Thurles CBS coast into the knockout stages of the Harty Cup with comprehensive win over Tulla

TUS Dr Harty Cup - Group 2 - Round 2

Thurles CBS 2-22

St Joseph’s Tulla 2-13

Thurles CBS secured safe passage to the knockout stages of this year’s TUS Dr Harty Cup with a game to spare after easing to victory against 2022 champions St Joseph’s Tulla in the University of Limerick on Thursday afternoon.

The game was played on Thurles’ terms throughout the game and after they took a 0-10 to 0-6 lead in at the break - which was very stop-start due to a few stoppages for injuries - they always had the Clare school at arm's length and their clinical forward unit caused issues all day.

A full forward duo of Cormac Fitzpatrick and Robbie Ryan in particular were very sharp and couldn’t be contained by the Tulla school, conceding so many frees in their efforts to stop them while the aforementioned duo hit the target with regularity, finishing with 0-17 between them.

Physicality was a big reason for the Thurles win too, as they had a far bigger stature the a smaller and younger Tulla team, with James Doyle, Bill Flanagan, and David Costigan dominating around midfield as Thurles really pulled away from their opponents in the second half thanks to goals from Costigan and substitute Darragh Carr.

As mentioned already, the first half was incredibly dis-jointed due to a number of Tulla players falling foul of the hard Thurles tackling and it stopped Thurles getting into a rhythm in the first 30 minutes, but they were still getting more sights at goal with Cormac Fitzpatrick (4), Robbie Ryan, and captain Darragh Kelly all finding the target in the first quarter as they took a 0-6 to 0-4 lead.

Tulla, for their part, were standing up well and themselves hit some fine points in that time with Emmet Mulcahy hitting the first point of the game inside two minutes, while Matthew Corbett hit his first placed ball which was added to by Sean Boyce and Dannan Fox in the first quarter.

Even from this early tit-for-tat scoring spree from the teams, you could sense that Thurles could do damage with the right delivers into their full forward line, and but for some poor shooting from Robbie Ryan and Liam Corcoran, they could have had a much healthier half-time lead. But they did manage to open that two-score advantage before the break with three Fitzpatrick frees and a first of the day for David Costigan helping them to a 0-10 to 0-6 advantage.

Conditions were perfect on the day and it suited both teams in that they both looked to hurl quickly, with dangerous forwards at either end and Tulla started the half well with two points from the diminutive Liam Murphy either side of a second Robbie Ryan point of the game.

Harry Loughnane prevented a certain goal with a save out of the top drawer in the 34th minute, showing cat-like reflexes to stop a powerful drive from less than 12 yards out, and that save seemed to kickstart the CBS who looked asleep in the early stages of the half.

Indeed, the hard work was mostly between the 36th and 45th minute as Thurles - led by Cormac Fitzpatrick’s deadly free-taking, outscored their opponents by 0-6 to 0-1 with Robbie Ryan, James Doyle, and David Costigan also on target in that spree; Thurles now ahead 0-16 to 0-9 going into the final quarter.

Tulla were going route one with regularity in the second half and despite it not returning much in the way of chances in that time, it did pay dividends in the 44th minute when Dara White rattled the net, breaking onto a high ball in which two Thurles defenders collided and the loose ball was scooped up at speed the forward to finish past Harry Loughnane.

That breathed life into the contest once again but it wasn’t long before that Tulla oxygen was snuffed out by the Tipperary lads as substitute Darragh Carr hit the back of the net less than five minutes later, picking up the pieces after a David Costigan shot was saved and the Sean Treacys man buried a low effort to the net.

The jig was then well and truly up for the Clare men just four minutes later when Thurles struck for their second goal, with David Costigan making no mistake this time, finishing low to the net after a strong run and clever feed from James Doyle set the Moycarkey Borris man free.

Much to Tulla’s credit though, they never let the heads drop and continued to push forward and they were rewarded with another goal, this time coming from a free from some 25 yards out from Matthew Corbett, but it was too little too late even with time remaining as four late points in succession from Robbie Ryan (2), David Costigan, and Cormac Fitzpatrick assured Thurles of victory and a place in the knockout stages with a game in reserve.

Thurles have now topped the group and will play their final game in Group 2 in a few weeks' time against Pobail Scoil Na Trionide, Youghal, who cannot qualify having lost their opening two games.

Scorers: Thurles CBS: Cormac Fitzpatrick (0-12, 0-10f); David Costigan 1-3; Robbie Ryan 0-5; Darragh Carr 1-0; Darragh Kelly 0-1; James Doyle 0-1.

St Joseph’s Tulla: Matthew Corbett (1-6, 1-4f, 0-2 65s); Dara White 1-0; Liam Murphy 0-2; Dannan Fox 0-2; Sean Boyce 0-1; Emmet Mulcahy 0-1; Rian McMahon 0-1.

Thurles CBS: Harry Loughnane (Roscrea); Paul Noonan (Thurles Sarsfields), Evan Morris (Holycross Ballycahill), Kieran Purcell (Thurles Sarsfields); Keith Loughnane (Durlas Óg), Padraig O’Dwyer (Killenaule), Eugene O’Dwyer (Boherlahan Dualla); Euan Murray (Durlas Óg), David Costigan (Moycarkey Borris); James Doyle (Holycross Ballycahill), Darragh Kelly (Éire Óg Annacarty), Bill Flanagan (Moycarkey Borris); Cormac Fitzpatrick (Drom & Inch), Robbie Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill), Liam Corcoran (Moycarkey Borris).

Subs used: Ryne Bargary (Boherlahan Dualla) for O’Dwyer (40); Cillian Minogue (Durlas Óg) for Corcoran (40); Darragh Carr (Sean Treacys) for Flanagan (48); David McCormack (Killenaule) for H Loughnane (55); Darragh O’Dwyer (Thurles Sarsfields) for K Loughnane (59).

St Joseph’s Tulla: Owen McGann (Feakle); Cathal McNamara (O’Callaghans Mills), Sam Cooper (Broadford), Fionn O’Gara (Clooney Quin); Rian McMahon (Tulla), Dara Fitzgerald (Sixmilebridge), Ryan Hayes (Tulla); Emmet Mulcahy (Tulla), Matthew Corbett (Clooney Quin); Cathal Culloo (Tulla), Sean Boyce (O’Callaghans Mills), Ben Kelleher (Tulla); Liam Murphy (O’Callaghans Mills), Dannan Fox (Clooney Quin), Dara White (Clooney Quin).

Subs used: Jake Slattery (Broadford) for Culloo (HT); Noah Corbett (Broadford) for McNamara (42); Cathal McNamara for Mulcahy (53, inj); Sean Clune (Tulla) for Cooper (58).

Referee: Sean Carey (Limerick)