Doughan class helps Nenagh CBS pack early punch to claim impressive quarter-final Harty Cup win

TUS Dr Harty Cup Quarter Final

Nenagh CBS 3-19 

Midleton CBS 2-14

By John O’Shea 

St. Joseph’s CBS Nenagh, the 2024 champions, overcame the challenge of East Cork side Midleton CBS at Canon Hayes Park, Bansha, on Wednesday afternoon to advance to the semi-final of this year’s Dr. Harty Cup.

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With the pitch in good condition despite the recent weather, the good-sized attendance were treated to a game of honest endeavour, with the North Tipperary school laying down a marker from the throw-in. 

Captain Eoghan Doughan led by example, putting in a man-of-the-match display, as they dictated the terms of engagement while building up a nine-point advantage at the short whistle.

While Midleton opened the scoring with a Sam Ring point after ninety seconds, it was Nenagh who got to the pitch of the game from the start. Their defence, as a unit, with Dara O’Dwyer and Shane Cleary manning central positions, dominated the early exchanges. 

Eanna Tucker and Austin Duff did Trojan work around the middle third, but it was in attack where they were lethal. Billy O’Brien, Joe O’Dwyer and Patrick Hackett opened up gaps and drew frees off the Midleton defence, paving the way for Doughan to take advantage.

Midleton, who fielded six of the Cork Munster minor hurling winning team from 2025, found the going tough and did not help their cause with wayward shooting during that opening thirty minutes. They hit ten wides during that time to Nenagh’s three as they trailed by nine at the break, 3-9 to 1-6.

After the restart, Nenagh took up where they left off, hitting four of the first five points during the opening nine minutes to go twelve clear. Midleton then staged a mini comeback, landing five on the bounce between the forty-second and forty-seventh minutes. 

Their comeback fizzled out and a late point plus a goal in added time from Colm Garde only served to camouflage the final score. Over the course of the hour, Midleton, at times, threatened, but there can be no disputing the Nenagh victory.

Nenagh CBS attacked the village goal for the opening thirty minutes, but it was Midleton who got the scoreboard moving after ninety seconds, when Sam Ring put over from out near the sideline on the stand side. 

This would be the only time during the game that the East Cork school would hit the front. Eoghan Doughan hit back on the double, the equaliser coming from open play, while a converted free, following a foul on Patrick Hackett, gave them an early lead that they would hold until the final whistle.

Nenagh’s first break came on seven minutes when a shot from Paul Cahalan came back off the upright and Patrick Hackett was quick to react, gaining possession, only to be fouled inside the area. Eoghan Doughan dispatched the resulting penalty to the bottom right-hand corner of Tom C. Walsh’s net for the game’s opening major.

Doughan then got on the end of a good move started by Shane Cleary and taken up by Emmett Jones and Joe O’Dwyer to push the lead out to five. Another Doughan converted free was followed by a similar score from goalkeeper Paddy McCormack. Fionn Daly landed a huge ninety-metre free for the Cork side on nineteen minutes before Johnny Grace and Eanna Tucker added minors.

Cormac Deane hit two minors on the bounce before Sam Ring gave Midleton a lifeline when he intercepted a Nenagh puck-out before racing through to beat Paddy McCormack on twenty-five minutes. 

However, this lifeline was short-lived as Nenagh hit back two minutes later. Eanna Tucker set up Patrick Hackett, who in turn found the in-running Austin Duff, and the midfielder made no mistake, banging home goal number two from close in. A third major came on thirty minutes, again following good interplay from Nenagh. 

Billy O’Brien started a run from midfield, played a one-two with Patrick Ryan, before blasting to the top corner. Doughan and Fionn Daly exchanged minors in added time to leave Nenagh ahead at the break, 3-9 to 1-6.

Midleton needed a good start after the break, but it was Doughan who bagged the opening two minors from placed balls before Paul Cahalan turned over an attempted clearance and split the posts to go twelve up. Daly and Doughan traded minors before Midleton staged a mini comeback. 

Cormac Deane hit two minors, either side of a similar score from Colm Garde. Tom A. Walsh hit a long-range point before Fionn Daly, from a free, cut the deficit to seven as the game headed towards the final quarter. Luke McKeogh and Sam Ring, from a free, exchanged minors as the Midleton comeback fizzled out. 

Eoghan Doughan hit five of the next six points before Colm Garde got in for a consolation goal in added time when he got on the end of a free from Tom A. Walsh to beat Paddy McCormack with a low shot inside the right-hand post.

Nenagh CBS now meet Thurles CBS in the semi-final in what will be a battle between the 2024 and 2025 winners.

Scorers: Nenagh CBS: Eoghan Doughan (1-14, 1-0 pen, 0-8f, 0-1 65), Austin Duff, Billy O’Brien 1-0 each, Paddy McCormack 0-1f, Luke McKeogh, Paul Cahalan, Eanna Tucker, Johnny Grace 0-1 each.

Midleton CBS: Sam Ring (1-2, 0-1f), Colm Garde 1-1, Cormac Deane 0-5, Fionn Daly (0-4f),  Dean Murphy, Tom A. Walsh 0-1 each.

Nenagh CBS; Paddy McCormack (Moneygall), Diarmuid Fogarty (Kiladangan), Dara O’Dwyer (Kiladangan), Cormac Kennedy (Kilruane MacDonaghs), Johnny Grace (Burgess), Shane Cleary (Kilruane MacDonaghs), Emmett Jones (Nenagh Éire Óg), Eanna Tucker (Nenagh Éire Óg), Austin Duff (Toomevara), Billy O’Brien (Nenagh Eire Og), Eoghan Doughan (Captain, Moneygall), Paul Cahalan (Burgess), Patrick Ryan (Borris Ileigh), Patrick Hackett (Toomevara), Joe O’Dwyer (Burgess).

Subs used: James Heffernan (Nenagh Éire Óg) for Cormac Kennedy (15, inj), Luke McKeogh (Ballina) for Eanna Tucker (45), Rian McGrath (Kiladangan) for Joe O’Dwyer (45), Charlie Kennedy (Kilruane MacDonaghs) for Billy O’Brien (56), Daniel McKelvey (Silvermines) for Paul Cahalan (56).

Midleton CBS; Tom C. Walsh (Aghada), Darragh Heavin (St. Colmans), Rian O’Connell (Fr. O’Neill’s), Finn Cahill (Midleton), Senan Carroll (Midleton), Colm Garde (Lisgoold), Matthew McSweeney (Midleton), Tom A. Walsh (Carrigtwohill), Alfie Hennessey (Midleton), Foinn Daly (Kiltha Óg), Cormac Deane (Killeagh), Jacob Coleman (Lisgoold), Sam Ring (Carrigtwohill), Evan Connolly (Kiltha Óg), Cian Stack (Midleton).

Subs used: Dean Murphy (Lisgoold) for Jacob Coleman (HT), Finn Connaughton (Kiltha Óg) for Evan Connolly (40), Jude Devoy (Aghada) for Fionn Daly (TS 49-53), Daniel Guiney (Lisgoold) for Finn Cahill (54).

Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)

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