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St. Colmans
must wait a while longer for that much sought after third Irish Examiner
Dr Harty Cup title in a row.
At Feenagh
yesterday, they were within seconds of achieving their dream, but St
Flannan’s full-forward Bernard Gaffney spoiled the party with a dramatic
equalising goal to earn his side a second bite of the cherry. And it was
no more than the Ennis college deserved. Written off in most quarters,
including their own, Flannan’s put in a tremendous display of gutsy
hurling that on another day might well have won them the honours. Apart
from the players, the St Flannan’s mentors can also take a fair deal of
the credit for ensuring their side are still in the title race. They
entrusted the task of keeping Andrew O’Shaughnessy in check to
15-year-old James McInerney and the fact that the St Colman’s man failed
to register a score is testament to the magnificent marking job the
Newmarket youngster did on the Fermoy captain.
Patrick Kirby, who, along with O’Shaughnessy, are members of the
Limerick senior team, was another player Colman’s were expecting big
things from. But, apart from scoring four points, three of them from
frees, he could never stamp his authority on the game and that too was a
credit to the excellence of the Flannan’s defence.
Indeed both defences were outstanding, which meant scores were very
difficult to come by, Colman’s half backline of Kevin O’Mahony, Aidan
Kearney and John O’Donnell being particularly outstanding. Midfielder
Seamus Stack cleared a world of ball when he dropped back to help out his
defence.
The cross-field wind made it difficult for both sets of players, but
Colman’s couldn’t have asked for a better start when Kirby set up
Fergus Browne for a goal after a minute. A Paul Kearney point quickly
followed and with the Flannan’s forwards unable to make any impression,
the champions forged 1-3 to 0-0 in front after 20 minutes and the signs
looked ominous for Flannan’s.
It took the Ennis college until the 22nd minute to open their account when
Eoin Shinnors pointed a close-in free. It sparked off a period of
dominance by Flannan’s and when Danny O’Halloran pointed in the 29th
minute Colman’s’ half-time lead of 1-3 to 0-2 didn’t look
insurmountable. Flannan’s continued to chase and harrass Colman’s at
every opportunity on the change over and the excellent free-taking of Eoin
Shinnors had the deficit down to the minimum six minutes into the
second-half, as the champions began to struggle in most areas.
With O’Shaughnesy unable to make any worthwhile contribution, it was
left to Patrick Kirby and Paul Kearney to keep Colman’s afloat. Both
added a point each, which left their side 1-6 to 0-6 in front with 10
minutes to go, and their defence was coping so well with the
ever-increasing Flannan’s pressure that the title looked destined for
the Fermoy college for an unprecedented third year in a row.
However, credit to Flannan’s for refusing
to give up the chase and when Mark Moloney launched a high ball deep into
the Colman’s defence, for once they failed to clear, and Bernard Gaffney
became the hero for Flannan’s with the equaliser.
Scorers: St. Colman’s: P. Kirby 0-3; F. Browne 1-0; P. Kearney 0-2; E.
Condon 0-1.
St. Flannan’s: E. Shinnors 0-4; B. Gaffney 1-0; D. O’Halloran 0-2.
ST. COLMAN’S: D. Fitzgerald; C. Griffin, B. Lane, J. Dorgan; K.
O’Mahony, A. Kearney, J. O’Donnell; S. Stack, E. Condon; M. Cleary, P.
Kearney, P. Kirby; A. O’Shaughnessy, M. Allen, F. Browne. Sub. C .
O’Connell for Cleary.
ST. FLANNAN’S: A. Ryan; A. Byrne, D. O’Doherty, J. McInerney; S.
O’Brien, M. Moloney, M. Og Murphy; B. Guinnane, R. Keane; A. Griffey, J.
Clancy, D. O’Halloran; E. Shinnors, B. Gaffney, N. Dunne. Subs. K. Forde
for Guinnane; D. Kelleher for Griffey.
Referee: J. McDonnell (Tipperary).
Match
Report Courtesy of Brendan Larkin (The Irish Examiner) |