Harty Cup: Flannan’s fight back to edge out Midleton and book last-four spot
HEAVY TRAFFIC: St Flannan's College Ennis players Dara Kennedy and James Cullinan get to grips with Tadgh O'Donoghue Brosnan, CBS Midleton. Picture Dan Linehan
Nothing but credit for St Flannan’s. Five behind with 10 minutes of regulation time remaining and the elements in their face, they somehow found a way. They found a way into a first Harty Cup semi-final since 2000.
Flannan’s had had the strong breeze at their back in the opening half. They made no use of it. They trailed at the break 1-9 to 0-10. They hit six first half wides and were getting cleaned out on the breaking ball. They’d not scored from play beyond the 11th minute.
The second half didn’t start much better for an outfit that have a trio of Clare All-Ireland winners - Jamesie O’Connor, Brendan Bugler, and Tony Kelly - calling the shots from the sideline.
Adam Lee and a Barry Walsh pair sent Midleton five clear within four minutes of the restart. It was the first of three second half occasions where Midleton would hold a lead five strong.
Lee and Walsh were two-thirds of a Midleton inside line causing wreck. The final third, Peter Barrett, was of similar nuisance. They accounted for all bar 0-2 of their team's 1-18 total.
Harry Doherty, Flannan’s sole contributor on the scoreboard since the aforementioned 11th minute, bought his team a ticket back into the contest with a 65-metre free that deflected off a Midleton hurley on the way to the net.
The ticket, as it turned out, didn’t get them very far. Barrett and Walsh clipped three-in-a-row in the space of two minutes to restore Midleton’s five point lead on 37 minutes.
Here is where Midleton will know they should have pushed on. Pushed out their lead to sow further doubt with Flannan’s. Instead, they didn’t add to their tally for another 10 minutes. They were comfortable, but not clinical. Not that the Ennis students made a great deal of inroad on the deficit during this 10-minute period. A pair of Doherty frees was all they could muster.
Barry and Ben Walsh raised white flags in quick succession around the 47th minute mark to once again position the Midleton boys five in front. From here to the finish, however, they would only add one further point.
Yet another Doherty free was followed by a Dara Kennedy goal on 50 minutes to leave the minimum between them. Kennedy was only back on the field having had to depart the fray nine minutes earlier after shipping a heavy hit from Tadgh O’Donoghue Brosnan that left blood streaming from his forehead.
Kennedy’s goal was their first score from play in 39 minutes of action. Marco Cleary subsequently drew them level. Midleton’s earlier period of dominance had not been fatal and they were now floundering.
FLANNAN'S STEAL IT AT THE DEATH 😱⌛️
— Clubber (@clubber) January 13, 2025
Trailing for majority of the game, Harry Doherty converts an injury-time free to book @StFlannans spot in the TUS Dr. Harty Cup Semi-Finals 🏆
Watch the @munsterpps TUS Dr. Harty Cup QFs LIVE on #ClubberTV, brought to you by @torpey___. pic.twitter.com/CzzWAY7Ubz
Barry Walsh, in between a couple of missed placed ball efforts from the same player, shoved his team in front for the last time. Two more Doherty frees, the last of which arrived in the third minute of stoppages, put Flannan’s in front for the first time since the 28th minute.
Their timing was perfect. On they go. Midleton go home with a gearbag overflowing with regret.
H Doherty (1-12, 1-10 frees); D Kennedy (1-1); M Cleary (0-2); R Loftus (0-1).
: Barry Walsh (1-9, 0-6 frees, 0-1 ‘65); P Barrett (0-4); A Lee (0-3); J O’Brien, B Walsh (0-1 each).
: M O Coileáin (St Joseph's Doora Barefield); S McNamara (Clooney Quin), J Casey (Kilmaley), C Daly (St Joseph's Doora Barefield); E Kennedy (Ballyea), J Cullinan (Ryan), R Loftus (Éire Óg); D Costelloe (Ballyea), D Kennedy (Ballyea); R Kilroy (Banner), D Ball (St Joseph's Doora Barefield), C Ralph (Clarecastle); P O'Connell (Clarecastle), H Doherty (Clarecastle), M Cleary (Éire Óg).
Subs: D McNamara (Clooney Quin) for Ball, G Ball (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield) for O’Connell (both HT); N Hegarty (Inagh Kilnamona) for Kennedy (temporary, 41-48); C Hill (Ballyea) for S McNamara (51).
F Murphy (Killeagh); R Harney (Kiltha Óg), C Cronin (Midleton), T Dunlea (Midleton); J O'Leary (Lisgoold), C O'Callaghan (Kiltha Óg), C Garde (Lisgoold); Ben Walsh (Killeagh), E Fraser (Midleton); J O'Brien (St Colman's), T O'Donoghue Brosnan (Fr O'Neill's), C Morley (Midleton); P Barrett (Midleton), C Stack (Midleton), Barry Walsh (Killeagh), A Lee (St Colman's).
Subs: C Stack (Midleton) for Morley (45); C Deane (Killeagh) for O’Donoghue Brosnan (49).
: W FitzHarris (Tipperary).
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