'We’d have taken the hand off of someone for this' says manager as Cashel CS go direct route to Harty quarters

Lismore's Charlie Lineen breaking past Sam Hall of  Cashel CS in their TUS Dr Harty Cup game at the Town Park Fethard, Co Tipperary. Pic: Dan Linehan

Dr Harty Cup: Cashel CS 0-19 Blackwater CS, Lismore 1-8

CASHEL Community School grabbed the fourth and final golden ticket straight through to January’s Harty Cup quarter-finals with a steely eight-point victory over Blackwater CS.

The 2023 champions coughed up a third-minute goal but anchored by the terrific Noah O’Flynn and Shane Cooney, they only allowed nine scores across the hour to seal top spot in Group 3.

Manager Anthony Roche was especially pleased to avoid the preliminary quarter-final minefield.

“If you’d have offered us this in September, we’d have taken the hand and all off of someone,” he said.

“With how tough that preliminary round is going to be, we’re very happy to get straight through to a quarter-final. There was none of these lads on a Harty-winning panel two years ago, out of 46 lads. They maybe didn’t lack belief but didn’t think, ‘Will we top the group?’ It’s great to see them fulfil the potential that they have.

“They showed they can play with their heads as well as their hurling skills which is most pleasing.” 

Bríain O’Donoghue and Charlie Hall both scored sideline cuts, an even more impressive feat off the 4G surface, as they combined for 0-14 of Cashel’s tally.

A nine-point burst between the 12th and 28th minutes was the key move for them to join Ardscoil Rís, Midleton CBS, and CBC, Cork, in the last-eight line-up.

Blackwater will need to regain momentum for next week’s preliminary quarter-final after their goal-hungry attack and running game were choked up by Cashel’s stingy defence.

They were still the first team to breach that blue-and-gold rearguard this year when Ben Cummins’ pass ran through for his younger brother Adam to whip home. But Cashel soon got a grip on Blackwater supply lines.

Sam and Charlie Hall were the first beneficiaries of Cooney and O’Flynn’s defensive work for settling points.

A couple of Ben Cummins frees had Blackwater 1-3 to 0-4 ahead but Cashel took total control in the run-up to half-time.

They had points from play via Cooney, O’Donoghue, Willie Colville, and Charlie Hall, who fielded a puck-out and juggled the sliotar along the sideline for a superb no-look score. His sideline cut and four O’Donoghue frees made it 0-13 to 1-3.

A fine Ben Cummins point after a smart one-two ended an 18-minute scoring drought and nipped the half-time deficit back to six points.

Cashel had converted 13 of their 15 first-half shots but both sides combined for a flurry of wides after the restart. Cashel were content to restrict space as the Lismore school went another 15 minutes without a score. A Seamus Kennedy point and two O’Donoghue frees were the only flags raised during that lull.

In the 55th minute, Blackwater had their best chance of a lifeline. Substitute Charlie Nicholson raced towards the target but Cian Lonergan brilliantly covered across to block his shot away for a 65.

While O’Donoghue topped off his 0-11 total with a stoppage-time sideline cut, Blackwater’s defeat was compounded by the news at full-time that their team bus had broken down.

Scorers for Cashel CS: B O’Donoghue (0-11, 9 frees, 1 sideline); C Hall (0-3, 1 sideline); S Cooney, S Hall, W Colville, S Kennedy, R O’Sullivan (0-1 each).

Scorers for Blackwater CS: B Cummins (0-6, 2 frees, 2 65s); A Cummins (1-0); D O’Farrell, S Murphy (0-1 each).

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

Subs: S Mackey (Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams) for Colville (42), C Fogarty (Boherlahan-Dualla) for O’Sullivan (48), E Ryan (Cashel King Cormacs) for Kennedy (56), J Finn (Golden-Kilfeacle) for C Hall (59).

BLACKWATER CS: B Murphy (Cois Bhríde); G Kenneally (Ballyduff Upper), D O’Brien (Ballysaggart), C Lynch (St Oliver’s); S Barry (Lismore), H Quann (Lismore), B Bourke (Ballyduff Upper); J McDonnell (Cois Bhríde), J Hickey (Modeligo); C Lineen (Lismore), D O’Farrell (Lismore), H O’Donovan (St Oliver’s); B Cummins (Lismore), S Murphy (Tallow), A Cummins (Lismore).

Subs: S Óg Costin (St Oliver’s) for O’Donovan (h-t), C Nicholson (Cappoquin-Affane) for O’Farrell (53).

Referee: T Loughnane (Gortnahoe-Glengoole).