Positive day for Clonmel High School hurlers at St Colman's, Fermoy

Clonmel High School under 15 hurlers travelled to Fermoy on Friday week last as their A and B teams began their Area Cup campaign against St Colman’s of Fermoy. The weather was dry but pitch conditions were heavy after a torrential downpour.

The second team for the High School CBS and Colman’s got proceedings underway and the powerful Jerome Phelan scored an early goal, which had the Clonmel men in control. The athletic Eoin Lavery from Fourmilewater was full of running and had an influential half as the High School went to the break with a significant lead.

After half-time the county Cork side hit back with an early goal and they were growing into the game but a second goal from Moyle Rovers’ Jerome Phelan settled the High School.

Seán Tom Nugent kept the scoreboard ticking over as he stuck over some nice frees.

Going into the final stages of the game, Clonmel had regained the ascendancy and once again it was Jerome Phelan who struck a late goal to complete his hat-trick and leave the score at 3-11 to 2-5 to ensure a winning start and an important two points for the Clonmel men.

SECOND GAME

In the second game of the day, the High School’s first team faced a Colman’s side that had comfortably beaten them in last year’s Rice Cup. However, the Clonmel side, with several good weeks of training behind them produced a much better display to be much more competitive in this opening game of the tournament.

From the outset the High School thundered into the game with strong tackling and they had the Fermoy side rattled, as Conal Morrison scored the two opening points. The hardworking Aidan McMaugh then added to this positive start with a well-worked goal and at the half-time whistle the High School led by 1-5 to 0-6.

At this stage of the tie, after the earlier match, the pitch was in an awful condition and it became a real battle of attrition. The Fermoy school looked the stronger side as the second half began as they struck the back of Nathan Wynne’s net early on and gained the lead.

The second period was very low-scoring, with opportunities few and far between but late on the ever- reliable Conal Morrison scored a tremendous point to secure a draw for the High School and ensure a point apiece in the group, as the scoreline read 1-8 each.

Both High School teams now face Thurles CBS and Kilkenny CBS in their remaining group games after Christmas.

High School panel: Nathan Wynne, Cian Mahadevaiah, Dara Beckett, Billy Cooney, Enda Condon, Ben Fuller, Donal O’Callaghan, Liam Peters, Seb Hopkins, Dylan Condon, Shay Scully, Freddie Wall (all St Mary’s) Conor Williams, Conal Morrison, Jerome Phelan, Fergal Bradshaw, Hugh Carolan, Michael Maher (all Moyle Rovers) Oisín O’Reilly, Rory O’Reilly, Charlie Byrne, Jake Fennessy, Seán Thomas Nugent (all Clonmel Óg) Patrick Lyons (Grangemockler/Ballyneale) Aidan McMaugh, Eoin Lavery, Conor Murphy, Finn Walsh, Oisín Sheehan, Olan Doocey, Ben O’Gorman (all Fourmilewater) Ben Roche, Enda Nolan, Callum Slattery, Darragh Dempsey, Jamie Cahill, Lukey Condon, Paddy Power (all Kilsheelan/ Kilcash) Cathal Butler, Sam McDonnell, James Williams (all Newcastle) Harry Mulcahy, Callum Condon (both Clerihan).