Brave Cashel Community School get the better of St Augustine’s to set-up a Munster hurling final clash with Doon

Munster Under-19B Post-Primary
Schools Hurling Championship Semi-Final
Cashel Community School 4-16 St Augustine’s (Dungarvan) 3-16

Seán Treacy Park was the venue for this semi-final with the conditions cool, but dry. If the conditions were on the chilly side the large crowd in attendance were not short of entertainment as both teams played out a dramatic game featuring thirty-nine scores and seven goals.

The first half was a tight and tense affair with both sides finding space and time on the ball hard to come by.

The Dungarvan school opened the scoring with points from the lively Willie Beresford and Johnny Bourke. Cashel responded with a free, but the Waterford men extended the lead back out to two with a fantastic score from Sam Fitzgerald. Cashel then hit the front with a flurry when hitting 1-2 during a three-minute blitz with the goal coming from Ben Ryan who reacted quickest when an effort at a point came down off the upright.

These scores settled Cashel, but a pair of Niall Buckley frees saw Augustine’s tie the game (1-2 to 0-5) with twenty-two minutes on the clock.

Both teams exchanged points from then until half-time before Stephen Browne slotted a good point, the other scores all came from dead balls.

The teams headed for the dressing rooms all square (1-6 to 0-9).

SECOND HALF

Cashel opened the second half full of purpose and intent. The Tipperary men hit an uninterrupted 2-3 during a twelve-minute blitz with the goals coming from Kevin Cleary and Conor O’Dwyer as well as a fine point form the dynamic Euan Ryan.

Daniel Moloney and O’Dwyer were now to the fore in Cashel's forward line and were helped by the movement of Cathal Quinn to leave the scoreline reading 3-9 to 0-11 points after forty-four minutes.

The men from the south coast did not roll over, however, and crept back into the game thanks to points from Buckley and Burke raising green flags - the second coming from a 21-yard free which saw Buckley take his tally to 1-8. The sides were now (3-11 to 2-14).

This Cashel team knew how to respond. A long-range free was batted out and the lightning fast reactions of Stephen Browne saw him rattle the net to reassert his side's lead. O’Dwyer dissected the posts with a free to give Cashel a much needed cushion going into the last ten minutes.

The drama did not end there though with Johnny Burke firing the game's seventh goal to claw his team back into the game (4-13 to 3-15) with five minutes of normal time remaining.

It was from here on that the large crowd really saw the true character of this Cashel team as their never-say-die attitude came to the fore.

Cashel kicked for home as Murphy won another crucial free and sub Reuben Bourke made a powerful run to set up the final score which sealed his team’s passage to the Munster final.

Cashel had leaders all over the park and not least with defenders Ben Loughman, Tomás Bourke, Brian Óg O’Dwyer, Conor Farrell and Callum Lawrence all contributing hugely. The athleticism and energy of Jamie Duncan was admired by all while Jack Currivan in goal worked many of his puck-outs to build attacks for his team. Captain Lorcan Carr and Euan Ryan linked play between defence and attack while also working tirelessly. All six starting forwards finished up on the score sheet which shows the variety of threat this team contains.

MUNSTER FINAL

Cashel Community School will take on Scoil na Tríonóide Naofa, Doon in the Munster Under-19B Post-Primary Schools Hurling Championship final on Saturday, February 15 at Leahy Park in Cashel when the prestigious Corn Thomais Mhic Choilm will be on the line.

The Doon team, which features eight Tipperary players from Cappawhite and Éire Óg Annacarty, got the better of Borrisokane Community College in the semi-finals (3-21 to 2-15) while Cashel Community School proved too strong for St Augustine’s (4-16 to 3-16).

In the quarter-finals Cashel Community School accounted for Causeway Comprehensive (1-22 to 2-18) while the Tipperary outfit have also beaten Rice College, Ennis (1-17 to 0-8) and Coláiste Chríost Rí, Cork (7-21 to 0-5) during their campaign.

Meanwhile Scoil na Tríonóide Naofa, Doon proved too strong for Scoil Phobal Roscrea (1-32 to 4-20) in the quarter-finals and Abbey CBS (1-16 to 1-15) in an earlier round of the competition. The Limerick school did lose to St Augustine's (2-8 to 1-13) during the group phase, but re-grouped before surging into the provincial decider.

MATCH DETAILS

Cashel Community School: Jack Currivan (Golden-Kilfeacle), Conor Farrell (Knockavilla Kickhams), Tomás Bourke (Boherlahan-Dualla), Jamie Duncan (Knockavilla Kickhams), Lorcan Carr (Knockavilla Kickhams), Ben Loughman (Knockavilla Kickhams), Brian Óg O’Dwyer (Rockwell-Rosegreen), Euan Ryan (Boherlahan-Dualla), Callum Lawrence (Cashel King Cormacs), Ben Ryan (Knockavilla Kickhams), Daniel Moloney (Cashel King Cormacs), Stephen Browne (Knockavilla Kickhams), Cathal Quinn (Cashel King Cormacs), Conor O’Dwyer (Cashel King Cormacs), Kevin Cleary (Rockwell-Rosegreen). Subs: James Murphy (Boherlahan-Dualla) for B Ryan (40th), Adam Ryan (Rockwell-Rosegreen) for Cleary (50th), Reuben Bourke (Knockavilla Kickhams) for Carr (55th), Ned Ryan (Boherlahan-Dualla) for Farrell (60th). Panel Members: Ciarán Moroney (Fethard), Jack Breen (Knockavilla Kickhams), Michael O’Connor (Boherlahan-Dualla), Ben Currivan (Golden-Kilfeacle), David Sinclair (Golden-Kilfeacle), Páiric Brosnan (Cashel King Cormacs), Darragh Lacey (Boherlahan-Dualla), John Marnane (Rockwell-Rosegreen), Seán Ryan (Rockwell-Rosegreen), Eoghan Murphy (Cashel King Cormacs), Christopher Geraghty (Rockwell-Rosegreen), Ross Whelan (Cashel King Cormacs) and Micháel Quinlan (Fethard).