ON THE WHISTLE: Thurles CBS into Harty Cup final after semi-final defeat of De La Salle

TUS Dr. Harty Cup Semi-Final

Thurles CBS 0-28

De La Salle College 3-12

They made it difficult for themselves at times during the second half but Thurles CBS’ class eventually won the day and confirmed that Tipperary will have a school in the Dr. Harty Cup final for the third year in a row after an exciting semi-final win over De La Salle College in Castlelyons on Wednesday afternoon.

With nine different scorers and 24 points from play, it should have been a less nervous victory for the Tipperary lads but De La Salle managed to start the second half like a train with 1-3 notched within ten minutes having trailed 0-15 to 1-7 at the break, and at times in the second half had the game back in the balance.

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Somehow, the game was level pegging and in the air but the mentality and resilience of the Thurles players was impressive, to say the least, as they weathered that second-half flurry to regain a four-point lead.

Indeed, they did respond again when Mark Hartley was gifted a 53rd-minute goal to make it a one-point game again by knuckling down and hitting seven of the last eight points of the game - three of those coming from the Cillian Minogue - and they will now go forward to the final where they will have a repeat clash from the group stage with Clare’s St. Flannan’s College who hammered North Mon in the other semi-final in Fethard.

The CBS were the dominant side from the very beginning of the game and in the first quarter had built up a 0-7 to 0-1 lead. Kieran Rossiter was the main man in the early stages and was running the show from midfield scoring two points, while Robbie Ryan and Cillian Minogue were dangerous with a pair of points apiece for themselves in that flurry.

De La Salle were losing the battle in the middle third and after Adam Regan got their first score in the sixth minute, they would have to wait for ten minutes to register a second, coming from a Mark Hartley placed ball.

That settled the Waterford school somewhat with Kevin Moran’s charges slowly clawing their way into the contest by hitting two of the next three points from Mark Hartley and Shane Power and soon after - in the 22nd minute - they found a badly needed major after Colm Hartley’s long delivering into the goal was deflected off the hand of Conor Tobin, wrongfooting Harry Loughnane and creeping over the line. 

A huge score and a badly needed one for the Waterford school who now trailed Thurles 0-11 to 1-4.

Their tails were up now and with another two points following suit soon after through Rory Jacob and Ollie Fives, the game was now turned on its head as Thurles needed a settler quickly going into half-time.

And they found their straps again just before the break, hitting four points through Cillian Minogue, Evan Morris, David Costigan, and Jack Hayes to beef out their lead. Thurles were lucky in injury time to get off the hook from a Mark Hartley penalty that was blazed over the bar after Jack Lahart was adjudged to have tugged back Conor Tobin close to goal, but it left them with a deserved five-point lead at 0-15 to 1-7.

Five points weren’t reflective of the overall play in the first half with Thurles the dominant team, but that mattered little in the early throes of the second period when first, Adam Regan pointed, before twins Jack and Shane Power linked up brilliantly for a well-taken goal; the former with a lung-busting run from centre back deep into the Thurles defence before laying off to brother Shane who rasped a shot to the net from close range. 

The game was well and truly on now and it would truly test the mettle of the Thurles players.

In fact, it got worse before it got better for the Tipperary youngsters as they game was level by the 39th minute with the impressive Mark Hartley on target again just before Shane Power added another score to his tally; those scores coming either side of a David Costigan score. Thurles were now taking on water.

However, the first of two second-half scoring surges took the sting out of De La Salle with a Cormac Fitzpatrick free and a fine individual score from Kieran Rossiter after a darting run from midfield helping the Thurles' nerves.

Cillian Minogue was denied a goal by a brilliant last-ditch defensive block soon after and after Cormac Fitzpatrick converted the 65, Minogue stuck over a class point in the 47th minute to give Thurles a 0-21 to 2-11 having seemingly weathered the De La Salle storm.

However, just as Thurles were heading for the final with a bit to spare, Harry Loughnane lost his concentration and under no pressure in possession, picked out Mark Hartley on the 21-yard line with a stick pass, and with the Thurles defence spread, the Ballygunner player ran in on goal and buried a shot to the net.

That made it a one-point game again but the final surge from Thurles came almost immediately after with Cormac Fitzpatrick (free) and the boundless Ryne Bargary hitting important scores to restore a three-point lead and even though Mark Hartley hit a free over the bar in the 56th minute, Thurles finished strongly.

Cillian Minogue was unbelievable in the final scoring spree, turning over possession twice to set up scores for Tiarnan Ryan and Ryne Bargary while also firing over three excellent points from play that ultimately killed the De La Salle resolve and booked Thurles’ final date in the coming weeks.

Best on the day for Thurles was Minogue but he had plenty of help from Kieran Rossiter, Ryne Bargary, Evan Morris, and Jack Lahart all game long, with Morris in particular sauntering upfield to score two points from play from full-back in either half at important stages.

Robbie Ryan and David Costigan were prominent in the first half with some fine scores taken, while Euan Murray got through an amount of work as usual around the middle third.

Scorers: Thurles CBS: Cillian Minogue 0-7, Cormac Fitzpatrick (0-4, 0-3f, 0-1 65), Robbie Ryan 0-4, Kieran Rossiter, David Costigan 0-3 each, Evan Morris, Ryne Bargary 0-2 each, Tiarnan Ryan, Jack Hayes, Euan Murray all 0-1 each. 

De La Salle: Mark Hartley (1-6, 0-3f, 0-1 pen), Shane Power 1-2, Conor Tobin 1-0, Adam Regan 0-2, Ollie Fives, Rory Jacob 0-1 each.

Thurles CBS: Harry Loughnane (Roscrea); Toby Corbett (Upperchurch Drombane), Evan Morris (Holycross Ballycahill), Jack Lahart (Holycross Ballycahill); Ryne Bargary (Boherlahan Dualla), Keith Loughnane (Thurles Sarsfields), Killian Cantwell (Moycarkey Borris); Euan Murray (Durlas Óg), Kieran Rossiter (Durlas Óg); James Butler  (Sean Treacys), David Costigan (Moycarkey Borris), Cormac Fitzpatrick (Drom & Inch); Cillian Minogue (Durlas Óg), Robbie Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill), Jack Hayes (Moycarkey Borris).

Subs used: Tiarnan Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill) for Butler (42).

De La Salle: Ross Nolan (Ballygunner); Philip  Power (Ballygunner), Fiachra Cooney (Ballygunner), Adam Dawson (Ballygunner); Cathal O'Sullivan (Ballygunner), Conor Power (De La Salle), Jack Power (Ballygunner); Rory Jacob (Passage), Ollie Fives (Ballygunner); Adam Regan (Mount Sion), Conor Tobin (Ballygunner), Shane Power (De La Salle); Colm Hartley (Ballygunner), Mark Hartley (Ballygunner), Robbie Doherty (Mooncoin).

Subs used: Eoib Burke (Roanmore) for Doherty (46); Jamie Shanahan (Erin’s Own)  for Tobin (52, inj); Alex Furlong (Roanmore) for Fives (62).

Referee: Cathal McAllister (Cork)