Munster P.P.S. Senior Hurling C Semi-Final
By Matt O’Callaghan
Scoil Pól team who defeated Coláiste an Phiarsiagh, Glanmire, in the Munster Post Primary School Senior C Hurling semi-final – Corn Risteard Uí Mhathuna at Paddy Carroll Park, Ballyagran.
SCOIL PÓL, KILFINANE………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………3-17
COLÁISTE AN PHIARSIAGH, GLANMIRE………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….3-10
Scoil Pól’s march towards Schools provincial glory took another giant step last Saturday when they proved too strong for Coláiste an Phiarsaigh, Glanmire, in the Munster Post Primary Schools Senior C Hurling semi-final – Corn Risteard Uí Mhathúna at Paddy Carroll Park, Ballyagran.
The Glanmire students started the brighter and had the ball in the Kilfinane net as early as the third minute. Scoil Pól quickly recovered and with the aid of the breeze by half time had moved into a six-point lead.
Colm O’Keeffe found the net three times, twice in the second half as the Limerick students ran out convincing winners at the end.
It was a day when Scoil Pól dug deep following the early setback and in the end were as convincing winners as the scoreline suggests with Coláiste an Phiarsaigh finding the net with the very last action of the game to put a gloss on their final tally.
Coláiste an Phiarsiagh got off to a flying start with a goal from Darragh Long in the third minute quickly followed by a David Lynch point.
Enda Sheedy from distance opened Scoil Pól’s account in the eight minute and Jack O’Reilly and Colm O’Keeffe from as placed ball quickly added further points.
On 11 minutes the Kilfinane students grabbed a lead they were not to subsequently relinquish with team captain Jimmy Quilty the architect, raiding down the right and sublimely picking out target man Colm O’Keeffe to rifle the sliotar to the Glanmire net.
A minute later at the other end, Adam Sheehan made a top drawer double save to prevent the Cork students from regaining the lead.
Matthew Howard for Kilfinane and 2019 Cork minor Cathal McCarthy for Glanmire traded points before Jimmy Quilty, a Ciarán Sheehan brace and a Quilty free stretched Scoil Pól’s lead, 1-8 to 1-2 after 23 minutes.
Points from Conor Lenihan and Cathal McCarthy kept Coláiste an Phiarsiagh in touch but it was the Limerick side who had the last say when Liam Dennehy and Ciarán Sheehan with his third of the half left Scoil Pól in the ascendency at the change of ends, 1-10 to 1-4.
Thomas Lonergan closed the gap for the Cork side immediately after the resumption but his effort was trumped by points from Ciarán Sheehan and Shane O’Donoghue.
Cathal McCarthy from a free cut the deficit to six points only for Matthew Howard to send over and on 44 minutes Colm O’Keeffe claimed a probing delivery from Liam Dennehy into the danger area and lashed home his second goal, 2-13 to 1-6 entering the final quarter and Scoil Pól in the driving seat.
Darragh Long blasted over in a goalmouth melee to which Colm O’Keeffe replied. A glimmer of home for the Glanmire students on 51 minutes when a Cathal McCarthy shot went through a forest of defenders and ended in the net.
The green shoots of revival did not last very long as Jimmy Quilty provided his second assist for Colm O’Keeffe to crash home goal number three and the Kilfinane students now had more than one leg in the final.
Matthew Hoard pointed for Scoil Pól but Glanmire replied with points from the McCarthys, Cathal and Colm. A pair of quickfire points from Shane O’Donoghue ensured the door was firmly slammed on Glanmire leaving team captain Thomas Lonergan’s 63rd minute goal nothing more than a consolation.
Scorers: Scoil Pól: Colm O’Keeffe 3-2, 1f; Ciarán Sheehan 0-4; Matthew Howard, Shane O’Donoghue 0-3 each; Jimmy Quilty 0-2, 1f; Enda Sheedy, Jack O’Reilly, Liam Dennehy 0-1 each.
Coláiste an Phiarsiagh: Cathal McCarthy 1-4, 2fs; Darragh Long, Thomas Lonergan 1-1 each; David Lynch, Conor Lenihan, Flynn O’Brien, Colm McCarthy 0-1 each.
Scoil Pól: Adam Sheehan (Garryspillane); Declan Gilligan (Blackrock), Robert Sampson (Garryspillane), Aidan Gilligan (Blackrock); Enda Sheedy (Staker Wallace), Shaun Moloney Glenroe), Seán Canning (Effin); Frank Barrington (Bruree), Jimmy Quilty (Blackrock) – Captain; Liam Dennehy (Glenroe), Ciarán Sheehan (Garryspillane); Jack O’Reilly (Garryspillane); Colm O’Keeffe (Blackrock) Matthew Howard (Bruree), Shane O’Donoghue (Glenroe).
Subs: Oisín Browne (Glenroe) for Liam Dennehy (50), Patrick Lynch (Bruree), for Jack O’Reilly (57), Jack Fitzgibbon (Dromin-Athlacca) for Frank Barrington (60+2).
Coláiste an Phiarsiagh: Naoise Marron (Sarsfields); Peter Fleming (Castlemartyr), Seán O’Riordan (Fr. O’Neill’s), Donal O’Sullivan (Midleton); Ben O’Driscoll (Sarsfields), Lucas Elliott (Sarsfields), Thomas Hurley (Cobh); Thomas Lonergan (Sarsfields) – Captain, Conor Lenihan (Erin’s Own); Tadhg O’Sullivan (Midleton), Colm McCarthy (Sarsfields), Cathal McCarthy (Sarsfields); Darragh Long (Sarsfields), David Lynch (Sarsfields), Oran O’Regan (Erin’s Own).
Sub: Flynn O’Brien (Sarsfields) for Oran O’Regan (43).
Referee: Johnny Butler, Tipperary.