Flannan’s out of Harty Cup despite one-man advantage

Waterford Colleges 1-13   St Flannan’s 1-12

Despite having an extra player for the entire match, a fancied St Flannan’s were knocked out of the Dr Harty Cup, Munster Colleges Senior A Hurling Championship, at the quarter-final stage at Tipperary on Wednesday afternoon.
While the Ennis outfit will point to the concession of some soft frees and to a couple of bad misses as contributing factors to their defeat, they must acknowledge that the amalgamation of Dungarvan CBS and St Augustines from Dungarvan were a better side on the day and deserved their win.
The first and, arguably, biggest talking point of the afternoon came before the ball was thrown in. Players from both sides were in their positions and referee John O’Brien was preparing to get the game underway when an incident at midfield left St Flannan’s midfielder Martin O’Leary on the ground. The referee immediately issued a red card to Kieran Power, O’Leary’s direct opponent.
Throughout the 60 minutes the winners never looked troubled by being a man short. Indeed, for those arriving after the game started, it looked like it was the amalgamation which had an extra player, such was their dominance on a day when a number of the Ennis side’s line-up were well below their best form.
The respective freetakers, Cathal Curran for the winners and St Flannan’s captain, Tony Kelly, swapped points in the early minutes before the the Waterford side went two clear, a position they held to the end of the first quarter when the score stood at 0-5 to 0-3.
The margin was back to a point five minutes later but then poor defending by St Flannan’s resulted in a goal for the winners and this score separated the teams at the interval when the score was 1-7 to 0-7.
There was much more urgency in St Flannan’s play when the second half got underway and they were level by the third minute when Peter Duggan got the vital touch for his side’s goal, a score that tied up the game at 1-8 each.
Duggan’s ability to win possession in the air was causing a lot of problems for the Waterford side and following a free awarded for a foul on the Clooney-Quin teenager, Tony Kelly gave St Flannan’s the lead for the only time in the game. It was shortlived as within two minutes Cathal Curran levelled and then put his team back in front.
The sides were level at 1-11 each at the turn of the final quarter. Two Curran frees had the winners two clear with eight minutes to go. In the remaining time, St Flannan’s had some good chances but both Kelly and Duggan failed to find the target. A minute from the end, Kelly pointed from play but try as they did they could not get an equaliser, In the final action of the game, Duggan saw his line ball effort from 35m go wide of the target.
It was a disappointing team performance from the Ennis outfit for whom Jack Browne, Tony Kelly and Peter Duggan did best while Martin O’Leary got through some good work in the second half.

St Flannan’s: Eibhear Quilligan (Feakle); David Conroy (Doora-Barefield), Jack Browne (Ballyea), Shane Kelleher (Newmarket); Gearoid Ryan (Clarecastle), Tony Kelly (Ballyea) cpt, Aidan McGuane (Kilmaley); Conor Cleary (Miltown), Martin O’Leary (Kilmihil) 0-1; Peter Duggan (Clooney-Quin), Mark McGuane (Clarecastle) Stephen Ward (Clarecastle); Bobby Duggan (Clarecastle) Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg), David Reidy (Éire Óg).
Scorers: Tony Kelly (0-6, 5f); Martin O’Leary (0-1); Peter Duggan (1-3, 0-2f, 0-1line ball); Shane O’Donnell 0-1; David Reidy (0-1).

Ard Scoil Rís 2-15   Castletroy CC 1-7

Sixmilebridge’s Jamie Shanahan contributed 0-8 as holders Ard Scoil Ris moved into the semi-final of the Harty cup with this victory over Limerick neighbours Castletroy CC at Bruff.
While the title-holders deserved victory, the final scoreline is a little flattering to them. They led 1-4 to 0-5 at half time but, early in the second half, found themselves in arrears after the underdogs goaled from a penalty. From then on, however, the champions dominated on a day when Clonlara’s Micheál O’Loughlin and Parteen’s Cian McCarthy were introduced during the game.

Football action
Following the disappointment of making their exit from the hurling title race this week, attention switches to football for St Flannan’s who will travel to Croagh on Wednesday next to play Dingle in the Corn Ui Mhuiri, senior A quarter-final.
Hurlers Conor Cleary who is the football captain, Gearoid Ryan, Stephen Ward, Jack Browne, Aidan McGuane, David Conroy and Tony Kelly are all members of the football side and together with Sean Corry, Barry Lynch, Killian Normoyle and Tadhg Lynch, they will be hoping to upset a fancied Dingle outfit. The game is set for 1.30p.m.at the Limerick venue.
The race for the Frewan Cup (junior A football) is due to begin on February 1 when St Flannan’s will play West Clare colleges. North Clare Colleges will make their debut in the competition and they will play Dingle.