Fives on scoring spree for Blackwater College

IF Blackwater College lose out to St Caimin’s of Shannon on scoring difference for a place in the play-off stages of this year’s Harty Cup (the Clare school play Our Lady’s of Templemore today), then they can surely curse Doon CBS keeper Colm Cummins.

With a massive scoring difference (over 30 points) between the teams coming into this, the final round-robin series of matches, the Lismore side needed to win by as much as possible to keep their hopes alive; well, they managed to win by 20 points, but now they are left hoping St Caimin’s lose by at least 15 – slender hope indeed.

Were it not for the heroics of Cummins, however, that margin would now be much slimmer, perhaps reduced to zero, because on least five occasions – four in the second half alone, when Blackwater College were utterly dominant – the Doon keeper denied Blackwater what looked certain goals. Rubbing salt into Lismore wounds, this was Colm’s first start in goals: he’s normally a wing-back!

On what must surely be one of the driest pitches in the country at the moment, and credit to Templederry GAA for that, the first half was an evenly contested affair, the young Doon side (most of them back again next year) giving as good as they got against much bigger opponents. Only two points in at the break, 3-7 to 2-9 in favour of the Waterford lads, as doughty Doon answered every score against them with a score of their own. Their goals came from feisty full-forward Eoin Roche and corner-forward Bill Creamer, while centre-back Liam Ryan (later moved forward, to good effect) and centre-forward Conor Sheehan (another standout performer) were inch-perfect from placed balls, midfielders Tadhg Butler and John Ryan also rowing in with a point apiece.

Ominously, however, Blackwater had played into a strong wind in that first half. Even more ominously, and despite the best efforts of Doon full-back Diarmuid Cummins (brother of Colm), their inside line of Fionnán Murray, Darragh Fives and Peter O’Keeffe were causing huge problems, scored 2-5 of that 3-7 (the brilliant Fives with the two goals), were unlucky not to have had at least another three majors.

Add to that the fact that five minutes before the break, that line was reinforced with the addition of 14-year-old sporting prodigy Stephen Bennett (Murray shifted to the wing), and the scene was set for Blackwater College after the break. Bennett would go on to threaten every time he touched the ball; two goals he finished with, denied two more by outstanding keeping of Colm Cummins and denied again by the upright late in the game. This kid has some future.

With the wind now in their sails, the second half was all Blackwater College. Four more goals they added, the two from Bennett, one each from Fives and O’Keeffe, but were it not for the brilliance of Colm Cummins and some poor shooting, it could have been eight, even 10. Opportunity lost, very definitely, for Blackwater College.

Scorers – Blackwater College: D. Fives 3-3; S. Bennett 2-0; P. O’Keeffe 1-3 (0-1 free); D. Cahalane 1-2; P. Prendergast 0-4; F. Murray, K. Casey, R. Barry (65), 0-1 each.

Doon CBS: E. Roche 1-1; L. Ryan 0-4 (all frees); B. Creamer 1-0; C. Sheehan 0-3 (all frees); T. Butler, J. Ryan, 0-1 each.

BLACKWATER COLLEGE: S. Barry; M. Fitzgerald, T. O’Brien, J. Hannon; D. O’Brien, P. Prendergast, S. Heaphy; PJ Curran, R. Barry; K. Casey, D. Cahalane, E. Sheehan; F. Murray, D. Fives, P. O’Keeffe. Subs: S. Bennett (Casey 25); A. Pratt (Hannon 25); D. O’Brien (Sheehan 40).

DOON CBS: C. Cummins; D. O’Neill, D. Cummins, W. Birrane; P. Stapleton, L. Ryan, M. Cummins; T. Butler, J. Ryan; P. Franklin, C. Sheehan, D. O’Brien; B. Creamer, E. Roche, J. Campbell. Sub: P. O’Brien (Birrane inj. 54).

Ref: W. Clohessy (Drom & Inch).