Thurles CBS march on to semi-finals of Harty Cup

[team1]Thurles CBS[/team1][score1] 0-16[/score1][team2]St John the Baptist CS (Hospital[/team2][score2]0-11.[/score2][/score]

After 160 minutes of hurling, plus injury-time, across two days it's the hurlers of Thurles CBS who march on to the semi-finals of the Harty Cup.

This time scores were more difficult to attain than in the 66-score encounter between these schools 10 days beforehand which had extra-time and additional extra-time, and this time we had a decision in "normal" time.

Going into the fourth quarter the teams were actually level, 0-10 apiece, after yet another Dylan O'Shea free had squared things up for Hospital, but it was the Thurles lads who galloped clear going down the home stretch with points from a variety of scorers.

St John the Baptist will know that they underperformed this time out, managing just three points from play and with none other than O'Shea managing to nab more than one score.

They had their chances too, particularly in the first half when they shot six wides (compared to Thurles's two during that phase), and also a sniff of goal. Kevin Bracken between the sticks for CBS had a game to remember, pulling off a double save in each half at times when a goal for the Hospital school could have swung things in a different way.

In the end Thurles CBS used their possession better and had a better balance throughout the field: Devon Ryan doing the business from both placed balls and play with Max Hackett, Paddy Creedon and Luke Cashin chipping in with two each, while their midfield of Hackett and Moloney gradually got the better of their counterparts after a slow start. In defence, Peter Melbourne won plenty of difficult ball while John Kirwan, Frank Hanafin and Kevin Hayes all did well.

The one drawback for Thurles was the straight red card given to Eoin Morris near the end, and to Hospital's Mark Quinlan, after they got involved in a needless scuffle.

Otherwise, they have a semi-final to look forward to against CBC, who beat them comprehensively in the group stage but with their last couple of games toughening them up, they will hope for a closer affair.

Scorers: Thurles CBS - D Ryan 0-8 (1'65', 6F), M Hackett 0-2, P Creedon 0-2, L Cashin 0-2, E Purcell 0-1, K Moloney 0-1

Hospital - D O'Shea 0-8 (8F), P Reale 0-1, B O'Grady 0-1, M Martin 0-1.

Thurles CBS: K Bracken, P Melbourne, J Kirwan, J Hickey, F Hanafin, K Hayes, J Ryan, M Hackett, K Moloney, K Ryan, D Ryan, E Purcell, P Creedon, D Flood, J Lanigan. Subs: L Cashin for J Lanigan (10m), J Leamy for K Moloney (44m), E Morris for F Hanafin (49m), J Morrissey for D Flood (56m), J Taylor for P Creedon (59m).

St John the Baptist CS: D Macauley, K Reale, M Quinlan, P Byrne, B Heavey, K Bonar, A Buckley, E O'Mahony, P Reale, A O'Heney, B O'Grady, D O'Shea, R Tobin, M Martin, O O'Grady. Subs: P Morrissey for A O'Heney (46m), C Burke for M Martin (55m), A McNamara for R Tobin (59m).

Ref: Damien Fox (Clare).