Waterford Colleges show Mon no mercy

MAURICE SHANAHAN, brother of the Déise star Dan, scored 2-1 for Waterford Colleges in their emphatic rout of North Mon in the Dr Harty Cup at Rathcormac yesterday.

Contrary to popular belief, Waterford Colleges don’t have the pick of the second-level schools in the county — the team is drawn from Blackwater Community School, Dungarvan CBS and St Augustine’s College — but they may have just enough talent at their disposal to have an impact on the competition.

Short five of their top players for their opening game, they were back to full strength yesterday and had a man of the match performance from Cormac Curran who scored 3-5 before being replaced.

They were five points up after four minutes, did not score again for 10, but then went to work on the opposition with clinical precision.

North Mon, who have won the coveted cup 21 times, are going through a period of transition and are a pale shadow of the former sides who dominated the competition. The fact that they did not have the Gael Scoil players available didn’t help matters, but the youthful side battled gamely.

Darren Wyse, who saw 10 goals go past him in their opening game, brought off a succession of brilliant saves but it was never going to be enough in a match in which Waterford Colleges wing back, Karl Duggan, gave a exhibition in long distance sharpshooting and forwards Pa Walsh, Pa Donovan, Cormac Curran and Fionnain Murray seemed able to score at will.

Scorers: Waterford Colleges: C Curran 3-5, M Shanahan 2-1, K Duggan 0-6 (0-5 frees), J Power 1-1, T Dunphy 0-3 and F Murray 0-3 each, P Walsh 0-2, P Donovan 0-2 and K Geary 0-2. North Monastery: C Carroll 1-0, M Cambridge, J Curtin (free) and E O’Sullivan 0-1 each.

WATERFORD COLLEGES: D Moore; D Fives, L Byrne, P Kiely; K Duggan, S O’Rourke, S Kearney; K Geary, T Walsh; P Walsh, L Ryan, P Donovan; F Murray, M Shanahan, C Curran.

Subs: J Power for P Walsh, J Troy for C Curran, C Luby for S O’Rourke, T Dunphy for L Ryan.

NORTH MONASTERY: D Wyse; L O’Sullivan, C Cahill, M Cambridge; K Sorensen, A Field, K Waters; S O’Connor, K Buckley; J Curtin, E O’Sulllivan, D McCarthy; J O’Mahony, A O’Sullivan, C Lynch. Subs: S Cotter for A O’Sullivan and J Long for J O’Mahony.

Referee: Barry Day (Aghada).