[score]
[team1]St Colman’s College Fermoy[/team1][score1]4-13 [/score1]
[team2]Midleton CBS[/team2][score2]3-7 [/score2]
[/score]
There was some great underage action in Mallow with plenty of promise for the years ahead, St Colman’s College getting the better of Midleton CBS in an all-Cork Munster PPS U15A hurling championship final (O’Dowd Cup).
Goals aplenty and lots of hooking and blocking as St Colman’s took advantage of the strong wind in a dominant second half to take the spoils – their first since 2008 and their sixth title in all.
Midleton CBS – with Cork captain Seamus Harnedy in their management team – had the elements in the first half, their two-point advantage leaving them with a lot to do.
However, they never gave up and a brace of goals from hard-working captain Jack Leahy in the closing five minutes was no more than they deserved.
St Colman’s, meanwhile, produced a superb second-half display to carve out a merited success. Brendan Lehane drew them level seven minutes after the restart and once captain Cillian Fitzpatrick edged them into the lead soon afterwards, they went on to stretch the lead to 10 points.
Michael O’Driscoll’s 40th minute goal kickstarted the productive spell that yielded 2-4 without reply.
Fitzpatrick shot two great points before crashing home an absolutely splendid goal when he latched onto a delivery by O’Donoghue and first-timed to the Midleton net.
Cillian Tobin’s third point left St Colman’s 2-13 to 1-6 in front. Great credit to Midleton CBS, they fought back gallantly through Leahy’s goals, and cut the deficit to six-points.
But, an injury time goal from substitute Ronan O’Riordan pushed the lead to nine, resulting in a comfortable victory for St Colman’s.
A low-scoring first-half saw Midleton CBS lead by 1-4 to 0-5. They got the best start when Colm Leahy goaled after just two minutes – Timmy Wilk provided the pass.
Ben Nyhan settled St Colman’s a minute later and by the seventh minute Midleton CBS were 1-2 to 0-2 to the good.
Scores dried up before Midleton CBS extended their supremacy with points from Jack Leahy and centre-back Diarmuid Healy.
However, St Colman’s dominated the closing exchanges with points from Lehane and Tobin.
Scorers for St Colman’s: C Fitzpatrick (1-3), B Lehane (0-5, 0-4 frees), S O’Donoghue, M O’Driscoll and R O’Riordan (1-0 each), C Tobin (0-3), B Nyhan (0-2).
Scorers for Midleton CBS: J Leahy (2-5), C Leahy (1-0), T Roche and D Healy (0-1 each).
St Colman’s College: C Cronin O’Neill (Watergrasshill); D Sheehan (Watergrasshill), C Hazelwood (Bride Rovers), D Barry (Bride Rovers); K Wallace (St Catherine’s), A Walsh (Bride Rovers), B Sheehan (Fermoy); G O’Brien (St Catherine’s), C Fitzpatrick (Fermoy, Capt); J Ahern (Bride Rovers), C Tobin (Bride Rovers), M O’Driscoll (Watergrasshill); S O’Donoghue (St Catherine’s), B Nyhan (Clyda Rovers), B Lehane (Watergrasshill).
Subs: R O’Riordan (Kilworth) for M O’Driscoll (45).
Midleton CBS: P O’Sullivan (Fr O’Neill’s); S O’Callaghan (Aghada), A Rooney (Carrigtwohill), D Buckley (Killeagh); M Wall (Fr O’Neill’s), D Healy (Lisgoold), D Murnane (Carrigtwohill); J Ahern (Kitha Óg), T Wilk (Cobh); C Martin (Killeagh), T Roche (Midleton), D McCarthy (Killeagh); C Leahy (Killeagh), J Leahy (Kiltha Óg, Capt), T Savage (Lisgoold).
Subs: D Walsh (Killeagh) for C Martin (50).
Referee: Simon Stokes (Tullylease, Cork).