Cashel Community School impress in facile win to clinch Harty Cup quarter-final spot

TUS Dr. Harty Cup - Group 3 - Round 3

Cashel Community School 0-19 

Blackwater Community School 1-8

By John O’Shea

Cashel Community School is through to the quarter-final of the TUS Dr. Harty Cup following an eight-point victory over Blackwater Community School Lismore at Fethard Town Park on Tuesday afternoon.

Except for the open ten minutes, Cashel were in total control of this game, played before a good crowd at this excellent venue. 

Once their inside line of defence got to grips with the threat posed by the Lismore duo of Ben and Adam Cummins, they played some very entertaining hurling, built around a solid performance by Shane Cooney and Noah O’Flynn at the heart of their defence.

After the opening ten minutes, Blackwater found it very difficult to put anything together in their attack and failed to score from the tenth to the 29th minute as Cashel hit nine unanswered points, including a wonderful score from a sideline ball by Charlie Hall after 20 minutes, while Bríain O’Donoghue was unerring from placed balls from a variety of angles and distances. O’Donoghue finished the half with 0.6 to his credit as Cashel led by 0-13 to 1-4 at the break.

A lot of the intensity went out of the game after the restart with ten points shared between the sides over the second half and seven of those points coming from placed balls, including one at the end from a sideline cut by Bríain O’Donoghue from under the stand.

Blackwater won the toss and elected to attack the town goal for the opening thirty minutes on a day where the wind was non-existent, but where the players had to cope with a watery autumn sun. 

From the throw-i,n Blackwater attacked down the stand side and Charlie Lineen set up Ben Cummins for the opening score after just fifteen seconds. Cashel were back on level terms by the second minute when Colm Ryan found Ryan O’Sullivan after Seamus Kennedy had held up the ball inside the 20-meter line, the Clerihan club man split the posts for the equaliser.

Cashel were caught at the back when Adam Cummins was first on to a breaking ball to blast past Eoghan Dunne for the games only goal, as Blackwater went three up. 

Two points, one from open play by Sam Hall and a converted free by Brían O’Donoghue had the deficit down to the minimum by the fifth minute as the game flowed from end to end. Ben Cummins converted two placed balls, either side of a Charlie Hall minor to go two up by the tenth minute.

The Cashel defence tightened up and with Shane Cooney sitting deep, supply was cut off from the Blackwater inside line of attack. 

They were on level terms by the twelfth minute following a brace from open play from Shane Cooney and Bríain O’Donoghue. Charlie Hall eased them ahead for the first time coming up to the quarter-hour mark with a wonderful point from out on the sideline over at the open side.

This signalled a resurgence from the West Tipperary school and they went on to completely dominate the second quarter, not only in the possession stakes but also on the scoreboard. 

Two points from Bríain O’Donoghue in quick succession had them three to the good before Charlie Hall hit a wonder score off a sideline cut with ten minutes remaining before the break. Willie Colville got in for a minor after good work by Colm Ryan as the Blackwater defence had no answer to the Cashel interplay. 

Bríain O’Donoghue converted two further placed balls but Ben Cummins had the final say before the break when he finished a move that also involved Charlie Lineen. Half-time score, Cashel CS 0-13, Blackwater CS 1-4

After the restart, the Lismore school upped their game considerably and tightened up in defence, while Cashel appeared to take their foot off the gas. David O’Farrell turned over an attempted Cashel clearance after three minutes before splitting the posts. 

Both sets of forwards were guilty of wayward shooting, hitting six wides in the seven minutes after the restart as the intensity of the game dropped. 

Blackwater had cut the deficit to five by the 39th minute, but this was as close as they would get as Cashel hit the next three without reply, one from play from Seamus Kennedy and a brace from Bríain O’Donoghue from placed balls. 

Ben Cummins hit two late frees for the Lismore school, but the best wine was kept until last when Bríain O’Donoghue capped a personal performance, scoring his eleventh from a sideline cut out under the stand in the sixtieth minute. 

Cashel are now through to the quarter-finals which will be played in early January, while Blackwater now meets Gaelcholáiste Mhuire AG in a preliminary quarter-final in two weeks.

Scorers: Cashel Community School: Bríain O’Donoghue (0-11, 0-9f, 0-1 sl-cut), Charlie Hall (0-3, 0-1 sl-cut), Seamus Kennedy, Willie Colville, Shane Cooney, Sam Hall, Ryan O’Sullivan all 0-1 each.

Blackwater Community School: Ben Cummins (0-6, 0-5f), Adam Cummins 1-0, Stephen Murphy, David O’Farrell 0-1 each.

Cashel Community School: Eoghan Dunne (Cashel King Cormacs); Rory O'Mahony (Fethard), Cian Lonergan (Golden Kilfeacle), Noah O’Flynn (Fethard); Tom O’Driscoll (Knockavilla Kickhams), Charlie Walsh (Fethard), Shane Cooney (Clerihan); Sam Hall (Golden Kilfeacle), Colm Ryan (Cashel King Cormacs); Charlie Hall (Golden Kilfeacle), Bríain O’Donoghue (Cashel King Cormacs), Colin Bourke (Rosegreen); Willie Colville (Rosegreen); Seamus Kennedy (Clonoulty Rossmore), Ryan O’Sullivan (Clerihan). 

Subs used: Senan Mackey (Knockavilla Doneskeagh Kickhams) for Willie Colville (41); Conor Fogarty (Boherlahan Dualla) for Ryan O’Sullivan (48); Eimhin Ryan (Cashel King Cormacs) for Seamus Kennedy (54); James Finn (Golden Kilfeacle) for Charlie Hall (57).

Blackwater Community School: Billy Murphy (Cois Bhríde); Gavin Kenneally (Ballyduff Upper), Dara O’Brien (Ballysaggart), Conor Lynch ( St. Oliver’s); Brian Bourke (Ballyduff Upper), Joseph McDonnell (Cois Bhride), Shane Barry (Lismore); Hugo Quann (Lismore), James Hichey (Modeligo); Charlie Lineen (Lismore), David O’Farrell (Lismore), Harry O’Donovan (St. Oliver’s); Ben Cummins (Lismore), Stephen Murphy (Tallow), Adam Cummins (Lismore). 

Subs used: Séan Óg Costin (St. Oliver’s) for Harry O’Donovan (HT); Charlie Nicholson (Cappoquin/Affane) for David O’Farrell (51).

Referee: Tom Loughnane (Gortnahoe Glengoole)