Harty Cup: Ruthless St Flannan's brush aside Tralee CBS challenge
Match Pictured Hugh Cbs James Lenihan Captains And Hegarty Are (tralee With Flannan's) Adrienne (bruree) John Referee, ) Mcloughlin Pic: (st O'halloran
A ruthless and clinically efficient St Flannan’s dished out a lesson to newcomers Tralee CBS as the famed Ennis hurling nursery recorded a facile victory to ensure they finished top of Group 6 in this Munster Colleges SHC (Harty Cup) game at Ballyagran.
After drawing with Thurles CBS in their opening fixture, and with the Tipperary school recording a 13-point win over the ‘Green, the 22-time kingpins of the competition knew exactly what their objective was, and they completed their task with consummate ease.
Seizing the initiative after Tralee CBS failed to take advantage of early point and goal opportunities, white flags in the opening five minutes from Ronan Loftus and top scorer Harry Doherty (free), sandwiching a Conor Ralph goal, had the St Flannan’s stall set out from the get-go.
With Daniel Costelloe and Dara Kennedy on top around the middle, ensuring a plentiful supply of ball to a very accurate forward line, the winners were comfortably in control by the end of the opening quarter (1-8 to 0-3), with their opponents too dependent on Liam Óg O’Connor in attack.
Indeed, by the interval, despite an excellent Cian Harris save from impressive full-forward Doherty, St Flannan’s were out of sight (2-16 to 0-5). Nine different scorers were on the mark by that stage, Paul O’Connell and Kennedy with three-point hauls, Ralph dispatching his second goal.
With Doherty, who finished with a tally of 1-10, raising the third green flag for St Flannan’s just three minutes into the second half, it was clear that there was going to be no let-up. By the end of the third quarter, two long-range specials from Darragh McNamara had the gap out to 26 points (3-24 to 0-7).
Tralee CBS, who had been much more competitive against Thurles CBS, kept battling away, especially at half-back through Ryan Hurley, Hugh Lenihan and Darragh Corridon, but the St Flannan’s defence was rigid and uncompromising, as the Kerry school could only manage two points from play.
By the final whistle, St Flannan’s had increased their winning margin even further, with Marco Cleary among the substitutes to show up well. For them, much stiffer tests await in the knock-out stages. For Tralee CBS, a tough day at the office, but they will learn plenty from the experience.
H Doherty 1-10 (0-6fs, 0-2 ‘65s), C Ralph 2-1, P O’Connell, D Kennedy, R Kilroy 0-3 each, D Costelloe, J Hegarty(fs), D McNamara 0-2 each, R Loftus, N Hegarty, M Cleary 0-1 each.
L Óg O’Connor 0-8 (0-7fs), M Corridon 0-1.
M O Coileáin (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield); C Daly (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield), J Casey (Kilmaley), S McNamara (Clooney Quin); J Cullinan (Ruan), J Hegarty (Inagh Kilnamona), R Loftus (Eire Og); D Costelloe (Ballyea), D Kennedy (Ballyea); R Kilroy (Banner), D McNamara (Clooney Quin), D Ball (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield); P O’Connell (Clarecastle), H Doherty (Clarecastle), C Ralph (Clarecastle).
M Cleary (Eire Og) for Ralph (42), G Ball (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield) for Kennedy (42), N Hegarty (Inagh Kilnamona) for D McNamara (47), E Kennedy (Ballyea) for Loftus (49), C Hill (Ballyea) for Daly (50).
C Harris (Tralee Parnells); B Leen (St Brendans), D Nolan (Crotta O’Neills), D Horgan (Ballyheigue); R Hurley (Crotta O’Neills), H Lenihan (St Brendans), D Corridon (Kilmoyley); A Kerins (Tralee Parnells), E O’Flaherty (St Brendans); M Corridon (Kilmoyley), A Relihan (Crotta O’Neills), J Rochford (Ballyduff); L Rochford (Ballyduff), L Og O’Connor (St Brendans), K Best (St Brendans).
R O’Halloran (Ballyheigue) for Horgan (ht), M O’Sullivan (Ballyheigue) for Best (ht), W Somers (Tralee Parnells) for M Corridon (47), L Fitzmaurice (Abbeydorney) for Relihan (55).
J O’Halloran (Limerick).