Youghal win, draw and then lose out

CONFUSION and controversy surrounded this vital final round-robin Harty Cup group game at Goatenbridge yesterday, with Youghal initially informed that they had won a cracking contest by a single point.

Justice was done, however. Referee Tom O’Donnell from the Cahir club, who had contributed handsomely to what was a superb, free-flowing and sporting display, had inadvertently attributed a first-half Árd Scoil Rís point to Youghal.

On consultation at half-time with two independent recorders from the media, he had amended that error, but only partially so, deducting the point from Youghal, while not applying same to Árd Scoil Rís.

Thus, on being informed of his initial final tally, Youghal celebrated. But Árd Scoil Rís protested; another check was made and the result, the proper result, was confirmed by the referee – a draw, 4-13 apiece.

An honourable admission of error by Mr O’Donnell, but it was just and fitting, because, in truth, neither side deserved to lose. The pity now, however, for a gallant Pobalscoil na Tríonóide, is that while Árd Scoil Rís move on to the quarter-finals as group winners, the Youghal school’s involvement in this season’s Harty Cup is over.

The first-half was when Youghal really suffered, but it wasn’t the referee’s fault, it was their own. Three goals they conceded, three simple goals, which left them facing an 11 point mountain to climb at the break, trailing 3-9 to 0-7. The first concession came in the sixth minute, impressive Árd Scoil full-forward Kevin Downes reaching high to catch a Conor Ryan centre, blasting to the net from close quarters.

With centre-forward and Waterford minor star Brian O’Halloran doing well on the 40, Youghal came back from that to tie the game in the eighth minute, 1-0 to 0-3, before Árd Scoil went on a bit of a tear, seven points to one in the next 15 minutes, Downes and wing-forward Seán O’Brien with a pair apiece.

Then came the second major defensive error, corner-forward Robert Heneghan capitalised, picked up the break, passed to midfielder Kevin Keane who had ghosted in behind the cover – second point-blank shot past the unfortunate Aindreas Ó Cuirtín in the Youghal goal. Within a minute, déjà vu, another defensive error, Heneghan again picking up the break, again setting up a team-mate for another point-blank shot, Downes the beneficiary on this occasion.

O’Halloran was doing his damnedest up front for Youghal, as was fellow countyman Kenny Murphy in midfield, but with their attack starved of possession, finding it difficult to get the ball past a dominant Árd Scoil Rís midfield/half-back quintet, Youghal looked to be facing a serious hammering.

That they recovered, came back almost to steal the win, speaks volumes for their character. Speaks volumes for their canniness also, let it be said, on the line especially.

A straight substitution in the full-back line, several switches up front, the most notable of which saw the ever-dangerous O’Halloran and full-forward John Prendergast switch places, and immediately Youghal looked a far more cohesive outfit, three points on the trot after the restart.

Took them a while to really get to grips with the Limerick side, however, on the scoreboard especially, and when their first goal, a fine individual effort in the 43rd from Prendergast, was negated by a superb double on a Keane centre by towering Árd Scoil centre-forward James O’Brien, it looked all over.

Just six minutes remaining of regular time, trailing by 10 points (4-12 to 1-11), they could have thrown in the towel. They kept battling, however, and two goals in a minute, the first from Colm Faherty (another astute substitution), the second by James O’Mahony, followed by an O’Halloran point, had it back to just one score, 4-12 to 2-12, with still three minutes on the clock.

Kevin Downes then seemed to make it safe again for Árd Scoil Rís, a speared 65, but in the two minutes remaining in time added on, wing-forward Shane Leahy stormed upfield for a point, then O’Halloran battled his way in along the endline for the final goal. Magnificent contest, a credit to all concerned.

Scorers for Pobalscoil na Tríonóide: B O’Halloran 1-5; J O’Mahony 1-2 (0-2f); C Faherty 1-0; J Prendergast 1-0; K Murphy 0-2; A Frehill-O’Connor 0-2 (f); S Harneddy, S Leahy, 0-1 each

Árd Scoil Rís: K Downes 2-4 (0-2f, 0-1 65); J O’Brien 1-1; N Kennedy 0-3; S O’Brien 0-3 (0-1f); K Keane 1-0; D Hannon, K Hurley, 0-1 each.

POBALSCOIL NA TRÍONÓIDE, YOUGHAL: A Ó Cuirtín; D Foley (D Scanlon, 30), A Kenny, P O’Sullivan; S Leahy, A Frehill-O’Connor, K Lane; K Murphy, M Ó Cróinín; M Fitzgerald (C Faherty for Fitzgerald, 40), B O’Halloran, S Harneddy; J O’Mahony, J Prendergast, N O’Driscoll.

ÁRD SCOIL RÍS: S Dowling; K Hurley, S O’Connor (B O’Connor, 37), E Mulvihill; T Nolan, C McInerney, S Moloney; C Ryan, K Keane; N Kennedy, J O’Brien, S O’Brien; D Hannon, K Downes, R Heneghan.

Referee: T O’Donnell (Cahir).