Nenagh CBS iron out early wrinkles to dispatch Kilkenny CBS in Croke Cup quarter final

Masita All-Ireland PPS Croke Cup Quarter-Final

Nenagh CBS 3-19

Kilkenny CBS 2-11

Nenagh CBS had to burn off a fair degree of dirty diesel in Saturday afternoon's first Croke Cup quarter-final as they dominated the second half to eventually see off the challenge of Leinster school's runner-up Kilkenny CBS in Rathdowney GAA Club.

The recently crowned Dr. Harty Cup champions were the strong pre-match favourites, and even though they struggled to get to the levels of their Munster campaign form, they always had a degree of comfort throughout this game and as the game wore on, the class of the Tipperary schools told as they hit 2-4 in the final ten minutes to confirm their place in the semi-finals.

Playing against the breeze in the opening half was far from ideal for Nenagh as they were looking to dodge a potential banana skin in the form of Kilkenny CBS, but the Leinster finalists really didn't make the most of the stiff wind at their backs and Nenagh were the better team in the opening quarter.

Team captain Darragh McCarthy was in good form early on by hitting three of his side's opening five points - two from play - while Mason Cawley and Austin Duff made their impression with points in that salvo as the Nenagh school led 0-5 to 0-2 on the 15-minute mark.

Often, the significance of a wind can be overplayed but with the soft underfoot conditions in Laois it was a big plus to have at your back and even though they started slowly, Kilkenny CBS did make use of it between the 15th and 23rd minute as they hit the front, adding to their earlier two points from Ryan Corcoran and Anthony Clifford.

This purple patch accumulated to 1-2 on the trot with Patrick Lacey cutting around the edge of the Nenagh defence in the 20th minute to set up Éanna Ó Casaide who did well to finish the ball to the net off his knees and surrounded by Nenagh defenders.

It was a small period of Kilkenny dominance which was short-lived though and despite some uncharacteristic difficulties at free-taking time from Darragh McCarthy, the Munster champions reeled off five of the final six scores of the half with Ciaran Foley, Eoin Doughan (2), a third from play from the aforementioned McCarthy, and a well-finished goal from Danny Quinn had them in a strong 1-9 to 1-5 lead at the break with the breeze to come.

Upon the resumption, the conditions worsened with persistent rain dampening the atmosphere as the fare took a turn into a war of attrition; both sides trading the opening four points to keep the status quo with Ciaran Foley and Eoin Doughan (free) on target in this time for Nenagh.

Gradually though, Nenagh started to get to grips with proceedings and looked to have shrugged off the post-Harty Cup ring rust as they made a run for home and with two Doughan frees along with a fourth from play from Darragh McCarthy, and a fine individual effort from Mason Cawley, they had edged into a strong lead at 1-15 to 1-8 with a quarter of an hour to go.

In truth, you never got the impression that Kilkenny were going to have enough to turn this game around as they didn't threaten enough going forward, and that was never made so clear when they were awarded a penalty in the 48th minute which gave them a chance to get back into it; Greg Kelly stepped up and laced the ball a good meter over the crossbar. That summed up their day.

They did briefly have it back to a four-point game at one point going into the final ten minutes, but the Nenagh bench injected a bit more life into the Harty champions with late goals from Darragh Treacy and Joe O'Dwyer finally putting the North Tipp school out of reach and safely into the final four where they will face St Raphael's College, Loughrea with a final place in Croke Park up for grabs!

Scorers: Nenagh CBS: Darragh McCarthy (0-6, 0-2f), Eoin Doughan (0-6, 0-4f), Joe O'Dwyer 1-1, Danny Quinn 1-0, Darragh Treacy 1-0, Mason Cawley 0-3, Ciaran Foley 0-2, Austin Duff 0-1.

Kilkenny CBS: Ryan Corcoran (0-5, 0-3f), Patrick Lacey 1-0, Éanna Ó Casaide 1-0, Mikey Stynes (0-2, 0-1f), Greg Kelly 0-1 pen, Anthony Clifford, Brian Moore, Shane Culleton all 0-1 each.

Nenagh CBS: Simon Grace (Ballina); Conor Grace (Burgess), Cian Connolly (Nenagh Éire Óg), Gavin McGrath (Kiladangan); Jack Doran (Toomevara), Jake Hackett (Toomevara), Andy Hoolan (Moneygall); Ciaran Foley (Borrisokane), Darragh McCarthy (Toomevara); Jack Mulcahy (Kilruane MacDonaghs), Mason Cawley (Nenagh Éire Óg), Zac Keller (Nenagh Éire Óg); Aodhan O’Connor (Nenagh Éire Óg), Danny Quinn (Silvermines), Eoghan Doughan (Moneygall).

Subs used: Austin Duff (Toomevara) for Mulcahy (12, inj); Joe O'Dwyer (Burgess) for O'Connor (41); Darragh Treacy (Silvermines) for Quinn (50); Brian O'Meara (Kilruane MacDonaghs) for Keller (54); Conor Cooney (Burgess) for McCarthy (57, inj).

Kilkenny CBS: David Power (James Stephens); Donnacha Hennessy (Dicksboro), Bobbie Brennan (Young Irelands), Josh Dowling (Erin's Own); Mikey Stynes (Dicksboro), Billy O'Neill (Graigue Ballycallan), Matthew Bolger (St Martin's); Anthony Clifford (Dicksboro); Alex Cass (Thomastown); Éanna Ó Casaide (Danesfort), Ryan Corcoran (Graigue Ballycallan), Shane Culleton (St Patrick's); Greg Kelly (O'Loughlin Gaels), Patrick Lacey (Dicksboro), Brian Moore (Dicksboro).

Subs used: Patrick Purcell (Barrow Rangers) for Brennan (21, blood sub); Niall Drennan (Galmoy) for Ó Casaide (42); Patrick Purcell for Dowling (42); James Bergin (James Stephens) for Cass (46).