Dean Ryan Cup: St Colman's survive late scare to overcome Castletroy 

St Colman’s 1-20 

Castletroy 0-17

St Colman’s survived a late scare against Castletroy in the Dean Ryan Cup in Rathcormac on Wednesday.

The Fermoy school started strongly and looked to have a stranglehold on their opponents at half-time, retiring 10 points to the good. However, the second period was a different story.

Castletroy came out all guns blazing in a second stanza that saw St Colman’s hurleys go cold, at one point going 17 minutes without a score. Within that frigid period, Castletroy clawed their way back into the fight, stringing together nine scores with no response.

Now the Limerick contingent were only five behind with a nervy eight minutes to play.

Luckily for St Colman’s, they held strong down the stretch, two late frees from Oran Hegarty settling the Fermoy lads nerves before running out eventual winners by six.

The game’s only green flag was raised after five minutes, courtesy of Colman's Ned Condon.

Tadhg Walsh found his man with a brilliant kick pass off his left leg after losing his hurley before Condon drilled it past keeper Brian Halley in the Castletroy net.

Clocking up a significant 14 first-half wides, Colman’s could and should have been out of sight before the half ended.

Evidently, it didn’t dishearten them. The Fermoy lads moved up a gear after the goal, scoring 11 points on the way in and holding their opponents to three scores.

Hegarty and Condon were running the show, with Fionn Lynch and Bailey Browne chipping in with scores to increase the Colman’s advantage before the break.

Seven minutes into the second half and it looked like a steam-rolling was in store for Castletroy. Tadhg Walsh, Conor Holland, Hegarty and Condon (2) contributed for Colman’s and all of a sudden the lead was extended to 14.

Testament to their fighting spirit, Castletroy never backed down and soon they were the only team playing hurling.

The Limerick school’s star man Conor Langan scored his fourth point of the game to begin the comeback effort. Thus began 12 minutes of utter domination as the rain begun to fall in Rathcormac.

With each Castletroy white flag, the nerves began to build, and it showed as effort after effort slipped wide of the target for Colman’s.

Two magnificent saves, both from Langan efforts, by St Colman’s keeper Cathal Higgins kept it from becoming a real tussle down the stretch.

Seán Sheehan placed his third score over to narrow the gap to five with five to play. Thankfully, St Colman’s, Hegarty rediscovered his mojo and two accurate frees sealed the win late on.

Scorers for St Colmans: O Hegarty 0-8 (0-6 f), N Condon 1-3, S O’Leary 0-3, B Browne, F Lynch 0-2 each, T Walsh, C Holland 0-1 each.

Castletroy: O Langan 0-5 (0-1 f), S Sheehan 0-3 (0-1 f), P Quilty 0-3, K Maher 0-2, A Ryan 0-1, B Fitzgerald, J Webster, M O’Grady 0-1 each.

ST COLMANS: C Higgins (St Catherine’s); J Fitzgerald (Bride Rovers), M Quirke (Kilworth), R Lehane (Watergrasshill); C Holland (Ballycastle Gaels), C Scanlan (Bride Rovers, jc), JJ Cahill (Kilworth); O Hegarty (Kilworth, jc), H O’Brien (Kilworth); B Browne (Kilworth), R Molumphy (Ballyduff Upper), T Walsh (St Catherine’s); S O’Leary (Watergrasshill), F Lynch (Bride Rovers), N Condon (Castlelyons).

Subs: B O’Connor (St Catherine’s) for B Browne (HT), A Keane (St Catherine’s) for R Molumphy (HT), T Ahern (Kilworth) for F Lynch (51), R McCallum (Kilworth) for JJ Cahill (57).

CASTLETROY (all Monaleen except where stated): B Halley; A O’Connell (Ahane), D Ryan, J Flannery; R Guinan, D Scully, J Webster; M O’Grady, A Ryan; P Quilty, S Sheehan, S Hendrick (St Pats); B Fitzgerald, O Langan, B Hurley.

Subs: K Maher (Ahane) for A Ryan (HT), H O’Connell for Hendrick (HT).

Referee: Michael Carey (Bride Rovers).