*Patrick Finnernan celebrates. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
ST FLANNAN’S COLLEGE are through to the semi-finals of the Croke Cup, producing a strong finish to overcome CBC Kilkenny.
St. Flannan’s College 2-12
CBC Kilkenny 0-13
Venue: Bansha
Bowed but not broken from their agonising Harty Cup Final defeat three weeks earlier, St. Flannan’s never-say-die powers of resilience were back with a bang thanks to a scintillating 2-3 unanswered finale in Bansha.
Trailing a lively CBC Kilkenny by four points entering the final ten minutes, it was difficult to see how the Clare college could lift themselves sufficiently to bounce back off the ropes once more. However, while they didn’t look as if they could out-point their Leinster opponents despite the wind at their backs, they key to their latest comeback came from an inspirational moment from Graham Ball in the 50th minute.
Credit Darragh McNamara for persevering and winning back possession around the 45 metre line before picking out Graham Ball to break through and unleash an unstoppable shot to the far bottom right corner at 0-13 to 1-09.
It would be a total plot twist as it provided a newfound momentum for the Ennis side who mighty have even doubled their goal bounty only three minutes later when Harry Doherty plucked a James Cullinan free from the skies, only to see his shot just flash wide of the far post.
Instead, it was John Barry’s unerring freetaking that finally nudged St. Flannan’s into the ascendency for the first time in 40 minutes as three successive placed balls handed the Harty Cup finalists a 1-12 to 0-13 edge by the hour mark.
It was exceedingly nervy but with CBC Kilkenny desperate for a goal, crucially it was St. Flannan’s that got it in the 61st minute when great work through Darragh Murrihy and Patrick Finneran saw the ball delivered into the right corner for Harry Doherty to cut inside and pick out Thomas O’Connor to billow the net.
Such a character-filled display was wholly necessary in such heavy turgid conditions but while John Barry’s second half freetaking exhibition and those aforementioned goals through Parish pair Ball and O’Connor were the headline grabbers, much credit must also be given to the likes of Colm Daly and Sean McNamara who were brilliant in the heart of the defence.
With CBC Kilkenny having the wind at their backs in the opening period, the sides would be level three times by the 19th minute before chief marksman flexed his muscles with five of the last six points to power the Leinster finalists 0-9 to 0-4 clear by the break.
Lacey along with Ollie O’Donovan and superb centre-back Josh Dowling were instrumental in frustrating St. Flannan’s initial second half backlash that saw CBC Kilkenny match their opponents score for score by the 43rd minute at 0-12 to 0-07.
However, the Kilkenny side would only score one solitary point for the last twenty minutes while St. Flannan’s would swiftly move through the gears with 2-5, guided by Barry but copper-fastened by those emphatic finishes for the goals to tee up a Croke Cup Semi-Final showdown with Presentation College Athenry in a fortnight’s time.
Scorers for St. Flannan’s College: John Barry 0-6 (5f, 1’65), Thomas O’Connor 1-1, Harry Doherty 0-3 (2f), Graham Ball 1-0, Darragh McNamara 0-1, Eoin O’Connor 0-1
Scorers for CBC Kilkenny: Patrick Lacey 0-8 (6f), Anthony Clifford 0-1, Zac Scanlon 0-1, Ollie O’Donovan 0-1, Cian Byrne 0-1, Joe Dowling 0-1
St Flannan’s College
1: Leon Talty (St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
5: Darragh Ball (St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
3: Sean McNamara (Clooney-Quin)
4: Darragh Murrihy (Inagh/Kilnamona)
8: Graham Ball (St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
6: James Cullinan (Ruan)
7: Colm Daly (St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
9: Isaac Hassett (Clooney/Quin)
17: John Barry (Inagh/Kilnamona)
10: Harry Doherty (Clarecastle)
13: Eoin O’Connor (Ballyea)
12: Rory Ralph (Clarecastle)
14: Thomas O’Connor (St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
15: Darragh McNamara (Clooney/Quin)
22: David Loftus (Éire Óg)
Subs
20: Ben Talty (St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield) for Hassett (38)
24: Donnacha Mahon (Clooney/Quin) for Loftus (41)
11: Patrick Finneran (Clooney/Quin) for E. O’Connor (46)
CBC Kilkenny:
1: Rian Dowling (Dicksboro)
5: Kealan Barcoe (Young Irelands)
20: Noah Gibbons (Dicksboro)
4: Conor Barcoe (Thomastown)
7: Zak O’Halloran (John Lockes)
6: Josh Dowling (Erins Own)
23: James Bergin (James Stephens)
8: Paddy O’Brien (John Lockes)
11: Anthony Clifford (Dicksboro)
9: Luke McDonald (O’Loughlin Gaels)
14: Patrick Lacey (Dicksboro)
12: Joe Dowling (Dicksboro)
15: Cian Byrne (O’Loughlin Gaels)
10: Ollie O’Donovan (John Lockes)
13: Zac Scanlon (James Stephens)
Subs
19: Jack Roche (Rower Inistioge) for O’Brien (52)
18: Adam Maher (O’Loughlin Gaels) for Joe Dowling (59)
Referee: Eamonn Stapleton (Limerick)
