, I Kennefick, A Gosnell; D Cahill, L O’Driscoll; B Lawton, C Walsh, C Lehane; D Morrissey, M Hennessy, P White.

OUR LADY’S TEMPLEMORE: J Bourke; J Nyland, K Kennedy, T Meade; L Mullally, T Harnell, J Moloney; L Treacy, C O’Riordan; L McGrath, S Hassett, J McGrath; M Kelly, J Bergin, O Ryan. Subs: B Kennedy for Mullally (36), P Meade for Ryan (57), D Donnelly for Harnell (inj) (61).

Referee: Damien Fox