Midleton CBS strike late to snatch Dr Harty Cup glory and a semi-final place
Ben Walsh (Killeagh) in action on the forward line for Midleton. Picture: Larry Cummins
A grandstand finish rescued Midleton CBS’s Dr Harty Cup ambitions in a cagey quarter-final on Fethard’s Astro pitch on Wednesday.
The game was transferred from Fraher Field Dungarvan and was over half an hour late starting due to extra time in the curtain-raiser, but finished in a welter of excitement.
De La Salle, for whom Jack Twomey was their best performer with a game-high 0-13, led by two points approaching the hour following a super score from the left touchline by substitute Barry John Flynn.
But when the need was greatest, Midleton’s big players came up trumps. In the first of seven added-on minutes, ace marksman Jack Leahy backed himself to try for a goal from a 20m free and his stinging low shot zipped into the net.
The cheering had barely died, when Midleton struck again, Ben Walsh blocking an attempted clearance and then hammering home the killer second goal before Leahy completed the scoring with his ninth point, leaving the Waterford side shell-shocked.
The teams were level six times in all and there was never more than a couple of points between them as they turned around 0-8 apiece.
James O’Brien edged Midleton 0-8 to 0-6 ahead with a superb point from an acute angle on the left only for Twomey to respond with three on the bounce until a Leahy free restored parity for a fourth time in the half.
Midleton began the second half smartly with a couple of quick-fire Leahy and O’Brien scores though Twomey ensured they were level a fifth time at 0-13 each in the 49th minute.
It was nip and tuck until the east Cork side produced a stunning finish to make sure of their place in the last four and avoid a Rebel whitewash after earlier defeats by CBC and St Colman’s, leaving Midleton CBS the last man standing.
J Leahy 1-9 (1-6 f), B Walsh 1-2, J O’Brien 0-4.
J Twomey 0-13 (0-6 f, 0-2 65), C Hartley (f), R Doherty, BJ Flynn 0-1 each.
P O’Sullivan (Fr O’Neill’s), joint-captain; S O’Callaghan (Aghada); A Moloney (Midleton), D Leahy (Castlemartyr); C O’Callaghan (Dungourney), D Murnane (Carrigtwohill), T Wilk (Cobh); T Roche (Midleton), T O’Regan (Cloyne); S Irwin (Killeagh), P Walsh (Carrigtwohill), D McCarthy (Killeagh); J O’Brien (Cloyne); B Walsh (Killeagh), J Leahy (Dungourney), joint-captain.
D Buckley (Killeagh) for P Walsh 45, M Wall (Fr O’Neill’s) for McCarthy 59.
T Carey; D Fitzpatrick, C O’Keeffe, D Williams; C Carroll, C Keane, C O’Sullivan; A O’Neill, J Twomey; C Hartley, F McGrath, C Tobin; D Nolan, R Wymberry, S Fleming.
BJ Flynn for Wymberry and D Leavey for Nolan, half-time, C Murphy for Williams injured 38, R Doherty for Fleming 48.
T Loughnane (Tipperary).
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