Scoreboard controversy mars St Flannans' Harty Cup bout with De La Salle

CONTROVERSY: Rory Jacob and Arron O'Neill, De La Salle Waterford. questioning the Referee on the score. Pic: Brendan Gleeson

TUS Dr Harty Cup Group 3 

St Flannan’s 0-21 De La Salle, Waterford 2-14 

There was a scoreboard controversy at the end of this Harty Cup clash as St Flannan’s were declared the winners after De La Salle thought they had snatched a draw.

The Ennis school’s 18th point of the day, from Evan Price, was never registered on the scoreboard, leaving it 0-18 to 0-11 with 49 minutes gone. The scoreboard, however, read 17-11.

That miscalculation came to be of vital importance after the Waterford representatives, down to 14 players due to Charlie Whitty's red card, grabbed two goals through super-sweeper Aaron O’Neill and Thomas Carey in the 60th and 63rd minutes. Flannan’s were one ahead but the scoreboard had it a draw, 0-20 to 2-14.

The Clare players collapsed to the turf at the final whistle, believing they’d dropped a crucial point until referee Tom Loughnane clarified the correct score had Flannan’s the victors. A win against Coláiste Choilm in their final-round meeting would see them through and eliminate De La Salle.

It’s a cruel blow for the Déise side, who were sure they had clinched back-to-back draws at the death. The scoreboard shaped their approach to the closing stages as it did for Flannan’s, who thought they had to chase a winner. Their final attack ended with the sliotar dribbling wide.

The fighting spirit of this De La Salle side can’t be questioned, though. Stoppage-time goals have defined their last four games. Last season, they advanced from the group stage after Robbie Doherty’s levelling blast before falling victim to Midleton CBS’s two-goal finale.

Already this year, they drew with Coláiste Choilm thanks to Jack Kirwan’s saving strike. They thought they had inflicted the same fate on Flannan’s.

The Ennis students needed a result after being held to 0-8 across the hour by Ardscoil Rís in “river-like underfoot conditions”. On Fethard’s 4G pitch, this young Flannan’s team were able to express their skills to better effect.

With 10 of Clare’s All-Ireland minor-winning squad to choose from plus Limerick forward Tadhg Boddy (0-9), there’s no doubting their talent and they showed as much by slotting the first six points.

They were able to swerve De La Salle’s sweeper and press their short puck-outs, pinching three points in a row via that source from Boddy, Fred Hegarty, and Ronan Kilroy. They had 14 shots in the opening 17 minutes but sent eight wide.

Carey (1-7) took over the placed balls for De La Salle as some cheap frees helped them sling over four in a row. But Cathal Barrett saved from Conor Tobin and Flannan’s finished the stronger with four of their own from Kilroy (0-2), Boddy (free), and a deft Harry Doherty score off the hurl. That sent them in 0-11 to 0-5 to the good.

De La Salle’s game-changing move was switching O’Neill into the seventh-defender role. He didn't just defend either. Straight away, he charged forward to assist points for his fellow joint-captain Callum Carroll, Tobin, and Carey (free).

Carroll’s second made it a one-score game, 0-13 to 0-10, but Flannan’s kicked on with seven of the next nine points to go eight clear, with James Hegarty, Kilroy, and Cleary to the fore.

Whitty was dismissed after an off-the-ball scuffle but his fellow subs Robbie Doherty and Mark Hartley slotted points and O’Neill found the bottom corner from a quickly worked free.

The scoreboard had two in it but the difference was three. Thus, Fred Hegarty’s 62nd-minute point proved the insurance score with Carey’s rebound goal not enough to swing the final calculation.

Scorers for St Flannan’s: T Boddy (0-9, 8 frees); R Kilroy, L Cleary (0-3 each); J Casey, F Hegarty (0-2 each); E Price, H Doherty (0-1 each).

Scorers for De La Salle, Waterford: T Carey (1-7, 0-7 frees); A O’Neill (1-0); C Carroll, M Hartley (0-2 each); C Tobin, C Hartley, R Doherty (0-1 each).

ST FLANNAN’S: C Howard (Éire Óg Ennis); C Griffin (Clarecastle), F Ó Braoin (Sixmilebridge), P Nagle (St Joseph's Doora-Barefield); F Meaney (St Joseph's Doora-Barefield, capt), J Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona), E Price (Clarecastle); J Casey (Kilmaley), I Williams (St Joseph's Doora-Barefield); J Mescall (Inagh-Kilnamona), F Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona), R Kilroy (The Banner); T Boddy (Bruff), L Cleary (Éire Óg Ennis), H Doherty (Clarecastle).

Subs: G Barry (Inagh-Kilnamona) for Mescall (39), K McDonnell (Ballyea) for Kilroy (53), M Cleary (Éire Óg Ennis) for L Cleary (60+2).

DE LA SALLE, WATERFORD: C Barrett (Roanmore); R Jacob (Passage East), F Cooney (Ballygunner), J Jacob (De La Salle); P Power (Ballygunner), C O'Sullivan (Ballygunner), C Murphy (Ballygunner); S Fleming (Ballygunner), C Tobin (Ballygunner); A Regan (Mount Sion), C Hartley (Ballygunner), T Carey (Passage East); J Kirwan (Mount Sion), C Carroll (Roanmore, j-capt), A O'Neill (Ballygunner, j-capt).

Subs: R Doherty (Mooncoin) for Hartley (34), M Hartley (Ballygunner) for Kirwan (37), C Whitty (Ballygunner) for Power (39), S Power (De La Salle) for Regan (43), R Nolan (Ballygunner) for Jacob (52).

Referee: T Loughnane (Gortnahoe-Glengoole).