Dr Harty Cup: Cork schools to learn their fate as groups conclude
Midleton CBS’s Tom A Walsh JC comes under pressure from the St Colman's College defence during the TUS Dr Harty Cup clash in Lisgoold in October - only one of the schools will advance to the knockout stages. Picture: Chani Anderson.
There will be one Cork school in the knockout stages of the TUS Dr Harty Cup - there may be two, but there won’t be any more than that.
This year, a reduced competition featured 16 teams, arranged in four groups of four, with a quarter of them from Cork. As it happened, the draw resulted in two sections not having any Leeside representation with two pairs of Cork schools coming out together.
Unfortunately, that has meant them battling for the same qualification spots.
When Midleton CBS and St Colman’s College played out an entertaining Group 2 draw in the opening round, it left both under some pressure in the second set of fixtures a fortnight ago.
Midleton overcame CBS HS Clonmel while St Colman’s lost Waterford’s De La Salle, who now have four points and are definitely through. It means that if Midleton beat De La Salle in Fethard Town Park at 12 noon today, they will top the group - but a defeat for them would allow Colman’s to take second place if they beat Clonmel in Bansha and effect enough of a scoring-difference turnaround.
In Group 4, Gaelcholáiste Mhuire An Mhainistir Thuaidh met Christian Brothers College a fortnight ago with neither having won their opening and victory for Gaelcholáiste ended their rivals’ hopes of advancing - however, without fully guaranteeing that ‘the AG’ will themselves progress.
Fethard Town Park is the venue at 1.45pm for their game against Our Lady’s Secondary School of Templemore, which is effectively a knockout tie, though Gaelcholáiste Mhuire do have the advantage of qualifying in the event of a draw.
Their hopes will likely be powered by players such as Craig Ó Súilleabháin, Callum Ó Cofaigh, Trevor Ó Bruadau and Josh Ó Brosnacháin.
While their hopes of moving on are over, CBC will still hope to end on a high - especially as they still have an O’Callaghan Cup semi-final tie against St Colman’s to look forward to. Their game against St Joseph’s of Tulla also has a 1.45pm start, with Kilmallock the venue.
Cashel CS v Nenagh CBS, UL 4G North Campus; St Flannan’s College v Ardscoil Rís, Clarecastle, both 1.30pm.
De La Salle Waterford v Midleton CBS, Fethard Town Park; St Colman’s College v CBS HS Clonmel, Bansha, both 12 noon.
Thurles CBS v Scoil na Tríonóide Naofa, Doon, UL 4G North Campus, 12 noon;
Blackwater CS v John The Baptist CS Hospital, Castlelyons, 1.30pm.
CBC Cork v St Joseph’s Secondary School Tulla, Kilmallock; Gaelcholáiste Mhuire An Mhainistir Thuaidh v Our Lady’s Secondary School Templemore, Fethard Town Park, 1.45pm.
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