Corn Uí Mhuirí: Goal-hungry Hammies secure quarter-final spot

EYE ON THE BALL: Adam Casey of Hamilton High School in action against Coláiste Criost Rí on the 4G pitch at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Pic: Larry Cummins

Hamilton High School, Bandon 5-15 Coláiste Chríost Rí 1-4 

Hamilton High School, Bandon have secured their place in the last-eight of the Corn Uí Mhuirí after strolling to victory over Coláiste Chríost Rí at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Wednesday.

Chríost Rí came into the meeting with little to play for, however, knockout hopefuls High School Clonmel were looking for a favour from their Cork counterparts.

As expected, that task was insurmountable against the well-fancied Bandon outfit, who registered 5-14 out of their 5-15 tally from play.

Hammies’ fluid, running game was evident throughout, and their first foray into the opposition half ended with a point from centre-forward Jack Calnan, after good work by strong-running centre-back Conor O’Sullivan.

They continued to push for scores early on and the marauding O’Sullivan was on hand to finish home their first of five goals inside five minutes.

The Hammies inside line was beginning to purr, even at that early stage, with points from Seán Mac An tSaoi and Niall Kelly pushing their lead out to five at the quarter-hour mark.

Chríost Rí, to their credit, kept going as the game seemed to be running away from them. The free-taking of wing-forward Rory Hogan kept his side within touching distance throughout the opening stanza.

The city school were rewarded for their efforts just before half time, when Billy Clancy-Byrne was on hand to fist home minutes before the interval. The Bandon school, very much in the ascendancy, only had a four-point lead to show for it at half-time. 1-7 to 1-3.

That was as good as it got for Chríost Rí, however, with Hammies superior physicality and know-how telling as the second-half played out.

Rí could only muster a solitary score after the break as Hammies’ O’Sullivan, Mac An tSaoi, Calnan and Kelly continued to have a telling impact. All four added scores as the men from the west went on a rampage after the short whistle.

Midfielder Eoin Guinane and Castlehaven clubman Micheal Maguire also raised late green flags for Hammies as they tallied a second-half score of 4-8.

The Bandon side now march on to the knockout stages, while it’s curtains for the city outfit.

Scorers for Hamilton HS: S Mac An tSaoi (1-4), C O’Sullivan (1-2), E Guinane, J Calnan (1-1 each), N Kelly (0-4, 1f) M Maguire (1-0), A Casey, D Flanagan, J O’Leary (0-1 each).

Scorers for Coláiste Chríost Rí: B Clancy-Byrne (1-0), R Hogan 0-3, all frees), C O’Sullivan (0-1).

HAMILTON HS: W Allen (Bandon); S Ahern (Bandon), R O’Donovan (Valley Rovers), F Ustianowski (Kilbrittain); J Burrows (Newcestown), C O’Sullivan (Ahán Gaels), J O’Leary (Valley Rovers); C Johnson (Valley Rovers), E Guinane (Valley Rovers); P Kelly (Newcestown), J Calnan (Bandon), A Casey (Valley Rovers); S Mac an tSaoi (Valley Rovers), N Kelly (Newcestown),M Maguire (Castlehaven).

Subs: B Lordan (Valley Rovers) for F Ustianowski (HT), K Dart-O’Flynn (Valley Rovers for R O’Donovan, J Cullinane (Bandon) for A Casey, S Barry (Dohenys) for N Kelly (all 50), D Flanagan (Newcestown) for J Calnan (56).

COLÁISTE CHRÍOST RÍ: J Traynor (St Finbarr’s); A Connolly (Ballygarvan) E Varian (St Nick’s), B Heffernan (St Nick’s); O Whyte (Sliabh Rua, Capt), J Kennefick (St Finbarr’s), B O’Neill (Nemo Rangers); R O’Neill (Nemo Rangers), C Molloy (Nemo Rangers); R Deasy (Sliabh Rua), A Petrov (Nemo Rangers), R Hogan (Nemo Rangers); J Buckley (Nemo Rangers), B Clancy Byrne (St Nick’s), C O’Sullivan (St Finbarr’s).

Subs: S Doolan (St Finbarr’s) for B Clancy Byrne (44), D O’Driscoll (Nemo) for A Connolly, B O’Driscoll (Brian Dillons) for R O’Neill, S Kiely (St Finbarr’s) for J Buckley (all 56).

Referee: Michael Harrington (Carrigaline).