Harty Cup: Clare minor Corbett hits superb late equaliser for Tulla against Cashel

The referee drew the ire of the Tulla bench when he awarded a late free but blew the final whistle before it was taken. 

THRILLER: Clare minor Matthew Corbett hit a late equalising point for St Joseph's Tulla against Cashel CS in the Harty Cup. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Dr Harty Cup Group 3 Round 2: Cashel CS 0-17 St Joseph’s Tulla 0-17 

Cashel CS and St Joseph’s Tulla had to settle for a share of the spoils at Cappamore in a contest which could very well go down as the tie of the round.

Cashel were wasteful in the first half but still took a three-point lead into the break, but Tulla refused to die out and battled back to level it at the final whistle.

With time running out - having been down five - Tulla clawed their way to 0-13 apiece with 15 minutes to play. Cashel, spearheaded by Colin Bourke’s 0-8 tally, regained some form of control with a two-point advantage through Bourke and midfielder Sam Hall.

Then Tulla hit back. Jerry O’Connor won a loose ball and drove towards the goal before being dragged to the floor.

He converted, the teams now separated by a single point. Sixty seconds later, up stepped Clare minor Matthew Corbett to provide the final twist to a tantalising tale. From within his own 65, the midfielder struck the ball over Eoghan Dunne’s crossbar and the deadlock was restored.

Deep into added time, Cashel pushed hard to steal the win and head back to Tipperary with both points.

Aodhán O’Driscoll denied them not once, but twice. The first a hook on Cashel captain Bourke, the second an even better block on the forward’s follow up.

In a moment which drew the ire of Tulla’s bench, the referee awarded a free to St Joseph’s but blew his whistle before it was taken, leaving the teams level.

Cashel looked the more likely to secure a win in the early stages, racing out to a three-point lead courtesy of two from Bourke and one from Colm Ryan. Corbett responded with a free for Tulla, but two more points from Ryan O’Sullivan had the Tipp school in the ascendancy.

They had their largest lead just after 20 minutes, leading 0-10 to 0-5 after Charlie Hall doubled his tally. They were hit back by three Tulla scores on the spin, frees from Corbett and Ryan Hayes either side of an O’Connor point from play. Bourke tacked on another free to send Cashel to the interval up three points.

Powered by their outstanding backline including captain Fionn O’Gara, Tulla were the better of the two teams in the second half. They outscored Cashel 0-5 to 0-2 to draw level on minute 44, but despite the late drama, parity would remain.

Scorers for Cashel CS: C Bourke (0-8, 4 frees), C Hall, S Hall, C Ryan (0-2 each), R O’Sullivan, E Ryan, C Lonergan (0-1 each).

Scorers for St Joseph’s Tulla: M Corbett (0-7, 6 frees), J O’Connor (0-4, 1 free), C Leamy (0-3), R Hayes (0-2, 1 free), M Vaughan (0-1).

CASHEL CS: E Dunne (Cashel King Cormacs); R O’Mahony (Fethard), N O’Flynn (Fethard), T O’Driscoll (Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams); C Walsh (Fethard), S Cooney (Clerihan), C Ryan (Cashel King Cormacs); S Hall (Golden Kilfeacle), W Colville (Rosegreen); C Hall (Golden Kilfeacle), B O’Donoghue (Cashel King Cormacs), C Lonergan (Golden Kilfeacle); C Bourke (Rosegreen) (C), S Kennedy (Clonoulty Rossmore) R O’Sullivan (Clerihan).

Subs: E Ryan (Cashel King Cormacs) for O’Sullivan (39), C Fogarty (Boherlahan-Dualla) for O’Donoghue, K Hogan (Golden Kilfeacle) for C Hall (both 50), B Gleeson (Boherlahan-Dualla) for O’Mahony (60+2).

ST JOSEPH'S TULLA: J Lovett (Broadford); PJ McCarthy (Clooney-Quin), F O’Gara (Clooney-Quin) (C), E Cooney (Tulla); N Corbett (Broadford), R Hayes (Tulla), D Brown (Clooney-Quin); M Corbett (Clooney-Quin), M Vaughan (Broadford); C Leamy (Clooney-Quin), D White (Clooney-Quin), D Walsh (Tulla); A O’Driscoll (Broadford), J O’Connor (Clooney-Quin), L Murphy (O’Callaghan’s Mills).

Sub: C Culloo (Tulla) for Walsh (50).

Referee: Tom McGlinchey (Newport)