Cashel CS through to Harty Cup quarter-final after eight point win over Blackwater CS

The 2023 champions coughed up a third-minute goal but anchored by the terrific Noah O’Flynn and Shane Cooney, they only allowed nine scores across the hour to seal top spot in Group 3.

Bríain O’Donoghue and Charlie Hall both scored sideline cuts, an even more impressive feat off the 4G surface, as they combined for 0-14 of Cashel’s tally.

A nine-point burst between the 12th and 28th minutes was the key move for them to join Ardscoil Rís, Midleton CBS, and CBC, Cork, in the last eight line-up.

Blackwater had won the opening two games of their Harty Cup return and still have a preliminary quarter-final to look forward to next week. They will need to regain momentum, though, having seen their goal-happy attack choked up by Cashel’s stingy defence.

After Ben Cummins and Ryan O’Sullivan traded points, that blue-and-gold rearguard was breached for the first time this campaign.

Stephen Murphy won the puck-out and James Hickey delivered the ball in for Cummins, whose pass ran through for his younger brother Adam to whip home.

Both teams mirrored each other’s third-midfielder strategy but it was Cashel who got the better grip on Blackwater supply lines. Centre-back Cooney teed up Sam Hall for a settling point and O’Flynn charged onto a loose ball before playing a clever flick to Charlie Hall for another.

A couple of Ben Cummins frees had Blackwater 1-3 to 0-4 ahead but Cashel took total control in the run-up to half-time.

Cooney picked up a misplaced pass for a point, O’Flynn’s intercept led to O’Donoghue’s first from play, and Charlie Hall, after fielding a puck-out, juggled the sliotar along the sideline to launch a superb no-look score. That gave the Tipp school their first lead on the quarter-hour.

O’Donoghue reeled off two frees before Charlie Hall’s expert sideline cut split the posts.

Colm Ryan emerged from a scrap for possession to feed Willie Colville for a point and O’Donoghue punished another pair of Blackwater indiscretions to make it 0-13 to 1-3.

A fine Ben Cummins point, battling to win the sliotar before creating space with a smart one-two, ended an 18-minute scoring drought and nipped the half-time deficit back to six points.

Cashel had converted 13 of their 15 first-half shots but both sides combined for a flurry of wides after the restart. There was plenty of ash clashing, too, as Blackwater upped their work-rate with three early block downs.

They struggled to make it count on the scoreboard. David O’Farrell’s intercept point was cancelled out by an O’Donoghue free before Stephen Murphy slotted a long-ranger.

Cashel were content to restrict space and ward off any Blackwater comeback as the Lismore school went another 15 minutes without a score. A Seamus Kennedy point and two O’Donoghue frees were the only flags raised during that lull.

In the 55th minute, Blackwater had their best chance of a lifeline. Substitute Charlie Nicholson raced towards the target but Cian Lonergan brilliantly covered across to block his shot away for a 65.

Ben Cummins arrowed over two late placed balls but O’Donoghue matched him with a free and, to top it all off, a sideline cut, taking his total to 0-11.

To compound the defeat, the news came through at full-time that the Blackwater team bus had broken down.

Scorers for Cashel CS: B O’Donoghue (0-11, 9 frees, 1 sideline); C Hall (0-3, 1 sideline); S Cooney, S Hall, W Colville, S Kennedy, R O’Sullivan (0-1 each).

Scorers for Blackwater CS: B Cummins (0-6, 2 frees, 2 65s); A Cummins (1-0); D O’Farrell, S Murphy (0-1 each).

CASHEL CS: E Dunne (Cashel King Cormacs); R O’Mahony (Fethard), C Lonergan (Golden-Kilfeacle), N O’Flynn (Fethard); C Walsh (Fethard), S Cooney (Clerihan), T O’Driscoll (Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams); S Hall (Golden-Kilfeacle), C Ryan (Cashel King Cormacs); C Hall (Golden-Kilfeacle), B O’Donoghue (Cashel King Cormacs), C Bourke (Rosegreen, capt); W Colville (Rosegreen), S Kennedy (Clonoulty-Rossmore), R O’Sullivan (Clerihan).

Subs: S Mackey (Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams) for Colville (42), C Fogarty (Boherlahan-Dualla) for O’Sullivan (48), E Ryan (Cashel King Cormacs) for Kennedy (56), J Finn (Golden-Kilfeacle) for C Hall (59).

BLACKWATER CS: B Murphy (Cois Bhríde); G Kenneally (Ballyduff Upper), D O’Brien (Ballysaggart), C Lynch (St Oliver’s); S Barry (Lismore), H Quann (Lismore), B Bourke (Ballyduff Upper); J McDonnell (Cois Bhríde), J Hickey (Modeligo); C Lineen (Lismore), D O’Farrell (Lismore), H O’Donovan (St Oliver’s); B Cummins (Lismore), S Murphy (Tallow), A Cummins (Lismore).

Subs: S Óg Costin (St Oliver’s) for O’Donovan (h-t), C Nicholson (Cappoquin-Affane) for O’Farrell (53).

Referee: T Loughnane (Gortnahoe-Glengoole).