Midleton and Colman's share the spoils after dramatic finish

St Colman’s and Midleton served up a breathtaking last six minutes of stoppage time, as Colman’s, down to 14 players, completed an unlikely comeback

EYE ON THE BALL: Cillian Tobin, St. Colman's College, getting between Daniel Murnane and Timmy Wilk of Midleton CBS during their Dr. Harty Cup match at Watergrasshill, Cork. Pic: Dan Linehan

Harty Cup round 1 

Midleton CBS 0-20 St Colman’s College, Fermoy 0-20

How much hurling drama can you pack into six minutes of stoppage time? St Colman’s and Midleton served up eight points, plus a saved goal chance for good measure, as Colman’s, down to 14 players, completed an unlikely comeback.

They trailed by four entering added time, 0-18 to 0-14, having played the entire second half without the red-carded Brendan Lehane, but refused to wilt. They equalised three times late on, in the 64th, 65th, and finally in the 66th minute, in front of a fired-up Fermoy fanbase.

Cillian Tobin, who couldn’t find his range in normal time and had been down with cramp moments earlier, was their saviour. He gathered two puck-outs after Jack Leahy’s apparent winning points and whipped over the final two levellers. His last effort, lashed instinctively over the shoulder from 65 metres without seeming to check the location of the posts, was a fitting conclusion to a spectacular finale.

Midleton had already seen their chance to seal this game slip by in the 62nd minute; Tiernan Roche’s shot saved by Shane Coughlan and Colm Leahy pulling the follow-up wide – their eighth wide of the half and 11th in total.

Jamie Magner ended with 0-11, matching Jack Leahy’s total for Midleton, but eight of his points came in the second half to keep Colman’s in touch. Two arrived in added time, bookended by a Ronan O’Connell free and substitute Liam Foley’s levelling point. 0-18 all after 64 minutes. Then, the Leahy and Tobin show.

A tit-for-tat first half ended with Midleton three ahead and a man up. Jack Leahy picked off their first five points, while Paudie O’Sullivan made a crucial save from Sean O’Donoghue. That came in the 22nd minute amid an unanswered four-point sprint by Midleton, which finally separated these two by more than the minimum. Dylan McCarthy and Colm Leahy added points for a three-point lead that was maintained to the half, 0-10 to 0-7.

Lehane’s red card arrived in stoppage time, referee Eoin Coleman indicating he had swung back on Alex Moloney, who walked away with a yellow.

Fast-forward 14 minutes into the second half and Colman’s looked dead and buried. They were six points behind, 0-14 to 0-8, after another Midleton four-point burst, with half-backs Cillian O’Callaghan and Daniel Murnane, in the free-man role, getting on the scoreboard. What’s more? O’Sullivan had just bravely saved again from O’Donoghue in what would be Colman’s final goal chance of the game.

But Magner dragged them back into it, scoring four of the next five points, while Coughlan made his first of two vital saves, snuffing out a Shane Irwin shot.

It was back to two when Timmy Wilk appeared to make it safe. Stepping forward from his battle marking Tobin, he picked off two long-range points to make the gap four entering stoppages. But Tobin dug deeper again at the death.

Scorers for Midleton CBS: J Leahy (0-11, 4 frees, 2 65s); T Wilk (0-2); C O’Callaghan, D Murnane, T O’Regan, J O’Brien, D McCarthy, S Irwin, C Leahy (0-1 each).

Scorers for St Colman’s: J Magner (0-11, 7 frees, 1 65); R O’Connell (1 free), B Lehane, S O’Donoghue, C Tobin (0-2 each); L Foley (0-1).

MIDLETON CBS: P O’Sullivan (Fr O’Neills, j-capt); D Leahy (Castlemartyr), A Moloney (Midleton), S O’Callaghan (Aghada); T Wilk (Cobh), D Murnane (Carrigtwohill), C O’Callaghan (Dungourney); T Roche (Midleton), J Leahy (Dungourney, j-capt); T O’Regan (Cloyne), P Walsh (Carrigtwohill), D McCarthy (Killeagh); J O’Brien (Cloyne), S Irwin (Erins Own), C Leahy (Killeagh).

Subs: K Walsh (Lisgoold) for Irwin (58), S Brennan (Carrigtwohill) for O’Brien (60+4).

ST COLMAN’S: S Coughlan (Fermoy); G O’Brien (St Catherine’s), D Cashman (Bride Rovers), F O’Connell (St Catherine’s); M O’Driscoll (Watergrasshill, capt), J O’Brien (Fermoy), C Hazelwood (Bride Rovers); D Barry (Bride Rovers), O Fitzgerald (St Catherine’s); R O’Connell (Bride Rovers), B Lehane (Watergrasshill), L Roche (Bride Rovers); S O’Donoghue (St Catherine’s), C Tobin (Bride Rovers), J Magner (Killavullen).

Subs: L Foley (Watergrasshill) for Roche (h-t), J Ahern (Bride Rovers) for Hazelwood (50).

Referee: E Coleman (Youghal).