Corn Uí Mhuirí: St Pat's cruise past Cashel and into quarter-finals for first time

MIDFIELD ACE: Killian Dennehy helped St Pat's Castleisland to a big win over Cashel CS. Pic: Matt Browne/Sportsfile

St Pat's Castleisland 4-20 Cashel Community School 0-9 

St Pat's Castleisland have sealed their place in the last eight of the Corn Uí Mhuirí for the first time in their third season in the competition.

While top spot was out of the question for them in advance, following their Round 1 result against Tralee CBS, they killed off any hopes Cashel Community School had of reaching the quarter-finals in the first eight minutes of the game. 

Star performer Killian Dennehy scored from the throw-in as he surged forward to find the net inside 20 seconds.

Ciaran O’Connell scored a second goal after two minutes, and when Dennehy set up defender Adam Griffin in the eighth minute for their third goal, the score stood at 3-2 to 0-2. 

Charlie Hickey was responsible for the bulk of Cashel’s scores with 0-7 (1tpf) as Harry Hickey and Shane Cooney were the Tipperary school’s only other scorers in another big defeat to Kerry opposition for them after losing to Tralee CBS in Round 2 themselves by 17 points.

Michael Horan got St Pats’ fourth goal in the 18th minute as their advantage stood at 4-6 to 0-6 at half-time. 

Ruairí Brosnan did start the second-half with a two-pointer for St Pats but the rest of play was pretty processional stuff as Cashel never looked like altering matters. 

Both Dennehy and Ciaran O’Connell were joint top scorers for the victors with 1-3 apiece in a 23-point success overall.

It was a tough experience for last season’s B winners in Cashel but they can take solace from their draw with the outgoing champions Mercy Mounthawk in Round 1. 

St Pat's will enter the quarter-final draw in the runners-up pot, as few will want to draw them in they manage to repeat this form in the middle of January under Kerry selector Pa McCarthy’s watch.

Scorers for St Pats: K Dennehy and C O’Connell (1-3 each), M Horan (1-2), G Costello (0-4), A Griffin (1-0), C Walsh and R Brosnan (1tp) (0-3 each), L O’Connor and D Hickey (0-1 each). 

Scorers for Cashel CS: C Walsh (0-7, 1tp, 1tpf), H Hickey and S Cooney (0-1 each).

St Pat's Castleisland: M Hickey (Cordal); T Kelliher (do), S Kelliher (do), P Reidy (Ballymacelligott); A Griffin (Cordal), R Brosnan (Currow), R O’Connor (Currow); K Dennehy (Cordal), T Jones (do), L O’Connor (Castleisland Desmonds), C Walsh (Scartaglen), D Hickey (Castleisland Desmonds); C O’Connell (Ballymacelligott), G Costello (Cordal), M Horan (Scartaglen).

Subs: J Ryan (Currow) for L O’Connor (Inj, 36), W McCarthy (Scartaglen) for S Kelleher, L Cotter (Knocknagoshel) for M Horan (both 50), A Caldwell (Scartaglen) for T Jones, E Walsh (Firies) for A Griffin (both 56).

Cashel CS: K O’Neill (Boherlahan); G Ryan (New Inn), R O’Mahoney (Fethard), W Colville (Rockwell/Rosgreen); A Twomey (Boherlahan), N O’Flynn (Fethard), S Mackey (Knockavilla Kickhams); E Rice (Clerihan), S Cooney (do); H Hickey (do), C Walsh (Fethard), T O’Connor (Cashel); C Fogarty (Boherlahan), T Mereacre (Cashel), H Fogarty (Golden).

Subs: Eimhin Ryan (Cashel) for A Twomey (38), Evan Ryan (Cashel) for T Mereacre (53), C Sheehy (Fethard) for E Rice (55).

Referee: S Carey (Limerick).