Bevans and O'Dwyer goals vital as Templemore see off CBC in Harty Group 4 opener

Michael Brosnan and Eoghan O'Shea of CBC contest a high ball with Shay Gleeson. Picture: Dan Linehan

Dr Harty Cup Group 4: Our Lady’s Secondary School, Templemore 2-19 Christian Brothers College 0-20 

Goals proved the difference as Our Lady’s Secondary School, Templemore saw off Christian Brothers College by five points at Knocklong in Limerick on Wednesday afternoon.

This opening Dr Harty Cup Group 4 encounter slipped away from the Cork side in the second half with goals at crucial stages proving decisive for Our Lady’s.

CBC only trailed by three points at the interval despite not playing to their potential with wayward shooting and ill-discipline playing a part.

Despite that, they coughed up two goals as they trailed by nine points with a quarter of the game remaining. The city outfit did dominate the final quarter, but they were left with too much to do.

CBC manager Traolach Martin admitted post-match that preparation wasn’t ideal but didn’t use it as an excuse.

“Look, the goals were the difference in the second half. They probably came against the run of play, but in saying that, we were poor in the first half. We were always chasing the game.

“We finished a lot better than we started and that’s a positive going forward. We have a very young team. There’s only, I think, six sixth years playing for us this season.

“Plus, preparation was very, very difficult, the most disruptive we’ve ever had, not making excuses. Eight or nine of the lads got to finals with their clubs. We only got together as a group last week and that probably did cost us, it took us 45 minutes to get going.” Our Lady’s led 0-5 to 0-2 after 10 minutes with Ben Coffey landing two outrageous points from difficult angles.

Michael Quill of CBC breaks away from Jack Bevans. Picture: Dan Linehan

Eoghan O'Shea did bisect the posts to keep his team in touch, but they were playing second fiddle in a loose game of hurling. Jack Bevans’ frees played a part in helping Our Lady’s stay in front with 16 minutes gone, 0-7 to 0-4.

A pair of O’Shea frees did keep CBS within touching distance, but seven wides inside the opening 20 minutes was frustrating for the city team.

A Bevans free and efforts from James Ryan and Seán Walsh helped Our Lady’s to a four-point advantage with four minutes remaining until the short whistle, 0-10 to 0-6.

CBC hit two of the last three points of the half with Michael Tadhg Brosnan’s white flag the highlight, 0-11 to 0-8 at half-time.

Our Lady’s made their dominance count on the resumption with 1-2 in the first five minutes.

O’Dwyer with the goal after a peach of a pass from Ryan, 1-13 to 0-8.

The eventual winners landed three of the next five points and with 15 minutes to go, it did look like the game was gone from CBC, 1-16 to 0-10.

But the introduction of subs, bringing Brosnan out from full-forward and with Cian Lawton busy around the middle, CBC made a brave comeback.

They put four unanswered points together with O’Shea pointing three frees and a Michael Quill effort.

Bevans did get Our Lady’s second green flag from a close range free after 49 minutes, and it looked like the score that would break the camel’s back, 2-16 to 0-14.

The sides traded points before the Cork school raised five of the next six white flags in what was a great team effort.

An O’Shea green flag would have made things interesting at the death, but his shot went across the face of goal.

A point from O’Dwyer was the insurance score for Our Lady’s.

Scorers for Templemore: J Bevans 1-9 (1-7 f), P O’Dwyer 1-2, B Coffey, S Gleeson 0-2 each, B Collier, C Broderick, S Walsh, J Ryan 0-1 each.

Scorers for CBC: E O’Shea 0-13 (0-6 f), C Lawton 0-3, B Hegarty 0-2, M Quill, M T Brosnan 0-1 each.

TEMPLEMORE: C Ryan (Loughmore/Castleiney); D Hoare (Drom/Inch), N Delaney (JK Brackens), T Burke (JK Brackens); M Conroy (Drom/Inch), S Gleeson (Moneygall), B Collier (JK Brackens); C Broderick (JK Brackens), S Walsh (JK Brackens); J Ryan (Drom/Inch), P O’Shea (JK Brackens), J Bevans (Borrisoleigh); P O’Dwyer (Upperchurch/Drombane), J Marnell (JK Brackens), D Coffey (JK Brackens).

Subs: S Burke (JK Brackens) for P O’Shea (55), L Dunphy (Roscrea) for J Ryan (59).

CBC: K Flood (Ballygarvan); J Costello (Clonakilty), D Riordan (Kilworth), D Kingston (Mallow); C O’Flynn (Blarney), C Connolly (Glen Rovers), J Murray (St Finbarr’s); C Lawton (Midleton), S Riordan (Kilworth); M Quill (Blackrock), E O’Shea (Ballinhassig), B Hegarty (Ballinora); S Hurley (Éire Óg), M T Brosnan (Glen Rovers), T Huggins (Sarsfields).

Subs: J Hegarty (Ballinora) for S Hurley, G Kingston (Mallow) for T Huggins (both h-t), M Murphy (Midleton) for S Riordan (42), D Holland (Inniscarra) for B Hegarty, B Power (Ballincollig) for C O’Flynn (both 52).

Referee: Johnny Murphy (Ballylanders).