Ormond stars as Templemore advance in Harty at expense of Rochestown

EYES ON THE PRIZE: St Francis College, Rochestown's Oliver McAdoo trying to block a shot by Our Lady's, Templemore's Josh McMahon in the Dr Harty Cup at Bansha. Pic: Denis Minihane.

Harty Cup round 3 

Our Lady’s, Templemore 3-15 St Francis College, Rochestown 2-13 

Jamie Ormond struck nine points to fire Our Lady’s, Templemore, into the Harty Cup quarter-finals at the expense of St Francis College, Rochestown.

Ormond landed his tally (0-5 frees, 0-4 from play) from midfield but Our Lady’s manager Brian Carroll will be even happier that all six of his forwards also registered across the hour. Two goals in a minute from Josh McMahon and Ciarán O’Shea gave them a seven-point lead approaching half-time from which Roco, needing a win to avoid elimination, could never narrow to less than four points.

Archie Devaney made four second-half saves to prevent any Roco revival, while the Cork school’s wide count, 14 to Our Lady’s eight, was especially costly given the timing of some of those misses when they could’ve closed the gap to one score.

Rochestown College had the better of the opening exchanges to lead 0-6 to 0-5 after 22 minutes, with Cork U20 Kevin Lyons and Eoin O’Flynn strong in defence and landing a point apiece.

Our Lady’s began to get the upper hand in the middle-third battle, with Paddy Phelan and Ned Delaney influential, and hit Roco for 2-3 in the next seven minutes to turn the game on its head.

Their county threats Ormond and Phelan, who assisted 1-6, were positioned out the field which created space for their inside attackers to thrive. After Ormond and Daniel McAllister points gave them the lead, McMahon wrestled his way in on goal. He saw his initial shot saved by Luke Kiely but made no mistake the second time around.

From the puck-out, James Ryan won the scrap for the sliotar and McMahon fed O’Shea, who escaped inside his marker to blast to the corner. 2-7 to 0-6 after 26 minutes, added to by an Ormond free moments later.

Roco hit back with a fine Charlie Lucas finish for a goal on the half-hour, set up by Cathal Hallahan’s run, but another Ormond free made it 2-9 to 1-7 at the break.

Any Rochestown momentum was halted in the 32nd minute, Ormond and McAllister combining to play in Michael Cahill and he rattled the net.

Again, Roco battled their way back to a four-point deficit, through two Micheál O’Mahony frees and points from Lucas and Evan O’Connor. Two of those points could’ve been goals in the build-up. An O’Mahony free was saved by Archie Devaney, who then did well to push a driven shot from Fionnan Leahy onto the post.

Roco’s misses took the wind out of their sails as Our Lady’s struck six of the next seven points to kill the game through Ormond (0-4, three from play) and Ned Walsh (0-2). 3-15 to 1-12 now.

Devaney made a brave block on O’Flynn and saved another close-range O’Mahony free but was beaten in the first minute of stoppage time by O’Flynn. The wing-back’s goal proved just a consolation as Roco’s Munster dreams turn to their Corn Uí Mhuirí footballers.

Scorers for Our Lady’s: J Ormond (0-9, 5 frees); C O’Shea (1-2); M Cahill, J McMahon (1-0 each); N Walsh (0-2); P Phelan (free), D McAllister (0-1 each).

Scorers for St Francis College: M O’Mahony (0-6 frees); E O’Flynn, C Lucas (1-1 each); K Lyons (1 free), E O’Connor (0-2 each); R Hanley (0-1).

OUR LADY’S: A Devaney (Borris-Ileigh); C Gleeson (Drom & Inch), J Bergin (JK Brackens), E Kennedy (Drom & Inch); J Ryan (JK Brackens), E Larkin (Roscrea), N Delaney (JK Brackens); T Corcoran (JK Brackens), J Ormond (JK Brackens); N Walsh (JK Brackens), M Cahill (JK Brackens), P Phelan (Upperchurch-Drombane); C O’Shea (JK Brackens), J McMahon (Roscrea), D McAllister (Drom & Inch).

Subs: C Cahill (Drom & Inch) for Larkin (h-t inj), C Guilfoyle (Moyne-Templetuohy) for McAlister (53), C Fleming (Moneygall) for McMahon (56).

ST FRANCIS COLLEGE: L Kiely (Blackrock); O McAdoo (Blackrock), S Healy (Blackrock), L Dwane Fogarty (Douglas); C O’Keeffe (Douglas), K Lyons (Ballygarvan), E O’Flynn (Douglas); F Leahy (Blackrock), C Buckley (St Finbarr’s); M O’Connell (Blackrock), M O’Mahony (Ballygarvan), R Hanley (Douglas); E O’Connor (Ballygarvan), C Hallahan (Douglas), C Lucas (Douglas).

Sub: O Haynes Barry (Douglas) for O’Keeffe (33).

Referee: T Loughnane (Gortnahoe-Glengoole).