Ard Scoil in control as tempers fray

A BAD-tempered start to this Harty Cup quarter-final in Tipperary Town yesterday, two players – John Fitzgibbon (Árd Scoil) and Seamus Kennedy (Thurles) — booked before even before throw-in.

A bad-tempered finish also as another two players – Mark Ryan (Árd Scoil) and Michael O’Brien (Thurles) – were singled out for straight red cards after another mass brawl, when several players from both sides could easily have walked.

Árd Scoil Rís hit the ground running, ahead 0-7 to 0-1 after just 10 minutes, Shane Dowling leading the way with three fine strikes, centre-back Declan Hannon scoring with a long-range free. Those two burgeoning stars were to the fore for the Limerick school, completely dominating their respective positions, but they weren’t alone by any means.