Corn Uí Mhuirí: Patrician Academy into knockout stages after impressive win

Patrician Academy, Mallow 3-13

Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig 0-9

Patrician Academy never trailed as they breezed past Coláiste Choilm to secure qualification from Group 3 of the TUS Corn Uí Mhuirí in an early-morning fixture at Bishopstown on Wednesday.

Having beaten St Flannan’s College in their opening game, the Mallow school will at worst have a preliminary quarter-final but could advance to the last eight if they beat St Brendan’s College in their last game.

They were well on top here, only wavering slightly after a Coláiste Choilm first-half fightback threatened to make a game of it before responding strongly to win by 13 points. The result means Coláiste Choilm are eliminated

A strange first half saw Mallow open the scoring with seven unanswered points only for a Ballincollig resurgence to peg the lead back to two – but by half-time, eight points separated the sides.

With Ben O’Shea pulling the strings at centre-forward, Patrician Academy had a drive and purpose about them in the opening stages as they established an advantage. Alan O’Connell was unlucky to send an early goal attempt wide but he was among the point scorers along with O’Shea, Dylan O’Connell – with a beauty from a tight angle – Liam Walsh and Luke Buckley.

Coláiste Choilm did have a goal of half-chances of goals, with Ben O’Connell denied by a good Darragh O’Connor challenge while Ted McGrath shot wide, though they felt he had been fouled.

The lead was 0-5 to 0-0 when O’Shea had a chance of a Mallow goal, Luke Harris taking the ball off the line, but O’Shea added a point after Brian O’Connor fired over and a 0-7 to 0-0 advantage was reflective of the overall pattern.

Coláiste Choilm got off the mark with a pair of frees from David O’Leary and then he helped midfielder Darragh Clifford to find the target. Johnny Galvin sent over a free to leave a goal in it and then Colm Clifford made it 0-7 to 0-5.

Unfortunately for them, Mallow’s response was swift and ruthless. A quick counter-attack ended with Pádraig Britton and Aidan Kelly combining for O’Shea to slot home and a trio of late points from Alan O’Connell left them 1-10 to 0-5 in front at half-time.

Colm Geary became their sixth starting forward to score as he landed a point in the opening minute of the second half. While Ciarán Buckley answered that for Coláiste Choilm, they would not score again until three late O’Leary frees.

In between, Patrician Academy removed any doubts about the outcome. Liam Walsh did well to set up Dylan O’Connell for their second goal and the goalscorer was instrumental, along with O’Shea, in setting up the third for Alan O’Connell.

That put them 3-13 to 0-6 in front and, while it was their last score as the game petered out amid a raft of substitutions, they will be confident as they face St Brendan’s for a chance to top the group.

Scorers for Patrician Academy: A O’Connell 1-6 (0-2f), B O’Shea 1-2, D O’Connell 1-1, L Buckley, L Walsh, A Kelly, C Geary 0-1 each.

Coláiste Choilm: D O’Leary 0-5f, D Clifford, J Galvin, C Clifford, C Buckley 0-1 each.

PATRICIAN ACADEMY: DJ O’Riordan (Kilshannig); B Noonan (Mallow), N Burke (Clyda Rovers), D O’Connor (Mallow); E Walsh (Mallow), G Daly (Mallow), P Britton (Mallow); A Kelly (Clyda Rovers), B O’Connor (Kilshannig); L Walsh (Mallow), B O’Shea (Mallow), L Buckley (Mallow); C Geary (KIlshannig), A O’Connell (Kilshannig), D O’Connell (Kilshannig).

Subs: B Murphy (Mallow) for B O’Connor (half-time, injured), A Murphy (Mallow) for Geary (45), D O’Mahony (Clyda Rovers) for Buckley, J Roche (Mallow) for Kelly (both 52), C Cooney (Clyda Rovers) for A O’Connell (56).

COLÁISTE CHOILM: C Walsh (Ballincollig); C Malone (Éire Óg), T McGrath (Valley Rovers), L Harris (Ballincollig); C Clifford (Éire Óg), B Dore (Ballincollig), D O’Leary (Ballincollig); B O’Connell (Ballincollig), D Clifford (Éire Óg); S O’Neill (Ballincollig), J Galvin (Éire Óg), F O’Leary (Éire Óg); J McCarthy (Éire Óg), C Buckley (Ballincollig), D O’Connor (Inniscarra).

Subs: S Murphy (Éire Óg) for O’Connor, E Dywer (Ballincollig) for Buckley (both 40), C O’Connor (Ballincollig) for Galvin, C Ahern (Ballincollig) for Malone (both 49).

Referee: B Barrett (Douglas).