CBC hold firm against Templemore to seal passage to Harty Cup quarter-finals
Team captain Michael Quill on the move at midfield for Christian Brothers against Our Lady's Templemore. Picture: Larry Cummins
CBC ground out their progression to the Harty Cup quarter-finals with a game to spare as Our Lady’s, Templemore, bowed out with this four-point defeat at Bansha.
The long-range striking of Max Murphy (0-6, five frees) was crucial for the Cork city school, who also had notable contributions from his Midleton teammate Ciarán Kelly, midfielder Michael Quill (who also added 0-6, five frees), and corner-forwards Ben Hegarty (0-3) and Danny O’Donovan (0-1).
They still needed Castlelyons keeper Khalid Abdelrazik to produce a 59th-minute save from Mark Campion before the influential Jack Noonan whizzed an ambitious shot just wide of the CBC net.
Last year’s Dean Ryan Cup runners-up will still feel they’ve significant room for improvement in the weeks ahead. They welcomed Cork minors Bobby Power and Ger Kingston back from injury in the second half. Seán Riordan and Cian Lawton remain out until the new year.
This was must-win territory for Our Lady’s, who defeated CBC last year. Having scored six successive points to slash the deficit to the minimum, their late charge fell short.
It was a true Harty Cup battle, which featured 19 points from frees against 13 from play.
Christians showed better from the throw-in to build their lead. Murphy, Tom Huggins, and Kelly got in early blocks, while Quill (free), Cian O’Flynn, and Hegarty tacked on points. O’Flynn’s could’ve been a goal, but Cathal Ryan was out quick as the full-forward scooped over the crossbar.
A Pádraic O’Shea free and Noonan point settled Our Lady’s, but they had to battle for every score. In the end, 12 wides would cost them.
They didn’t score for the next 12 minutes, during which time Murphy slotted from play and a free. Hegarty also got a sight of goal, but Ryan did well to save.
Campion also had a chance tidied up by Abdelrazik. After three missed frees, Our Lady’s worked one short for Seán Burke to get them motoring again.
Two Murphy frees doubled his first-half tally and CBC closed out with three successive points from Huggins and a Hegarty brace. O’Donovan set up all three, taking his first-half output to five assists.
They led 0-11 to 0-6 at half-time and Murphy’s fifth made it double scores on the resumption. Their lead peaked at seven with points from O’Donovan and a Quill free.
Trailing 0-14 to 0-7, Jack Bevans sparked Our Lady’s resistance. The Borris-Ileigh centre-back landed three long-range frees, won a puck-out to draw another free, which O’Shea pointed, and charged down the left to land one from play.
Bevans was involved again in creating a Philip O’Dwyer point to make it 0-14 to 0-13 with nine minutes to play.
Murphy, O’Shea, and Quill converted frees to leave two between them before the key moment.
A Bevans free hit the upright, but Abdelrazik was alive to save from Campion. Once Noonan’s effort flew wide, Christians could breathe a sigh of relief.
Murphy came up with a big play, drawing a tap-over free from where the ball landed, before Power was fouled for the insurance score. Quill pointed both.
M Murphy, M Quill 0-6 (0-5 f) each, B Hegarty 0-3, T Huggins, C O’Flynn, D O’Donovan 0-1 each
P O’Shea 0-6 f, J Bevans 0-4 (0-3 f), J Noonan 0-2, P O’Dwyer, S Burke 0-1 each.
K Abdelrazik (Castlelyons); D Carroll (Carrigaline), C Burke (Glen Rovers), J Costello (Clonakilty); C Kelly (Midleton), M Murphy (Midleton), C Power (Nemo Rangers); M Quill (Blackrock, c), C Stack (Blackrock); T Huggins (Sarsfields), L Cregan (Douglas), H Raftery (Liscarroll-Churchtown Gaels); B Hegarty (Ballinora), C O’Flynn (Blarney), D O’Donovan (Douglas).
G Kingston (Mallow) for Cregan (47), B Power (Ballincollig) for O’Flynn (51), F O’Shea (Ballinhassig) for Raftery (54).
C Ryan (Loughmore-Castleiney); H Barton (Rathdowney-Errill), N Delaney (JK Brackens), D Hoare (Drom-Inch); S Lee (Upperchurch Drombane), J Bevans (Borris-Ileigh), J Sheridan (Drom-Inch); P O’Shea (JK Brackens), L Cleere (Moyne-Templetuohy); J Noonan (Moyne-Templetuohy), P O’Dwyer (Upperchurch Drombane, c), S Burke (JK Brackens); C Doyle (JK Brackens), M Campion (Moyne-Templetuohy), D Coffey (Killea).
D McDonnell (Loughmore-Castleiney) for Doyle (54), P Stapleton (Clonakenny) for Barton (57).
S Everard (Tipperary).
App?
