Nenagh CBS book quarter final spot in Harty Cup
GAA: Munster Post Primary Schools – Harty Cup Last 16
Nenagh CBS 1-20
Castletroy College 1-13
By Enda Treacy in Newport
Nenagh CBS booked their place in the last eight of the Munster Senior 'A' Hurling Harty Cup with a seven point victory over Castletroy College last Wednesday.
Despite holding their opponents to just 1-1 from play throughout the 60 minutes, as well as dominating for large parts, poor discipline from Nenagh kept the Limerick outfit in contention with Mark O'Dwyer proving deadly accurate.
But led by Tipperary minor star Jake Morris at centre back, Nenagh eventually got over the line, out scoring their opponents 1-5 to 0-1 in the last ten minutes to claim the win.
And it was Morris who got the scoring underway straight from throw-in, gathering the first breaking ball and galloping down field to send over a lovely point on the run off his stick. Nenagh followed with the next two scores, both coming from frees through Morris, from long range, and Mark Daniels as they began getting on top of the early exchanges.
Mark O'Dwyer registered Casteltroy's first point from a placed ball in the sixth minute to get his side off the mark. O'Dwyer scored his sides second and third points either side of a good score from Jerome Cahill who did well to gain possession from the ground and then fire over on the run off his left from some 40 yards out.
Frees were a feature of the first half, with both sides guilty of giving away needless frees, particularly Nenagh, who despite dominating the ball, were keeping Castletroy in it as O'Dwyer had two more frees added to the scoreboard to leave Nenagh ahead 0-9 to 0-5 after 22 minutes.
Nenagh looked comfortable at this point, as they seemed to be cruising to half time with the teams trading two more points each, before Castletroy got themselves right back in the mix on the stroke of half time. A breaking ball in the Nenagh half back line found its way to Castletroy's Brian Garry who ran clear before finding Darren Coughlan free on the left to finish well past Barry Hogan to cut the gap to just one point at half time.
The Nenagh management rang the changes at half time with a number of posiitional switches and substitutions which worked a treat in the first minutes of the second half with Nenagh scoring three points in as many minutes to go four points clear again.
However, Nenagh's discipline in the tackle will be a real worry for management going forward, as between the 35th and 46th minutes, they conceded five frees on the bounce which were unerringly converted by Mark O'Dwyer to give Castletroy a one point lead going into the final quarter.
The introduction of Kevin McCarthy yielded Nenagh's first score in 15 minutes, when the corner forward was fouled just after coming on, and the free was converted by Bryan McLoughney, before McCarthy got his own score with a good turn and shot from 40 yards out to dissect the posts.
Half time substitute Conor McCarthy added his first score soon after, which was quickly followed by a spurned goal chance and a blitz of points from the CBS to leave them 0-19 to 1-12 clear with six minutes to play, as Nenagh began to ascert their dominance again.
O'Dwyer responded with yet another converted free before Conor McCarthy wrapped up the tie in the 54th minute, when he won his own ball in a ruck of players and proceeded to gallop through on goal, shorten the stick and finish smartly to the net.
Jake Morris sent over the CBS' last score of the game and despite Castletroy launching a late siege on the Nenagh goal, Barry Hogan stood tall in the Nenagh nets and to hold the Limerick side at bay to claim the win.
MATCH DIGEST
Man of the Match: Jake Morris (Nenagh Eire Og)
Nenagh CBS: Barry Hogan (Kiladangan); Darragh Molloy (Kiladangan), Conor O'Brien (Portroe), Jack Moloney (Portroe); Mark O'Neill (Kilruane MacDonaghs), Jake Morris (Nenagh Eire Og 0-8 (5f, 2 65's), Ciaran Kelly (Kiladangan); Jerome Cahill (Kilruane MacDonaghs 0-1), Stephen Kirwan (Burgess 0-1); Ruairi Maher (Silvermines), Mark Daniels (Silvermines 0-1f), Billy Seymour (Kiladangan, 0-3, 2f); Craig Morgan (Kilruane MacDonaghs 0-1), Eoin Power (Silvermines), Bryan McLoughney (Kiladangan, 0-3, 1f).
Subs: Robbie Quirke (Cappawhite) for Daniels (HT); Conor McCarthy (Nenagh Eire Og 1-1) for Kelly (HT); Kevin McCarthy (Toomevara 0-1) for Power (44); Aidan O'Flaherty (Burgess) for McLoughney (54).
Castletroy College: Padraig Harnett; Ian Campbell, Ciaran Barry, Niall O'Brien; Andy Rowsome, David Moloney, Dion Lynch; Conor Nicholas (0-1), Daniel Minehan; Ronan Reale, Brian Garry, Paul Power; Darren Coughlan (1-0), Mark O'Dwyer (0-12f), Dara Cullimore.
Subs: Dairmaid Hegarty for Rowsome (37); John Hickey for Lynch (54).
Referee: Jim Lees (Newport)