14-man St Flannan’s see off St Kieran’s to advance to All-Ireland semi-final
Fourteen-man St Flannan’s College survived a ferocious battle with St Kieran’s College in the All Ireland Post Primary Schools senior A hurling championship quarter-final at Mallow today.
Last Sunday,
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The elements played a big part in proceedings. St Flannan’s were five points behind at the break but had a player sent off in the second quarter.
Turning to play with a very strong wind they achieved parity by the three-quarter mark. It was nip and tuck in the closing stages but the Clare school finished strong to book a semi-final place against the Connacht champions St Raphael’s College, Loughrea on Monday week.
In the first half, wind-assisted St Kieran’s College set up about building up a lead. Just 32 seconds were gone on the clock when Conor Kelly sent over his first free and he followed with a similar score a minute later.
St Flannan’s goalkeeper Cian Broderick then had to be alert to deny the Kilkenny side a goal opportunity , they did however manage a point from Oisin Egan to go three points to nil ahead before Cian Galvin opened the St Flannan’s scoring with an 11th minute free.
Captain Galvin was responsible for all of the Flannan’s scores in the opening half, and all from placed balls.
The St Flannan’s defence did well too to avert a goal strike from Kelly from a close-in free midway through the half.
The Clare side were dealt a blow in the 23rd minute when Ashley Brohan received a straight red card for an altercation with Harry Walsh.
St Kieran’s, meanwhile, had moved five points clear at this juncture and mainly through Cian Kenny they were seven up with three minutes to go to the break.
Two Galvin frees left the interval score 0-8 to 0-3, the Clare side grateful to see a Harry Shine effort go off a defender, the resultant ’65 struck wide.
St Flannan’s restarted brilliantly reeling off five points without reply to achieve deadlock at the three quarter mark – two of these outstanding white flags from half time substitute Conner Hegarty (didn’t start due to a shoulder injury picked up in the Harty final). All the while, their resolute defence not allowing St Kieran’s through on goal.
St Kieran’s didn’t register their first score of the second half until the 48th minute from substitute Eoin Guilfoyle, and twice more they edged it by a point, 0-11 to 0-10 entering the final five minutes.
Three splendid points in succession from Oisin O’Donnell put St Flannan’s in the driving seat, and fittingly joint captain Cian Galvin sealed the win when his long range free in the 63rd minute sailed over the bar.
C Galvin (0-7, 0-6 frees), O O’Donnell (0-4), C Hegarty (0-2), D Cahill (0-1).
C Kelly (0-5, 0-4 frees), C Kenny (0-4), O Egan and E Guilfoyle (0-1 each).
C Broderick (Clarecastle); N Walsh (The Banner), D Healy (Clarecastle), M Reidy (Ballyea); J Lyons (Ruan), C Galvin (Clarecastle, Joint-Capt), S Casey (Ballyea); C Halpin (Clarecastle), J Collins (Eire Og); A Brohan (Ruan), C Cassidy (Clooney Quin), K O’Connor (Corofin); P Power (Newmarket-on-Fergus), D Cahill (Corofin), O O’Donnell (Crusheen).
C Hegarty (Inagh Kilnamona, Joint-Capt) for J Lyons (35), J Doherty (Clarecastle) for C Cassidy (40), D Cunningham (Clooney Quin) for P Power (58).
D Galway (Thomastown); K Rudkins (Barrow Rangers), P Moylan (Dicksboro), D Fogarty (O’Loughlin Gaels); P McDonald (Thomastown), S Keoghan (Graigue-Ballycallan), J Harkin (Bennettsbridge); C Kelly (O’Loughlin Gaels, Capt), H Walsh (Dunnamaggin); C Kenny (James Stephens), J Doyle (Windgap), D Maher (St Lachtain’s Freshford); O Egan (Graigue Ballycallan), P Donohue (Danesfort), D Walsh (Dunnamaggin).
H Shine (Dicksboro) for J Doyle (20), E Guilfoyle (James Stephen’s) for O Egan (half time), S O’Keeffe (Dunnamaggin) for K Rudkins (33), A Hickey (Dunnamaggin) for P Donohue (50), C Brennan (Bennettsbridge) for D Walsh (55).
Alan Kelly (Galway).
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