Jamie Shanahan shines as De La Salle edge Clonmel in Harty Cup thriller

Mikey McGuire and Conall Morrisson scored goals for Clonmel. 

Minor All-Ireland winner Jamie Shanahan hit 1-8 for De La Salle College Waterford. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Dr Harty Cup group 2: De La Salle College (Waterford) 1-24 (27) CBS High School Clonmel (Tipperary) 2-19 (25) 

De La Salle College got their Dr. Harty Cup campaign off to a winning start, but they were made to work for it by a classy Clonmel High School side at Fraher Field.

Minor All-Ireland winner Jamie Shanahan hit 1-8 as last year’s semi-finalists opened with victory over the reigning ‘B’ champions.

Ollie Fives and Clonmel captain Aaron Cagney impressed from the off, trading early scores to make it 0-2 each. A 65 from Cagney and a Ben Roche effort edged the Tipp side ahead before St. Mary’s forward Finn Napier split the posts from an impossible angle for a three-point cushion.

De La Salle responded sharply, rattling off five in a row as Shane Power, Shanahan (2) and O’Brien (2) got on the board to turn the tide. Jamal Yousif dazzled with quick feet to point, and Roche levelled again on 18 minutes.

Clonmel then hit a purple patch as Cagney, Harry Lawlor and Conall Morrisson fired them 0-10 to 0-7 up, but five minutes later they trailed. Shanahan pointed a free before capitalising on a fumbled save from goalkeeper Conor Walsh to flick home the opening goal on 24 minutes. Further scores from Shanahan and Power sent De La Salle in 1-10 to 0-11 up at half-time.

Toby Ryan started brightly after the restart, and with Shanahan frees, De La Salle moved four clear. But Napier struck back, and moments later Clonmel found a goal of their own – Mikey McGuire beating All-Ireland-winning captain James Comerford to a loose ball to level again.

Ryan and O’Brien steadied De La Salle, only for Clonmel to fire a second goal in three minutes when Conall Morrisson blasted to put them ahead on 40 minutes.

It was end-to-end from there. Ollie Fives hit two superb scores around a Cagney free to draw level once more, before two Shanahan frees nudged De La Salle ahead again. Sub Mikey Moloney and Ryan extended the margin before a long-range Jack Power effort lifted the Waterford side further.

Late points from Lawlor and Cagney cut the deficit to one in injury time, but Clonmel couldn’t find an equaliser. Shanahan’s final free sealed the win and ensured De La Salle began their campaign with two hard-earned points.

Scorers for De La Salle College: J Shanahan (1-8; 0-5f); O Fives (0-5); T Ryan, C O’Brien and S Power (0-3 each); J Power and M Moloney (0-1 each) 

Scorers for CBS High School Clonmel: A Cagney (0-8; 0-5f; 0-1 ‘65); C Morrisson (1-3); M McGuire (1-0); F Napier, B Roche, J Yousif, H Lawlor (0-2 each) 

DE LA SALLE COLLEGE: J Comerford (Ballygunner); D Keane (De La Salle), C O’Callaghan (De La Salle), A Power (Ballygunner); E O’Reilly (Ballygunner), C Power (De La Salle), J Power (Ballygunner); S Power (De La Salle,J-Capt), E Burke (Roanmore); T Ryan (De La Salle), J Shanahan (Erin’s Own), D Ryan (Roanmore); D Doyle (De La Salle), O Fives (Ballygunner, J-Capt), C O’Brien (Passage) 

Subs: D Hearne (Roanmore) for E O’Reilly (36); M Moloney (Ballygunner) for D Doyle (44); D Hickey (Ballygunner) for D Ryan (52) 

CBS HIGH SCHOOL CLONMEL: C Walsh (Fourmilewater); J Lyons (Grangemockler Ballyneale), A Ryan (Fourmilewater), B Landers (Clonmel Óg); L Hannigan (Clonmel Óg), P Spelman (Fourmilewater, J-Capt), C Roche (Kilsheelan Kilcash); B Roche (Kilsheelan-Kilcash), H Lawlor (St. Mary’s); M McGuire (Kilsheelan Kilcash), B Morrisson (Moyle Rovers), Aaron Cagney (St. Mary’s, J-Capt); C Morrisson (Moyle Rovers); F Napier (St. Mary’s), J Yousif (Clonmel Óg) 

Subs: E Condon (St. Mary’s) for J Lyons (47); B Fuller (St. Mary’s) for B Morrisson (56) 

Referee: Thomas Walsh (Waterford)