Kevin Moran delighted with De La Salle 'doggedness' as they KO Harty Cup champions Nenagh
Cathal De Salle's La O'sullivan Pic Larry Cummins
Kevin Moran called it a “typical Harty Cup game” and it was certainly played in typical Harty Cup conditions as Nenagh CBS’s reign as champions was brought to a shuddering halt by De La Salle, Waterford.
Their manager felt this dogged performance proved their heart for the battle amid fierce wind and a rain-soaked pitch.
De La Salle adapted better to the conditions, with Mark Hartley scoring five points both with and against the gale for a 0-10 total.
Nenagh were blown off course in the first half and couldn’t match Hartley’s perfect free-taking to compensate in the second. Down four points at the break, they never got closer than three thereafter despite the advantage of the elements.
“We showed some qualities that sometimes you wouldn’t associate with these lads – real doggedness and a lot of turnovers – so we’re delighted with that,” said former Déise captain Moran.
“We showed our quality then, particularly in the second half against a gale-force wind, being able to work the ball up the field and get important scores.”
Neither of these teams had done much wrong in the group stage to end up in a preliminary quarter-final. De La Salle topped their three-team group while Nenagh were also unbeaten but got pipped on score difference by Midleton CBS.
Having drawn the short straw, this win could be the making of De La Salle.
“We needed this because the first couple of games we won fairly comprehensively,” said Moran. “The boys put a lot of work in and we know how important it is to Waterford hurling as well.
“The group of three probably worked out as a disadvantage for us with such a tough draw against Nenagh but now we’re in a position where we’re looking forward to after Christmas, knowing that we’ve bigger tests to come but we’re right back up there.
“It makes the year shorter for them as well so we’re over the moon.”
While De La Salle employed an extra defender, Hartley and Conor Tobin kept them motoring up front. Their impressive defence was led by excellent performances by Adam Dawson, Fiacra Cooney, Jack Power, and Colm Hartley as the spare man.
They carried the benefit of a strong wind in the first half but Nenagh got off to the better start with an Eoghan Doughan brace, created by his fellow All-Ireland minor winner Billy O’Brien.
But while De La Salle were able to get off as many shots against the wind (13) as with it, Nenagh only mustered six shots in the first half. They were guilty at times of playing high balls to outnumbered attackers.
De La Salle had four points in a row from Mark Hartley (two frees), Colm Hartley (free), and Adam Regan.
A Doughan free only briefly interrupted their momentum as the Waterford school added the next three. A Dawson turnover led to a Mark Hartley point from the sideline. Tobin burned his man with an electric turn of pace for the next. Then, Mark Hartley’s sensational control under a puck-out resulted in a free which he converted.
Doughan and Mark Hartley traded frees to leave it 0-8 to 0-4 at half-time.
While Mark Hartley kept ticking over, Doughan began to get some support on the scoresheet with a monster point from corner-back Gavin McGrath, a curler from substitute Emmett Jones, and Joe O’Dwyer surviving a foul to score.
Nenagh were left to regret some costly wides, though, as Ollie Fives scored with his first touch and Mark Hartley drilled over two frees to extend De La Salle’s cushion to five by the 57th minute.
Austin Duff and a Doughan free brought it back to a one-score game before Tobin finished a smart point.
Doughan’s seventh made it a nervy finish but once his close-range free was blocked by Regan and the subsequent 65 rebuffed, De La Salle’s progress was confirmed.
M Hartley (0-10, 8 frees); C Tobin (0-2); C Hartley (free), A Regan, O Fives (0-1 each).
E Doughan (0-8, 7 frees); G McGrath, J O’Dwyer, A Duff, E Jones (0-1 each).
R Nolan (Ballygunner); A Dawson (Ballygunner), F Cooney (Ballygunner, joint-capt), A Furlong (Roanmore); J Power (Ballygunner), C O’Sullivan (Ballygunner), P Power (Ballygunner); R Jacob (Passage), C Power (De La Salle); C Hartley (Ballygunner), M Hartley (Ballygunner), R Doherty (Mooncoin); S Power (De La Salle), C Tobin (Ballygunner), A Regan (Mount Sion, joint-capt).
O Fives (Ballygunner) for Furlong (45), E Burke (Roanmore) for S Power (53), J Shanahan (Erin’s Own) for Jacob (60).
E Sherlock (Kiladangan); C Grace (Burgess), D McKelvey (Silvermines), G McGrath (Kiladangan); D Fogarty (Kiladangan), B O’Donnell (Silvermines), L O’Callaghan (Portroe); P Ryan (Borris-Ileigh), B O’Brien (Nenagh Éire Óg); D Treacy (Silvermines, capt), E Doughan (Moneygall), S Cleary (Kilruane MacDonaghs); J O’Dwyer (Burgess), B O’Meara (Kilruane MacDonaghs), A Duff (Toomevara).
P Hackett (Toomevara) for O’Meara (36), E Jones (Nenagh Éire Óg) for O’Callaghan (39), E Garrigan (Nenagh Éire Óg) for Treacy (56).
J Murphy (Ballylanders).