Stack goal sees Midleton bridge 13-year gap to claim Harty Cup title

By Eoghan Cormican

Midleton CBS 2-12 - 0-14 CBC

A Joe Stack goal on 53 minutes was the crucial score in delivering Midleton CBS their fourth Harty Cup crown.

Stack’s goal arrived after Midleton had struck five consecutive wides and were failing to in anyway capitalise on this spell of dominance. Stack’s initial effort was superbly smothered, but he followed up and buried the sliotar to the Christians net to move the East Cork College into a 2-10 to 0-13 lead.

A Padraig Power free subsequently cut the gap to two, but Power sent another placed effort thereafter left and wide and no closer would Christians come of their opponents. 

Two Ross O’Regan frees completed the scoring for Midleton CBS to leave them celebrating a first Harty success in 13 years, a victory which played out in front of a 7,089 strong crowd. For five of the Midleton starting team, there was sweet atonement having been part of the side which lost the 2018 final to Ardscoil Rís.

Christians, bidding to secure a first ever Harty crown, will rue a number of goal chances which they failed to put away. A measly total of five points from play, also, is a stat which they’ll be disappointed with. On 44 minutes, Padraig Power could - and probably should - have had a Christians goal. Midleton ‘keeper Jack McGann and defender Cormac O’Brien kept the sliotar out, play was worked down the other end with Ross O’Regan earning a free which Ryan McCarthy converted to edge Midleton into a 1-10 to 0-12 lead. 

The sides were level at 1-7 to 0-10 at the end of a tentative first-half which failed to catch fire. Both sides created ample goal chances, but a lack of composure in pulling the trigger, along with two excellent blocks, one by Christians goalkeeper Cian Long and the other by his teammate Cillian O’Donovan, meant Jason Hankard’s third-minute major - the Fr O’Neill’s forward touched Ryan McCarthy’s free to the net - was the sole green flag of the half.

A Ross O’Regan point followed the goal to put Midleton four ahead, an ideal start which lay in stark contrast to their poor opening 12 months ago. 

That said, Christians soon arrived at the pace of proceedings and clipped seven of the next eight scores. Padraig Power was responsible for three of these, with his Blarney clubmate Declan Hanlon sniping a pair of points. 

Midleton’s tactic at the other end of the field was to pump high ball in on top of Hankard and they were experiencing some joy in this regard. Two Ryan McCarthy placed ball efforts - the second stemming from a brilliant Cian Long save to deny Joe Stack - had the East Cork college back level, 1-4 to 0-7, on 22 minutes. It was tit for tat from there to the break, Cathal Hickey and Shane Barrett throwing over fine points for their respective sides.

In the end, it was the two goals which proved the difference. 

Scorers for MIdleton CBS: R McCarthy (0-6, 0-5 frees, 0-1 ‘65); R O’Regan (0-4, 0-2 frees); J Stack (1-1); J Hankard (1-0); C Hickey (0-1 each).

Scorers for CBC: P Power (0-10, 0-8 frees, 0-1 ‘65); D Hanlon (0-2); S Barrett, O McCarthy (0-1 each).

Midleton CBS: J McGann (Kiltha Óg); D Moran (Kiltha Óg), D Hogan (Killeagh), C O’Brien (Midleton); R Landers (Killeagh), C Joyce (Kiltha Óg), D Healy (Kiltha Óg); S Quirke (Midleton), R McCarthy (Killeagh); C Hickey (Lisgoold), G Carroll (Midleton), R O’Regan (Midleton); J Hankard (Fr O’Neill’s), J Stack (Kiltha Óg), K Farmer (Midleton).

Subs: O Broderick (Killeagh) for Landers (35 mins); A Nganou for Quirke (50); P Hassett (Fr O’Neill’s) for Hickey (59).

CBC: C Long (Glen Rovers); D Barry (Sarsfields), P Hennessy (Mallow), C O’Donovan (Douglas); C Daly (Lismore), I Daly (Lismore), G Mulcahy (Glen Rovers); D Hanlon (Blarney), K Finn (Midleton); O McCarty (Inniscarra), N Hartnett (Douglas), S Barrett (Blarney); J Cahalane (St Finbarr’s), J O’Kelly (St Finbarr’s), P Power (Blarney).

