St Flannan’s bow out of Corn Uí Mhuiri as referee loses control of contest

St Francis Rochestown are the first team into the semi-finals of the Corn Uí Mhuiri after holding off St Flannan’s College at the last eight stage in Mallow on Wednesday afternoon.

Corn Uí Mhuiri (Munster Under 19A PPS Football Championship) Quarter-Final
St Francis Rochestown 1-10
Flannan’s College 1-4

Having incrementally built up momentum in the competition, it proved a thoroughly disappointing outing for the Ennis side who failed to replicate their latter group form and were forced to chase their Cork opponents for the entire hour.

Ten wides allied to a frustrating refereeing performance from local official John O’Leary who not only increasingly lost control of the contest and sent off a player from each side before the finish but also found it difficult to contend with the end-to-end nature of the contest and rare January sun.

It left St Flannan’s ruing what might have been but overall, they can’t grumble too much as they were largely the architects of their own downfall. Indeed, it took John Connole’s side 20 minutes to even open their account through a Darren Keane free such was their profligacy, by which time a much sharper Rochestown had stormed four clear thanks too points from Derry Howard, Billy Fraher, Sean Coakley and Evan O’Connor.

Missed goal chances for chief marksman Sean Coakley and Billy Fraher were a left off though and with Keane and Cian Kirby lessening the damage by the break at 0-5 to 0-2, the chance to regroup couldn’t have come at a better time.

They did seize upon a rare goal chance at the turn of the final quarter to finally ignite their challenge when Sean McMahon intercepted a Rochestown kick-out before playing in substitute James Doherty to billow the net.

However, while that major left only a solitary point between the sides, it was Rochestown who responded more vehemently as they immediately got back on track through points for Coakley and Fraher before a decisive late goal through the impressive Coakley put the result beyond any doubt.

St Flannan’s substitute Harry Doherty did produce a last gasp goal chance but St Francis Rochestown were in no mood to let their lofty advantage slip as goalkeeper Micheál O’Connell defiantly kept it out from point blank range to exact full revenge for the schools’ Munster Under 15A Final reverse to the Ennis college last Autumn.

Scorers for St Francis College Rochestown: Sean Coakley (1-4, 2f); Billy Fraher, Evan O’Connor (1f) (0-2 each); Derry Howard, Rob Hanley (0-1 each)

Scorers for St Flannan’s College: Darren Keane (0-3f); James Doherty (1-0); Cian Kirby (0-1 each)

St Flannan’s College

1: Cian Howard (Éire Óg)

2: Gearoid Barry (Inagh-Kilnamona)

3: Conor Griffin (Clarecastle),

4: Ronan Kilroy (Banner)

5: Ian Williams (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)

6: Fionan Treacy (Éire Óg)

7: Paddy Nagle (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield)

8: James Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona)

15: Darren Keane (Lissycasey)

10: Fionn Cotter (Lissycasey)