Harty Cup: Brilliant Bresnan restores Charleville pride, ends Tulla campaign

CBS Charleville's Sean Bresnan in action. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Harty Cup: Charleville CBS 4-16 St Joseph’s Tulla 1-23 

A Seán Bresnan-inspired Charleville CBS finished their Harty Cup campaign with a hard-fought victory over St. Joseph’s of Tulla to dump the Clare school out of the competition. This Group 3 clash was turned on its head by a CBS side who didn’t relent after a shaky opening half.

The result also guarantees Cashel Community Schools safe passage, ahead of their meeting next Tuesday, with Blackwater Community School of Lismore.

Played at UL’s North Campus all-weather pitch, this clash threatened to boil over late on as Tulla looked to save their chances of progression after letting a 10-point lead slip.

Bresnan’s 3-2, as well as the accurate Chris Dunne (0-11), were the main tormentors as the Cork side restored some pride in their Harty Cup season. Following disappointing defeats to Cashel and Blackwater, that was all that was on the line for these students.

For long periods of the first half, it looked as though Charleville would be mere spectators as Tulla stamped their quality all over the contest. However, a goal inside the opening 45 seconds from Bresnan gave Charleville some level of belief.

What followed was a dominant spell from the Clare school. They have lively forwards in Darragh White, Jerry O’Connor and Liam Murphy, and when they got the supply, they were capable of doing the damage. However, a number of goal chances escaped them over the hour, with a trio of point-blank saves from Dylan Barrett arguably the difference at the end of the 60-plus minutes of action.

Opening up a 10-point lead by the 25th minute, Tulla looked formidable. Terence Fahy’s side were firmly in control, especially when Murphy tidied up a long ball to fire home a goal.

However a second goal from the highly impressive Cork minor Bresnan gave more impetus to Charleville. Two points quickly followed with Turlough O’Neill and Chris Dunne (free) leaving the North Cork outfit 2-6 to 1-14 in arrears.

Tulla knew that they had to win, while they were also looking at scoring difference, knowing an eight-point victory would put them in a position to qualify, if Cashel were to lose.

Perhaps the pressure of this began to tell, but Charleville sensed a comeback. It was virtually score for score in the opening 10 minutes of the second half with Tulla adding one to that interval lead when O’Connor landed a score from play.

Next, a goal from full-forward Daniel Mackessy. The powerful Ballyhea clubman then added a point from the puck out, as the Clare side lost all structure and control they had asserted.

The gap was back to five after three in a row entering the final ten minutes, but Tulla would only score once more in the closing stages. Fine scores from O’Connor and White put them in that position but once more they met an inspired Barrett to deny them a game-killing second goal.

The hat-trick was completed by Bresnan, on 52 minutes, before converting a 65 that he had won, just 60  seconds later. The same man was on target in the closing minutes, as Dunne fired over two from play to bring his total into double digits.

In the six minutes of stoppage time, there was a 21-meter free awarded to Tulla. Management from both sides encroached and clashed over this decision. They continued to remonstrate with Limerick official Sean Carey. Eventually, one of the seven Cork youngsters on the goal line scrambled the free clear of danger.

Scorers for Charleville: C Dunne (0-11, 7f, 1’65); S Bresnan (3-2); D Mackessy (1-2); T O’Neill (0-1).

Scorers for Tulla: J O’Connor (0-8, 6f); L Murphy (1-3); M Corbett (3f), D White (0-4 each); M Vaughan (0-2); A O’Driscoll, J Moran (0-1 each).

CHARLEVILLE CBS: D Barrett (Ballyhea); A Liddy (Charleville), E Keating (Newtownshandrum), C O’Flynn; D Collins (Newtownshandrum), S Byrne (Ballyhea), B Kiely (Charleville); S Bresnan (C), T O’Neill (Newtownshandrum); T Horgan (Granagh Ballingarry), C Dunne, B J Reidy (Newtownshandrum); P Daly (Ballyhea), D MacKessy (Ballyhea), B Farrissey (Dromina).

Subs: Corman Bresnan (Charleville) for Farrissey (HT), Mark Power (Charleville) for Daly (36), Darragh Kent (Charleville) for Horgan (48).

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

Subs: J Moran (Broadford) for Culloo (HT); L Moroney (Tulla) for Walsh (49).

Referee: S Carey (Ahane).