*Thomas O’Connor at the final whistle. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
ST FLANNAN’S College have exited the Croke Cup at the semi-final stage to Presentation Athenry.
Presentation College Athenry 1-18
St. Flannan’s College 1-14
Venue: Kilbeacanty
When opportunity knocked, it was Presentation Athenry that were most eager to answer and complete a second successive Croke Cup victory over St. Flannan’s College in Kilbeacanty.
Having been agonisingly edged out by only the minimum in last year’s All-Ireland Senior A PPS Hurling decider by Thurles CBS in Croke Park, the back-to-back Connacht champions again showed the greater consistency to lead for the majority and deservedly book their place in the final against St. Kieran’s College Kilkenny on St. Patrick’s Day.
Much like last year’s heartbreaking Croke Cup quarter-final exit to the same opposition in Gort, it was another thoroughly frustrating afternoon for St. Flannan’s who had more than enough chances to win two matches but ended up with more wides than scores.
Some of the decision-making and ambitious shooting which had dogged their seven previous Harty and Croke Cup matches but were predominantly papered over by those spectacular comebacks, came back to haunt them once more.
Indeed, the Ennis side hit 17 wides and took only one of five glorious goal chances, far too profligate to realistically reached the promised land of Croke Park for the first time in two decades.
They hoped that after a series of seesaw performance that things would finally come together for a solid hour’s display when needed most at the penultimate stage. However, Presentation College Athenry would prove the rocks of consistency, epitomised most by a ten point haul from county senior panelist Ciaran Leen.
Indeed, St. Flannan’s only led once in the entire contest and that for only two minutes entering the second quarter when Harry Doherty collected a delivery from fellow joint-captain James Cullinan to find the net and really kickstart St. Flannan’s challenge.
Playing against a strong wind in that opening period, it should have been the catalyst to build on but it turned out to be only a motivating tool for Pres. Athenry to hit the next four points, three from Leen frees to restore order.
Raiding for four of the first five points, the Galway school also defended well to twice prevent Thomas O’Connor from scoring a goal while equally Sean McNamara produced a vital interception to deny Leen a shot at beating Leon Talty.
Doherty’s 15th minute strike was immediately solaced by Leen and Co. though and by the break, Pres. held an 0-11 to 1-04 advantage. Indeed, it might have been slashed to just the minimum only two minutes into the new half when Thomas O’Connor pulled first time on a Graham Ball delivery that deceived Athenry’s last line.
However, goalkeeper Cathal Mannion was quick off his line to save with his leg and avert the danger. Instead, points through Leen and Niall McCarthy were matched by Doherty and Patrick Finneran but the decisive period would come either side of the three-quarters mark.
Countering from the back in the 42rd minute, Darragh Murrihy, Darragh Ball and Patrick Finneran combined to feed Darragh McNamara who in turn teed up substitute Ben Talty to unleash a bullet that crashed off the crossbar and out.
Such wafer thin margins was magnified only seven minutes later when Cian Hannon cut in from the left corner to make space and find the left corner of the next for a six point swing that powered Presentation Athenry 1-15 to 1-09 clear.
True to form, St. Flannan’s never gave up and duly wiped out the goal within four minutes thanks to points from Harry Doherty, John Barry and James Cullinan. However, with ten second half wides, St. Flannan’s just couldn’t sustain that push and if anything it was the leaders who looked most likely to grab a goal.
In the 56th minute, Aodhan McDonagh caught a puck-out, turned and bore down on goal before offloading to Ronan Cahalan to strike, only for goalkeeper Leon Talty to somehow keep it out from close range.
A brace of Ciaran Leen frees by the hour mark would prove a comeback too far as while there were fiver minutes of additional time, points from Harry Doherty and John Barry wouldn’t be enough to prevent Presentation Athenry from returning to the Croke Cup Final on Tuesday week.
Having beaten the roll of honours leaders in last year’s semi-final, Athenry certainly won’t fear St. Kieran’s as they bid for a first ever All-Ireland Senior A PPS Hurling Championship crown.
St. Flannan’s have 14 Croke Cup titles under their belts but their quest to return to the winners’ enclosure has proven extremely frustrating.
Sean McNamara, James Cullinan, Leon Talty and Harry Doherty performed best for Brendan Bugler’s side but having suffered back-to-back Harty Cup Final defeats followed by subsequently premature Croke Cup exits to Pres. Athenry, there will undoubtedly be plenty of introspection for the remainder of the school year.
All photographs by Gerard O’Neill.
Scorers for Presentation College Athenry: Ciaran Leen 0-10 (7f, 1’65, 1sl), Cian Hannon 1-1, Ronan Cahalan 0-3, Niall McCarthy 0-2, Aodhan McDonagh 0-1, Shay Brady 0-1
Scorers for St. Flannan’s College: John Barry 0-7 (5f), Harry Doherty 1-3, Graham Ball 0-1, Patrick Finneran 0-1, Thomas O’Connor 0-1, James Cullinan 0-1
Presentation College Athenry
1: Cathal Mannion (Athenry)
7: Shay Brady (Athenry)
3: Michael Lewis (Killimordaly)
4: Eanna McDonagh (Athenry)
36: Cian Donoghue (Clarinbridge)
6: Robert Burke (Kilconieron)
5: Ronan McGlynn (Athenry)
8: Aodhan McDonagh (Athenry)
9: Iarlaith Leen Craughwell)
10: Ronan Cahalan (Killimordaly)
12: Cian Hannon (Athenry)
11: Niall McCarthy (Athenry)
15: Niall Kelly (Athenry)
14: Ciaran Leen (Craughwell)
13: Anthony Poniard (Athenry)
Subs
29: Matthew Cloonan (Craughwell) for Kelly (53)
20: Johnny Dunleavy (Turloughmore) for Poniard (63)
St Flannan’s College
1: Leon Talty (St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
4: Darragh Murrihy (Inagh-Kilnamona)
3: Sean McNamara (Clooney-Quin)
2: Conor Hill (Ballyea)
5: Darragh Ball (St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
6: James Cullinan (Ruan)
7: Colm Daly (St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
8: Graham Ball (St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
9: John Barry (Inagh-Kilnamona)
15: Darragh McNamara (Clooney-Quin)
11: Patrick Finneran (Clooney-Quin)
12: Rory Ralph (Clarecastle)
13: Eoin O’Connor (Ballyea)
14: Thomas O’Connor (St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)
10: Harry Doherty (Clarecastle)
Subs
20: Ben Talty (St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield) for Hill (37)
22: David Loftus (Éire Óg) for E. O’Connor (50)
18: Jamie Ryan (Ruan) for D. Ball (57, inj)
23: Jason Keane Hayes (Kilmaley) for D. McNamara (60, inj)
Referee: Cian Ryan (Tipperary)
