Harty Cup: Midleton CBS fall to superb Nenagh in quarter-final
Midfielder Tom A Walsh tries to keep possession for Midleton under pressure from Eoghan Doughan St Joseph's CBS, Nenagh in the Harty Cup hurling quarter final at Bansha. Picture: Larry Cummins
Midleton CBS fell to defeat in their Harty Cup quarter-final against Nenagh CBS, as the 2023/24 champions cruised to victory in Bansha on Wednesday.
Eoghan Doughan starred, finishing with an impressive 1-14, including five points from play. And Midleton could have no complaints with this one.
For almost the entirety of the first half they were pinned in on the back foot, Nenagh’s half-forward line repeatedly dealing damage as Midleton found little punch up front. By the 22nd minute, the east Cork school were already eight points behind, but they did manage a brief revival to offer hope.
Cormac Deane hit two excellent points on the trot, before a Nenagh puckout was brilliantly intercepted by Sam Ring, and he raced through on goal. He fired to the net, giving Midleton a green flag they desperately needed, but it would all fall apart before the interval.
Two minutes later, Patrick Hackett would send Austin Duff through, and he darted around several Midleton defenders before popping to the net from close range.
While Deane answered again for Midleton, a couple of Doughan frees and a third Nenagh major put the game beyond reach. It was brilliantly worked; Billy O’Brien made a run from midfield, played a one-two with Patrick Ryan, and smashed it to the top corner.
It left Midleton trailing by 11, and while a Daly free would bring the deficit down to 10, that margin was equal to Midleton’s first-half wide count.
Nenagh, by contrast, had just three. They made their opponents pay for every turnover and every misplaced pass.
Three more Nenagh points on the resumption, were met with three wides from Midleton.
The Cork side would briefly find their feet in the 42nd minute – five points in a row including two from their brightest spark in Deane, while Tom A Walsh impressed as a sweeper and Colm Garde was superb at both ends.
By the 51st minute, the Nenagh lead stood at seven, but another four points unanswered ensured Midleton would not find a way back.
They did however nail a late goal, merely a consolation, though an outstanding piece of skill nonetheless from Garde, as he caught Tom A Walsh’s quick free, spun, and rasped into the top corner deep in added-time.
It left the full-time difference at eight points, but it was Midleton’s first quarter showing that would have been full of regret.
They managed just one score in the first 19 minutes. And their opponents dominated the air at both ends, with Shane Cleary immense at centre-back.
It was slow going in the opening stages, right until a Paul Cahalan effort cannoned of the crossbar, and into the path of Joe O’Dwyer, who was brought down for a penalty before he could get his shot off.
All-Ireland U20 winner Doughan stepped up and lashed the penalty into the corner to put Nenagh CBS 1-2 to 0-1 up after nine minutes.
They would tack on three more unanswered over the next nine minutes, with Midleton struggling to break out of their own half. And any time they did, the umpires were there to wave wide.
Nenagh would not be rocked, even after Midleton’s burst of 1-2. They dominated the closing stages of the half, and did enough in the second to ensure passage to the semis.
E Doughan 1-14 (0-8 f, 1-0 pen, 0-1 65), A Duff, B O’Brien 1-0 each, P Cahalan, L McKeogh, P McCormack (f), E Tucker, J Grace 0-1 each.
C Deane 0-5, S Ring 1-2 (0-1 f), F Daly 0-4 f, C Garde 1-1, T A Walsh, D Murphy 0-1 each.
P McCormack; D Fogarty, D O’Dwyer, Cormac Kennedy; J Grace, S Cleary, E Jones; E Tucker, A Duff; B O’Brien, E Doughan (c), P Cahalan; P Ryan, P Hackett, J O’Dwyer.
J Heffernan for Cormac Kennedy (19 inj), R McGrath for J O’Dwyer, L McKeogh for Tucker (both 45), Charlie Kennedy for O’Brien, D McKelvey for Cahalan (both 57).
T C Walsh (Aghada); D Heavin (St Colman’s), R O’Connell (Fr O’Neill’s), F Cahill (Midleton); T A Walsh (Carrigtwohill) (jc); S Carroll (Midleton), C Garde (Lisgoold), M McSweeney (Midleton); ), J Coleman (Lisgoold), A Hennessy (Midleton); F Daly (Kiltha Óg), C Deane (Killeagh), C Stack (Midleton) (jc); S Ring (Carrigtwohill), E Connolly (Kiltha Óg).
D Murphy (Lisgoold) for Coleman (HT), F Connaughton (Kiltha Óg) for Connolly (41), J Devoy (Aghada) for Daly (50-53 temp), D Guiney (Lisgoold) for Cahill (55).
J Murphy (Limerick)
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