Subs: J Scally (Bishopstown) for McCarthy (50); R Cotter (Blackrock) for O’Kelly (59).

Referee: J Murphy (Limerick).

St Francis College secure first Tom Collum cup win over Hamilton High School

By John Coleman

St Francis College 1-13 - 0-14 Hamilton High School

St Francis College Rochestown annexed their first ever Tom Collum cup with a hard-fought win over Hamilton High School from Bandon. In the end, it was Paul O’Riordan’s goal after sixteen seconds that proved to be the decisive score after the Tracton man capitalised on an excellent run from Blackrock’s Alan Connolly straight from the throw-in.

Try as they might, the Bandon school could never quite get level and while there was only two points between them deep into injury time, a late score from Douglas’s Alan O’Hare secured the victory.

After O’Riordan’s opening goal, Rochestown were the better team in the opening exchanges and two points from Connolly and another from Sean Andrews saw them lead by 1-3 to 0-1 after twelve minutes, Bill Murphy with the point for the Bandon school.

That O’Riordan goal proved to be the difference as the half progressed and the Hammies got to the pace of the game, scoring five of the next six points. 

Mark Hickey had two frees, Murphy tagged over his second and two beauties from Darren O’Donovan and Fionn Herlihy saw them trail by 1-4 to 0-6 after twenty minutes, Tracton’s O’Riordan with Roco’s score.

Rochestown had their own purple patch coming up to half time, with Stephen Fenton impressing in midfield and points from Connolly, wing-back Sean Brady and O’Riordan again saw them go four in front. 

There was time for one more score from the Hammies’s Adam Kenneally to leave the early goal between them at the break, 1-7 to 0-7.

The Hammies came out firing after the break and points from Cian McCarthy and Fionn Herlihy left the minimum between them with forty played. However, Rochestown never allowed them to get level, and were always able to get the score they needed to keep them at bay.

Connolly proved unerring from frees, Conor Russell chipped in with a ’65 and while Adam Kenneally and Mark Hickey kept The Hammies in touch, they couldn’t get the goal they needed. 

Darren O’Donovan went close twice, batting into the side net from a tight angle and forcing a good save from St Finbarr’s Jack McCarthy in the Rochestown goal but St Francis College were not to be denied and as they can now look forward to the All-Ireland series.

Scorers:

St Francis College: A Connolly 0-7 (0-5 frees, 0-1 ‘65), P O’Riordan 1-2, C Russell (’65) S Andrews, and A O’Hare and S Brady 0-1 each.

Hamilton High School: M Hickey 0-4 (all frees), B Murphy and F Herlihy 0-3 each, A Kenneally 0-2, A C McCarthy, D O’Donovan 0-1 each.

St Francis College: J McCarthy (St Finbarrs), K McSweeney (Douglas), J O’Connell (Douglas), B O’Neill (Douglas), S Brady (Ballygarvan), C McCarthy (Blackrock), D Murphy (Douglas), S Fenton (Ballygarvan), N O’Connell (Cobh), A Hennessy (Blackrock), P O’Halloran (Ballygarvan), C Russell (Douglas), P O’Riordan (Tracton), A Connolly (Blackrock), S Andrews (Shamrocks).

Subs: S Harrington for McSweeney (43 mins), A O’Hare (Douglas) for Andrews, R O’Halloran, A (Ballygarvan) for Hennessey (both 48 mins), K McSweeney (Douglas) for Murphy (55 mins, inj), A Sheehy (Douglas) for O’Connell (61 mins).

Hamilton High School: O Walsh (Newcestown), J Kenneally (Valley Rovers), T Twohig (Bandon), BDonegan (Bandon), D O’Shea (Valley Rovers), S Sexton (Kilbrittain), E Collins (Newcestown), A Kenneally (Valley Rovers), M Hickey (Kilbrittain), E Kenneally (Newcestown), B Murphy (Dohenys), D O’Donovan (St Mary’s), C McCarthy (St Oliver Plunketts), M O’Leary (Valley Rovers), F Herlihy (Dohenys).

Subs: E McSweeney (Bandon) for O’Leary (35 mins), A O’Leary (Valley Rovers) for E Kenneally (55 mins)

Referee: Thomas Walsh (Port Láirge).