TUS Dr Harty Cup: Underdogs Cashel see off Cork CBC in real dogfight

Cashel Community School 1-13

Cork CBC 0-13

A brilliant show of courage and determination helped underdogs Cashel Community School to a well deserved victory in the TUS Dr Harty Cup quarter final tie at Ballyagran this afternoon as they saw off Cork CBC in tough, miserable conditions.

Two incidents at the polar opposite ends of this game were key factors in determining the outcome of the contest. First, a Ben Currivan goal for Cashel within forty seconds of the throw-in gave his side a major platform from which to start their assault on the tie. And then,  two minutes from the end of normal time, and with the Cork lads having scored four points in succession with the wind on their backs to come within a point of Cashel, wing forward Ruairi Cummins was straight red carded for CBC, meaning that they would see out the crucial remaining eight minutes of play with just fourteen men.

The impetus had swung in the Cork direction, but that dismissal for an off-the-ball incident proved telling as it halted the momentum and gave Cashel the breathing space they needed to see out the tie - Rionan Connolly pointing from a long range free to seal the win.

Mind you, the Cork boys had two 21 yard frees struck by keeper Eoin Coughlan beaten away in the final moments too as they sought a levelling goal, but Cashel stood Rock-like and survived.

The Cashel lads held a 1-9 to 0-5 interval lead with Ronan Connolly getting  three of those, to go along with Can Ryan, Ger O'Dwyer, Oisin O'Donoghuie and David McGrath efforts. Would that lead suffice with the Cork lads to hurl wind assisted in the second half - that was the big talking point at the break - the Cork lads having amassed their scores through Michael Finn (3), and the excellent Peter O'Shea who was the only player to score from play for them eventhough he was operating at half back.

Any time the Cork boys got a run on Cashel, the Tipp school responded. Kieran Barry and Peter O'Shea - two more from play for him - reduced the deficit, but Ben Currivan (2) came good for Cashel, before David Cremins and Adam Daly traded points.

Then came that run of scores for CBC - Fionan Barry, Ruairi Cummins, Michael Finn and Cummins again pointing moments before the sending off which proved a major event in the story of the game.

Cashel's victory then and a deserved one at that. They showed huge courage and commitment to the cause making little of the conditions and the elements as they claimed their place in the Dr Harty Cup last four.