Corn Uí Mhuirí: Mounthawk overcome poor start to advance to quarter-finals

ON FORM: Mercy Mounthawk corner forward Paddy Lane.

Munster Colleges Corn Ui Mhuirí Group 3:

MERCY MOUNTHAWK TRALEE 2-16 COLAISTE NA SCEILGE CAHERSIVEEN 0-12 

Despite taking twenty-plus minutes to really hit their stride, Mercy Mounthawk deservedly advanced to the knockout stages of the Corn Uí Mhuirí after Christmas.

The Tralee school had ten points to spare over a gallant Coláiste Na Sceilge in Cromane on Wednesday afternoon.

Some poor handling by Mounthawk and better passing by the South Kerry school put Na Sceilge 0-5 to 0-2 ahead after 23 minutes and the absence of their star man Jack Clifford didn’t seem to be affecting them initially. Mercy Mounthawk finally got going and upped it a gear before the break and hit 1-6 without reply to really change the course of the game.

Despite an initial Paddy Lane goal being ruled out for ‘square ball’, Mounthawk gained possession of the subsequent kick-out and Odhran Ferris finished to the net in the 27th minute to put them ahead for the first time. 1-4 to 0-5.

Four further first-half points followed (1-8 to 0-5 the half-time score) as both Ferris and Daniel Kirby were dictating matters for Mounthawk. 

A tough and uncompromising game at times saw plenty of yellow cards issued to both sides. A Coláiste Na Sceilge water-boy was dismissed for interfering with play (spraying water on a Mounthawk free taker) and Ian O’Sullivan was sent off late in a different incident for the South Kerry school.

Mercy Mounthawk’s Sean Rice picked up a black card near the end as well as they also finished with 14 players. 

Darragh O’Connor scored Mounthawk’s second goal in the 52nd minute to send them on their way to a double-score win as they will look back on some good defending in the opening quarter as being a big factor in allowing them to take control of the game thereafter.

Coláiste Na Sceilge will be disappointed not to advance but the draw was not kind to them as they were drawn with two of the main Kerry contenders for the title, in both Mounthawk and St Brendans, Killarney. 

Scorers for Mercy Mounthawk: D O’Connor (1-4, 4f), O Ferris (1-2), P Lane (0-4), R Monahan (0-2), C Litchfield, N Collins, D Kirby and T Kennedy (0-1 each) 

Scorers for Coláiste Na Sceilge: O Breen (0-5, 2f), I O’Sullivan (0-3, 2f), B O’Donoghue and K O’Shea (0-2 each) 

Mercy Mounthawk: M Tansley (Austin Stacks); G O’Riordan (Ardfert), J Murphy (Austin Stacks), S Rice (Ballymacelligott), B Murphy (Austin Stacks), C Litchfield (do), B Byrne (do); R Monahan (Ardfert), D O’Sullivan (do); N Collins (Ballymacelligott), O Ferris (Ardfert), D Kirby (Austin Stacks); D O’Connor (Kerins O’Rahillys), T Kennedy (do) P Lane (Austin Stacks) 

Subs: S Lynch (Ballymacelligott) for D Kirby (55) and S Corkery (John Mitchels) for P Lane (60 +4) 

Coláiste Na Sceilge: A Galvin (Reenard); B O’Sullivan (do), P Mangan (Dromid Pearses), S Kennedy (Skellig Rangers); Z Fayen (Sneem/Derrynane), O O’Sullivan (St Michaels/Foilmore), K O’Donnell (do); A Coffey (St Marys), M Lynch (Valentia); D Reardon (Skellig Rangers), B O’Donoghue (St Marys), K O’Shea (do); O Breen (Sneem/Derrynane), I O’Sullivan (St Michaels/Foilmore), E Daly (Valentia) 

Subs: S Driscoll (Reenard) for K O’Donnell and K Corcoran (do) for D Reardon (both H/T), D Sugrue (St Michaels/Foilmore for B O’Sullivan (45), F O’Sullivan (Reenard) for B O’Donoghue (58), C Murphy (Waterville) for S Kennedy (inj, 60 +3) 

Referee: J Griffin (Glenbeigh/Glencar)