Late show earns Ardscoil Rís Harty heavyweight win over St Flannan's
LATE, LATE, SHOW: Daniel Scully, Ardscoil Ris, clashing with Fiachra O'Braoin, St Flannan's College in the Third Round Harty Cup in Sixmuilebridge
With Group 1 dangling in the balance throughout, it had to take a brace of injury-time points to finally cement victory for Croke Cup holders Ardscoil Rís over fellow Dr. Harty Cup heavyweights St Flannan’s in O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge on Wednesday afternoon.
Level eight times by the hour mark, nothing but a victory would suffice for St Flannan’s to remain in the competition. However, the 2020 champions’ hopes would be dashed when Fintan Fitzgerald and substitute Marc O’Brien converted late chances to seal top spot for the Limerick college and also confirm Cashel Community School’s passage to the last eight as runners-up.
In a tense derby-like endurance test that included a combined total of 27 Clare natives, Ardscoil’s greater spread of scorers (nine in total) allied to a powerful sweeping display from Cian Scully in the second half were key ingredients to their slender win.
On the flip side, St Flannan’s, who lost captain James Doherty to injury midway through the opening half, will rue their needless tally of 13 wides while their inability to avoid Scully throughout the second period also undoubtedly added to the Clare college’s frustrations.
St Flannan’s also carved out two glorious goal chances in the opening quarter but Fred Hegarty opening minute effort was smothered while Cian Kirby would see his early shot stopped by goalkeeper Eoin Deegan.
Instead, the sides predominantly traded frees, four from St Flannan’s Oisin Whelan while Ardscoil’s Cian Scully also raided for three placed balls including an injury-time leveller to ensure a 0-5 to 0-5 half-time stalemate.
A more clinical third quarter saw Fred Hegarty and Whelan open up a two point gap for St Flannan’s by the two-thirds mark but it was soon reeled in by Fintan Fitzgerald and substitute Michael Collins at 0-7 to 0-7 by the turn of the final quarter.
The sides would go blow-for-blow on three more occasions by the hour mark. However, St Flannan’s greater desperation eventually told as they fired two late wides which would be punished by as many points for last year’s finalists Ardscoil Rís to return to the quarter-finals with a flawless 2022 record.
C Scully (0-3, 2f, 1’65); F Fitzgerald (0-2, 1f); D Scully, D Neville, M Collins, M Gavin, S Gleeson, J Moylan, M O’Brien (0-1 each)
O Whelan (0-6f); S Scanlan (0-2); F Hegarty, L Cleary (0-1 each)
E Deegan; J O’Keeffe, S McMahon, S Morrissey; J Finn, M Gavin, J Moylan; F Fitzgerald, C Scully; S Gleeson, M O’Halloran, D Scully; S Hickey, D Stritch, D Neville
M O’Brien for D. Scully (HT), M Collins for O’Halloran (34), J Beary for Hickey (38), E Begley for Stritch (52)
C Howard; I Williams, F Treacy, S McMahon; F Ó Braoin, J Hegarty, P Nagle; J Organ, S Scanlan; J Doherty, O Whelan, J Mescall; C Kirby, F Hegarty, T Boddy
L Cleary for Doherty (18), D Keane Hayes for Boddy (41), F Kirby for Organ (57), Doherty for Whelan (62) Referee: J Healy
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