St Flannan’s 3-8 Clonakilty Community College 0-11 

THREE second-half goals helped St Flannan’s blow Group 1 of the Corn Ui Mhuiri (Munster Post-Primary Schools SFC) wide open at a sunny, but cold Ballyagran on Wednesday.

The result leaves Clonakilty Community College involved in a must-win tie against Tralee CBS on Monday to determine their fate in terms of qualification for the quarter-finals.

As things stand, Tralee and St Flannan’s are level on four points with the Ennis school on top courtesy of a better scoring difference of +6 to the Kerry outfit’s +4 while Clon are third on two points and a scoring difference of +21.

The west Cork side turned around 0-7 to 0-3 in front at the interval with Cork minors Darragh Gough and Olan O’Donovan impressing in attack and Dan Twomey peerless at full-back, but the second-half was a much different proposition.

St Flannan’s boast a big, strong, physical side who made inroads on the Clon defence most unexpectedly in the second-half thanks in no small measure to super-sub James Doherty’s introduction for the closing quarter.

By the time he entered the fray, St Flannan’s had pegged back the deficit to the minimum, 0-9 to 1-5, thanks to Paddy Nagle’s 38th minute goal.

Doherty, just returned from a cruciate injury, is a recognised goal-scorer as he showed with his first touch to edge his side two points in front before O’Donovan made it a one-point game with a super point under pressure after 50 minutes.

Five minutes later, however, Doherty struck again, once more availing of space and time to pick his spot and Clon’s predicament was compounded by a black card to Philip Flynn.

At 3-6 to 0-10, there was no way back for Clon against massed ranks of St Flannan’s defenders with deadly Doherty closing out the game with a late point.

Scorers for St Flannan’s: J Doherty 2-1, P Nagle 1-0, D Keane 0-2, 1f, F Hegarty, S McMahon, B McDonough, F Kirby, H Doherty 0-1 each.

Scorers for Clonakilty CC: D Gough 0-4, 3f, O O’Donovan 0-3, 1f, D Twomey, A Cullinane, T O Buachalla, F Murphy 0-1 each.

ST FLANNAN’S: C Howard (Eire Og); G Barry (Ennistymon), C Maher (Doora Barefield), R Kilroy (The Banner); F Meaney (Doora Barefield), F Treacy (Eire Og), P Nagle (Doora Barefield); J Hegarty (Ennistymon), F Hegarty (do); F Cotter (Lissycasey), S McMahon (The Banner), C Kirby (Clondegad); B McDonough (Doora Barefield), F Kirby (Clondegad), D Keane (Lissycasey).

Subs: I Williams (Doora Barefield) for Maher injured 20, H Doherty (Clarecastle) for F Kirby and J Doherty (do) for C Kirby 45, C Meaney (Clondegad) for Cotter 54.

CLONAKILTY CC: T O’Neill (Owen Gaels); S O’Regan (Clonakilty), D Twomey (Owen Gaels), D McCarthy (Ibane Gaels); S Bailey (Kilmeen), F McCarthy (Clonakilty), E Hodnett (Carbery Rangers); C Twohig (Kilmeen), A Cullinane (Clonakilty); T O Buachalla (Ibane Gaels), D Gough (Clonakilty), F Murphy (Clonakilty); O O’Donovan (Ibane Gaels), P Flynn (do), J Bailey (Kilmeen).

Sub: E Cullinane (Ibane Gaels) for Hodnett 49.

Referee: M Flannery (Limerick).