Adam Regan leads De La Salle past Christians and into Harty Cup semi-finals

BATTLE: Ben Mayer going past Jack Power, De La Salle College, Waterford in their TUS Dr Harty Cup (19 A H) quarter-final. Pic: Dan Linehan

Dr Harty Cup quarter-final: De La Salle College, Waterford 2-24 CBC, Cork 2-1

Adam Regan led the way for De La Salle College, Waterford, to secure their return to the Harty Cup semi-finals with a stylish nine-point win over CBC, Cork.

The Déise standard-bearers had 11 different scorers across the hour, spearheaded by 1-4 from their joint-captain.

They looked the better team from a long way out but after goals from Conor McCarthy and Cian O’Flynn brought Christians back to within a point, Regan responded inside a minute with the killer goal.

A free-flowing game didn’t see a free scored until the 47th minute while De La Salle struck 17 wides and hit the post three times.

They advance to play Thurles CBS in a mouth-watering semi-final on Wednesday week.

De La Salle bounced into this game after dethroning champions Nenagh CBS, although CBC also entered with a perfect record of three wins.

However, the Cork city school lined out without county minor Jack Hegarty at midfield and despite Eoghan O’Shea registering from the throw-in, it was De La Salle who found it easier to manufacture scores.

Regan and Robbie Doherty edged them ahead, although Michael Quill brought the teams level a second time.

De La Salle reeled off the next three, with impressive scores from Jack Power and Mark Hartley. They could’ve added a goal too but danger-man Conor Tobin saw his fierce blast superbly saved by Keith Flood.

The Christians’ keeper had yet to concede a goal in the Harty Cup but he was beaten in the cruellest fashion.

It arrived just as O’Shea and Ben Mayer brought their side back within one. Conor Power came forward from defence and his viciously deflected shot looped over the stranded Flood and dropped into the net.

Tobin tagged on a pair of mirror-image points off either wing and Regan added another for a 1-8 to 0-4 lead.

A Mayer brace stabilised CBC while Andy Hourigan came up with two more before half-time. But De La Salle matched them through Regan, Philip Power, Rory Jacob, and Shane Power.

Tobin had another chance to goal but with Flood charging out, he struck the upright. 1-12 to 0-8 at half-time.

Cian O'Flynn, Christian Brothers College, Cork going past De La Salle College, Waterford players Robbie Doherty and Adam Dawson in their TUS Dr Harty Cup (19 A H) quarter-final match at the Town Park, Fethard, Co Tipperary. Picture Dan Linehan

Christians went to their bench early as McCarthy and Cillian Murray were introduced. They made an immediate impact. Murray teed up Michael Brosnan to open his account before O’Shea fed McCarthy to rifle to the net.

It was a one-score game but a Hartley brace restored some cushion for De La Salle.

Christians kept coming with McCarthy’s dummy creating space to point and Mayer striking his fourth.

Mayer also supplied the ball for the second goal, with O’Flynn spinning sharply and finishing to bring their supporters into full voice.

They were quickly quietened by Regan making it 2-15 to 2-11 from Colm Hartley’s long ball in the 44th minute.

O’Shea put together back-to-back points to halve the deficit, the latter a dramatic kicked effort after he snapped his hurley in two blocking down the keeper.

Sub Sam O’Driscoll later pointed with his first touch but De La Salle would score nine of the final 11 points with three from Shane Power and two each for Doherty and Mark Hartley.

Scorers for De La Salle: A Regan (1-4); M Hartley (0-6, 2 frees, 1 65); S Power (0-4); C Power (1-0); R Doherty (0-3); C Tobin (0-2); P Power, J Power, R Jacob, O Fives, E Burke (0-1 each).

Scorers for CBC: C McCarthy (1-1); B Mayer, E O’Shea (0-4 each); C O’Flynn (1-0); A Hourigan (0-3); M Quill, M Brosnan, S O’Driscoll (0-1 each).

DE LA SALLE: R Nolan (Ballygunner); A Dawson (Ballygunner), F Cooney (Ballygunner, j-capt), C Power (De La Salle); P Power (Ballygunner), C O’Sullivan (Ballygunner), J Power (Ballygunner); R Jacob (Passage), C Hartley (Ballygunner); S Power (De La Salle), M Hartley (Ballygunner), R Doherty (Mooncoin), A Regan (Mount Sion, j-capt), C Tobin (Ballygunner), O Fives (Ballygunner).

Subs: E Burke (Roanmore) for P Power (49), A Furlong (Roanmore) for Dawson (58), C O’Callaghan (De La Salle) for C Power (60).

CBC: K Flood (Ballygarvan); J Huggins (Sarsfields, j-capt), D Riordan (Kilworth), R Higgins (Sarsfields); C Connolly (Glen Rovers), D Kingston (Mallow), R Buckley (Whitechurch); M Quill (Blackrock), A Hourigan (Mallow); B Mayer (Ballinora, j-capt), E O’Shea (Ballinhassig), C O’Flynn (Blarney); M Brosnan (Glen Rovers), J Trench (Ballinora), S Glackin (Whitechurch).

Subs: C McCarthy (St Finbarr’s) for Quill (h-t), C Murray (Bishopstown) for Glackin (h-t), S O’Driscoll (Aghada) for Trench (48), M Murphy (Midleton) for Huggins (56), C O’Dwyer (Russell Rovers) for O’Flynn (58, inj).

Referee: K Jordan (Thurles Gaels).