Cooney’s goal steers Tulla into Munster semi-final

St Joseph’s Tulla 1-11; Causeway, Kerry 0-12

St Joseph’s Tulla progressed to the Munster colleges Senior B hurling championship semi-final and a meeting with Coláiste Chríost Rí from Cork, when they overcame the strong challenge presented by a fancied Causeway Community School from Kerry,  in Rathkeale on Friday afternoon.

From an early stage, it was a close affair but, in the final analysis, the Clare side were that bit better balanced and this proved decisive.

The game’s only goal proved to be a crucial score and it came after just 10 minutes, when Gary Cooney’s powerful strike from the edge of the 13m line beat the Kerry defence.

At half time, the winners held a two point advantage, 1-5 to 0-6, but the Kerry side will argue that Darren Chaplin’s effort, six minutes from the interval, should not have been allowed. The umpires disagreed but after consultation, the referee allowed the score. From my position on the sideline, the effort was wide.

That said, another Chaplin effort on the stroke of half time was waved wide when most felt that it was inside the post.

Causeway scored first in the second half through Shane Conway but a brace from Chaplin, one from a ’65, had the winners a goal clear with 20 minutes to play.

Causeway had the better of matters for the next 10 minutes and drew level with another Shane Conway effort at the turn of the final quarter, when the score was 1-7 to 0-10.

Despite their best efforts, they failed to get their noses in front and a Martin Daly point with 10 minutes remaining put the East Clare side back into a lead they would hold to the final whistle. Chaplin’s seventh, with five minutes remaining, put them two clear and while Conway replied with one for the Kerry side, substitute Pa Duggan sealed Tulla’s semi-final place, when he pointed in the final minute.

Evan McMahon, Con Smyth, Shane Hunt, Brian Fahy, Enda Noonan, Darren Chaplin, Gary Cooney and Martin Daly all played key parts in this victory which has earned the Tulla outfit a semi-final date with Colaiste Chriost Ri from Cork on Saturday January 31.

St Joseph’s Tulla;–Killian Nugent (O’C. Mills); Gavin O’Brien (Crusheen), Evan McMahon (Feakle), Eoin Donnellan (Broadford); Matthew Troy (Broadford), Con Smyth (Feakle) Shane Hunt (Tulla); Brian Fahy (Tulla) 0-1, Enda Noonan (Feakle); Diarmuid O’Brien (Broadford), Darren Chaplin (Broadford) 0-7, Conor Henry (O’C. Mills); Gary Cooney (O’C. Mills) 1-0, Martin Daly (Feakle) 0-2, Owen Shanahan (Tulla);

Sub—Pa Duggan (Newmarket) for Shanahan.

By Seamus Hayes, sports editor