Carrick-on-Suir CBS fall to superior Clare opponent in U19B schools hurling quarter-final

TUS Corn Thomais Mhic Choilm (U19B) Quarter-Final

Carrick-on-Suir CBS 2-8

Scariff Community School 4-28

Carrick-on-Suir CBS fell at the quarter-final hurdle to a strong Scariff Community School side in the TUS Corn Thomais Mhic Choilm Cup in the Maguire Pitches in the University of Limerick on Monday afternoon.

Despite getting off to a flying start in the game after a fine Conor O’Meara goal in the seventh minute, the south school never truly threatened to find their way to victory as the quality on show from their Clare opponents became apparent as the first half wore on.

Indeed, for 23 odd minutes, the Carrick-on-Suir lads were well in the contest and only trailed by three points at that point but a late scoring burst in the half from Scariff put paid to the challenge of the Tipperary school as Clare U20 star Eoghan Gunning scored two classy goals in the 24th and 27th minute to severely deflate the Premier hurlers’ challenge.

Gunning - the 2023 Clare All-Ireland minor hurling captain - was the main factor in the game and before his withdrawal from the contest in the middle of the second half, he had amassed a 2-2 from play.

Carrick-on-Suir’s main source of scores came from the placed ball efforts of Darragh Dunne as the Swan player hit three points in the first half, while his clubmate Archie Farrell hit a fine score from play in that time also, but it didn’t prevent the scores from leaking at the other end as they fell behind by 2-12 to 1-4 at half-time.

Scariff were in no mood to allow any Carrick-on-Suir revival in the second half and within the first ten minutes of the restart, they had their third and fourth goals scored, this time through Paul Rodgers - brother of Clare senior hurler Mark - who finished two fine efforts to the net, and from here, it was now damage limitation for the Tipp side.

Great credit has to go to the likes of Archie Farrell who never stopped trying to take the fight to Scariff; Farrell scored a goal in the 43rd minute after some good build-up play from the team out the field, but it was mere consolation stuff even that far from the final whistle.

The Scariff points continued to flow for the rest of the game but Carrick did hit three further points which were fine efforts despite the circumstances with Conor Shankey (2) and Darragh Dunne finding the target as the CBS finished their season against one of the favourites for the competition.

Carrick-on-Suir CBS: Eoin Connolly (Carrick Swans); Jack Torpey Walsh (Carrick Swans), Joe Cooney (Piltown), Ferdia Geoghegan (St. Molleran’s); Evan Flynn (Piltown), Jay Fleming (Carrick Swans), Jack Walsh (Carrick Swans); Conor Shankey (Portlaw, 0-2), James O’Meara (Grangemockler Ballyneale); Conor O’Meara (Grangemockler Ballyneale, 1-0), Darragh Dunne (Carrick Swans, 0-4, 0-2f, 0-1 65), Archie Farrell (Carrick Swans, 1-2); Darragh Doyle (Windgap), Aidan Hanlon (Carrick Swans), John Keane (St. Molleran’s).

Subs used: John Doyle (Piltown) for Dunne (57).

Scariff Community School: Cormac Doyle (Bodyke); Cathal McCaul (Scariff, 0-1), Sean Óg Kilkenny (Bodyke, 0-1), Cormac Gunning (Broadford); Michael Heffernan (Whitegate), Kalum Fahy (Whitegate), Mickey Bogenburger (Whitegate, 0-1); Matthew Crotty (Scariff), Harry Bogenburger (Whitegate); Colin O’Grady (Scariff, 0-1), Ben Sweeney (Scariff, 0-12, 0-8f, 0-1 65), Jake Gibbons (Whitegate, 0-3); Michael Vaughan (Scariff, 0-3), Eoghan Gunning (Broadford, 2-2), Paul Rodgers (Scariff, 2-1).

Subs used: Sean Reilly (Ogonnelloe) for Fahy (33); Donnacha Crotty (Scariff, 0-2) for E Gunning (37); Edan Buckley (Bodyke, 0-1) for Rodgers (42); Daniel Touhy (Whitegate) for M Bogenburger (45); Liam Heffernan (Whitegate) for Gibbons (54).

Referee: Eamonn Stapleton (Limerick)