Watch and read: St Colman’s edge Blackwater CS to book Harty Cup knockout place

Dr Harty Cup: St Colman’s Fermoy 1-11 Blackwater CS Lismore 1-8 

St Colman’s have booked their place in the knockout phase of the Harty Cup following a hard-fought victory over Blackwater CS Lismore on Wednesday in Castlelyons.

A second half spurt spearheaded by Sam McCarthy and Alan Cotter saw the Fermoy lads put five consecutive scores on the board while holding their wasteful opponents scoreless for 26 minutes in a low-scoring Munster PPS tie.

Blackwater took the early advantage in Castlelyons. Sean Óg Costin’s low effort dragged across goal in the 2nd minute only for Shane Landers to guide it home unmarked at the far post.

Colman’s Sam McCarthy put his side’s first point on the board two minutes later. O’Connor and Colman’s talisman Alan Cotter traded frees before Matthew Kenny raised the first green flag for the men in green.

Kenny collected a wayward effort from Sam McCarthy on the endline, spun and buried it past Blackwater keeper Mikey Ware to the delight of the raucous travelling Colman’s contingent - their 16th man all afternoon.

Blackwater responded well though, clocking up three of the next four scores. Paul Hegarty split the posts from range in the 16th minute before a Hugo Quann double had them back in front.

Another Cotter free from close drew the sides level once again before a towering Finn O’Connor effort before the short whistle gave the Lismore men the advantage. 1-5 to 1-4 at the break.

The Fermoy lads came out the hungrier in the second half though. An excellent Shane McCarthy double set Colman’s on their way early in the half, the second of those fired with surgeon’s precision through a crowd of Blackwater defenders on the 45 metre line.

The closest either side came to a green flag in that second period was a goal bound effort by Colman’s Tadhg McCarthy who tried sliding the ball in at the near post only for Mikey Ware to stop it with his leg and guide it wide.

A couple of Cotter frees either side of a barren ten-minute spell for both teams had the Fermoy school up by three before a well-taken Matthew Kenny point extended that advantage to four with seven minutes of normal time to play.

It seemed like it was all going Colman’s way down the stretch, and with each wasted Blackwater opportunity their confidence grew.

A routine free by Finn O Connor evaded the target, summing up Blackwater’s early sloppy second half showing. A Jerry Morrison miss from a scoreable range all but confirmed they had lost their mojo.

Hugo Quann broke the Blackwater duck with four minutes to spare, giving his men a modicum of hope but McCarthy’s Tadhg and Sam (eventual man of the match) nabbed a point-a-piece to all but confirm the victory.

Two late Blackwater points, from Kealan Dunne and Seán Óg Costin, made for a slightly nervy finish but Lismore couldn’t threaten the goal and Colman’s ran out winners by three.

Scorers for St Colman’s: A Cotter 0-5 (5f), M Kenny 1-1, S McCarthy 0-4, T McCarthy 0-1.

Scorers for Blackwater: S Landers 1-0, H Quann 0-3, F O’Connor 0-2 (1f), P Hegarty, S Óg Costin and K Dunne 0-1 each. 

ST COLMANS: D Collins (Kilworth); J Batterberry (Ballycastle Gaels), J Mullery (Fermoy), A Casey (Watergrasshill); D Fitzgerald (Bride Rovers), C Barry (Bride Rovers), PJ Powell (Ballycastle Gaels); C Scanlan (Bride Rovers), D Twomey (Ballycastle Gaels); M Walsh (Bride Rovers), A Cotter (St Catherines), S McCarthy (Castlelyons); O Hegarty (Kilworth), T McCarthy (Watergrasshill), M Kenny (Bride Rovers).

Subs: F O’Driscoll (Bride Rovers) for D Twomey (41), R Molumphy (Ballyduff Upper) for M Walsh (48), H O’Brien (Kilworth) for M Kenny (59).

BLACKWATER: M Ware (St Oliver’s); J Tarmey (Lismore), C Lynch (St Oliver’s), T Lynch (St Oliver’s); G Morrisson (Lismore), C Moore (Lismore), J Kiely (Lismore); H Quann (Lismore), K Dunne (Lismore), A Cummins (Lismore), F O’Connor (Lismore), R Duffin (Lismore); S Landers (Lismore), S Óg Costin (St Oliver’s), P Hegarty (Cois Bhríde).

Subs: J Morrison (Lismore) for S Landers (HT), T Forbes (Cois Bhríde) for R Duffin (45), E Collins (Ballyduff Upper) for J Kiely (50), C MacCraith (An Gaeltacht) for F O’Connor (57), R Fitzgerald (Naomh Bríd) for G Morrison (62).

Referee: Canice Walsh (Nemo Rangers).

Footage courtesy of Clubber TV.