Luckless Cashel Community School fall at All-Ireland semi stage in schools competition

Masita GAA Post Primary Schools Paddy Drummond Cup (Senior B Football) Semi-Final

Cashel Community School 0-3

Patrician High School, Carrickmacross 1-11

An understrength Cashel Community School were the victim of a bad case of Murphy’s Law last Saturday as they fell to a disappointing defeat in the All-Ireland PPS Senior B Football semi-final against Monaghan school Patrician High School Carrickmacross in the Dublin City University Sportsgrounds.

It was a sobering experience for the Cashel school boys and despite a good start to the contest, the absence of captain Sam Hall, Charlie Hall, Shane Cooney, and an injury early in the first half to Charlie Walsh, it was simply too much for them to replace as their luck deserted them in the lead up to this semi-final and indeed, on the day itself.

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Playing with the breeze in the first half the Munster champions got off to a solid start and took a 0-3 to nil lead by the 12-minute mark with fine scores from Colin Bourke, Willie Colville, and a free from goalkeeper Evan O’Neill.

Hereafter, the positives dried up for the Tipperary school, and after Patrician High School reduced the early arrears to 0-3 to 0-2 through scores from defenders Conor Meehan and Cian Rafferty, Cashel were dealt a harsh blow when Charlie Walsh was forced off after suffering a nasty dead leg and, despite trying to run it off, he was forced off the pitch early in the second half.

That loss - on top of the withdrawals leading up to the game - was immeasurable for Cashel as the absence of Walsh meant they lacked any real punch in their running game, something that Walsh has been brilliant for this year, and it led to Patrician High School dominating the ball for the rest of the half.

And they made use of it well to be fair to them, with the aforementioned duo of Meehan and Rafferty continuing to punch holes from deep with runs and added a further point apiece from play in the 21st and 24th minute respectively, while centre-forward Fergal McEneaney hit a fine score for his first of the day a minute from half-time to give the Monaghan school a 0-5 to 0-3 advantage going into the second half.

Despite the absence of so many key personnel who were instrumental in winning the Munster final, the players remaining were positive in their workrate and intent at the start of the second half, but another hammer blow soon landed on the chin of the Cashel team.

In the 35th minute, Patrician High School had a free from some 30 yards out and had the chance to extend the lead to three, but the effort wasn’t well struck and was tracking short into the Cashel square and in a sea of bodies, Tom Maguire managed to fist the loose ball into the back of the net past a despairing Evan O’Neill.

That moment was where the game was lost for Cashel as it opened an unassailable five-point lead and, playing against the breeze, they were always going to struggle to find a way back into the game as the Monaghan school had the result wrapped up at that point.

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It got worse in the immediate aftermath of that goal concession when Cashel had a player black-carded and, now reduced to 14 players, they would concede four points in the ten minutes they were the man down.

Credit to the Cashel players though, because they never threw in the towel against the insurmountable odds and they did carve out a few goal chances in the final quarter, turning down point opportunities in the process, but it never materialised in scores as the Monaghan school ran out easy winners on the day.

A disappointing loss to finish the campaign but the Cashel Community School players did themselves and their clubs proud this year. Winning a football title at any grade is something to be immensely proud of and, had they had their full hand to play with, could have gone all the way.

Cashel CS: Evan O’Neill (Cashel King Cormacs, 0-1); Adam Tobin (Clonmel Óg), Cian Lonergan (Golden Kilfeacle), Tom O’Driscoll (Knockavilla Kickhams); Rory O’Mahony (Fethard), Noah O’Flynn (Fethard), Seamus Kennedy (Clonoulty Rossmore); Colin Bourke (Rosegreen, 0-1), Charlie Walsh (Fethard); Harry Fogarty (Golden Kilfeacle), Willie Colville (Rosegreen, 0-1), Colm Ryan (Cashel King Cormacs); Niall Hallissey (Cashel King Cormacs), Ryan O’Sullivan (Clerihan), Bríain O’Donoghue (Cashel King Cormacs).

Subs used: Niall Tobin (Rosegreen); Brian Gleeson (Boherlahan Dualla); Andrew Breen (Boherlahan Dualla).

Patrician HS: Dion O’Gorman; Dermot Farrelly, Conor Mulligan, Conor Meehan (0-2); Cian Rafferty (0-3), Joseph McArdle, Luke Poval; Shane O’Connor, Tom Maguire (1-1); Mark Hanratty, Fergal McEneaney (0-2), Sean O’Brien; Peter Connolly (0-2), Joe O’Farrell, Oran Connolly.

Subs used: Harry Reilly (0-1).