Thurles CBS stroll past Our Lady's Templemore and into Harty Cup quarter-final
LAST EIGHT: Thurles CBS are through to the Harty Cup quarter-final. Pic: Dan Linehan
Thurles CBS had little trouble in clinching bragging rights as they easily shrugged off Our Lady’s Templemore in a feisty Tipperary derby in the preliminary quarter final of the TUS Dr. Harty Cup in the Ragg on Wednesday afternoon.
A strong first half from the eight time champions was the cornerstone for the win in rough conditions in the Mid Tipperary venue.
And despite a Philip O’Dwyer goal in early in the second half for Our Lady’s, there was never any real question of where the final result was going with CBS building on their nine point half-time lead to see out the win.
Thurles CBS captain Robbie Ryan set the tone straight from the throw-in, picking off a fine early point to set his side on their way and it was a sign of what was to come in the first half.
The rain and blustery wind meant the game was far from vintage early on but the Thurles players acclimatised to the conditions quickly and had built up a 0-5 to nil lead after nine minutes with Killian Cantwell, James Butler, and Tipperary minor winners Cillian Minogue and Tiarnan Ryan all finding their range from play.
Templemore were struggling in the first quarter, losing the midfield battle comprehensively, and with the conditions preventing Cormac Bourke from getting any real distance in his puckouts, their forwards were starved.
They had to wait until the 13th minute for their first of the day from a Padraic O’Shea free.
Eoin Boyle followed that up with their second point in the 15th minute to finally get their interest in this game up and running. He was set up nicely by Cian Broderick after a long range free from Cormac Cahill to make it 0-5 to 0-2 after the first quarter.
There was hope now that the underdogs would make this a competitive game but Thurles were far too slick for them for the remainder of the half as they outscored Our Lady’s by seven points to one.
Cormac Fitzpatrick was the main tormentor in that time with four points (one free) while Tiarnan Ryan, Cillian Minogue, and Robbie Ryan all added their second of the game to give the Thurles school a 0-12 to 0-3 lead at the interval.
Tiarnan Ryan and James Butler killed any hope of an early momentum shift in the early throes of the restart with a point apiece for CBS, but Our Lady’s got a lifeline handed to them in the 36th minute with a lax short puckout from Harry Loughnane being intercepted by Jack Marnell, who fed in Philip O’Dwyer close to goal to finish.
That made it 0-14 to 1-3 with plenty of time remaining but, in reality, it never materialised in a meaningful resurrection for Our Lady’s. And even though they had the deficit down to seven points at the 46 minute mark, Thurles went into another gear as their opponents chased the game, hitting the final six scores of the contest which included a well taken goal from captain Robbie Ryan.
Some ugly scenes in the last five minutes led to a melee in the stand and after referee John Bugler regained control, he brandished a red card to Killian Cantwell to reduce the CBS to 14-men, in what was the only mark on an otherwise comfortable day for the Thurles school, who march onto the quarter-final proper.
C Fitzpatrick (0-7, 3f), R Ryan (1-3), T Ryan (0-3), R Bargary, C Minogue, J Butler (0-2 each), K Cantwell, K Rossiter (0-1 each).
P O’Shea (0-3, 3f), P O’Dwyer (1-0), E Boyle (0-2), C Dunne (0-1).
H Loughnane (Roscrea); T Corbett (Upperchurch Drombane), E Morris (Holycross Ballycahill), J Lahart (Holycross Ballycahill); K Cantwell (Moycarkey Borris), K Loughnane (Thurles Sarsfields), R Bargary (Boherlahan Dualla); E Murray (Durlas Óg), K Rossiter (Durlas Óg); J Butler (Sean Treacys), D Costigan (Moycarkey Borris), T Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill); C Fitzpatrick (Drom & Inch), R Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill), C Minogue (Durlas Óg).
L Donoghue (Durlas Óg) for Lahart (42), D McCahey (Loughmore Castleiney) for R Ryan (53), D Hickey (Emeralds) for Corbett (54), B Fogarty (Durlas Óg) for Butler (61).
C Bourke (JK Brackens); T Burke (JK Brackens), S Gleeson (Moneygall), D Hoare (Drom & Inch); M Conroy (Drom & Inch), N Delaney (JK Brackens), B Collier (JK Brackens); C Cahill (Drom & Inch), C Broderick (JK Brackens); J Marnell (JK Brackens), P O’Shea (JK Brackens), J Quinn (Loughmore Castleiney); P O’Dwyer (Upperchurch Drombane), S Stapleton (Clonakenny), C Dunne (Gortnahoe Glengoole).
K Martin (JK Brackens) for Broderick (40), S Stapleton (Clonakenny) for Quinn (53), R Morris (Loughmore Castleiney) for Gleeson (53, inj).
John Bugler (Clare).
