Thurles CBS withstand late Colaiste Eoin resurgence to claim All Ireland semi-final date

CROKE CUP ALL IRELAND SENIOR A HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER FINAL

Thurles CBS 2-17

Colaiste Eoin 2-14

Thurles CBS withstood a late second half fightback from Dublin school Colaiste Eoin in Park Ratheniska earlier this afternoon to book their place in the last four of this year’s Croke Cup All Ireland Schools competition.

Two first half goals in the first quarter from Robbie Ryan and Bill Flanagan gave th Harty Cup runner ups a cushion that they win enjoy for the vast majority of the game, as the mid Tipperary school proved to be far more economical in their play and had the measure of a very fit, and very hard working Colaiste Eoin team.

A five point lead at 2-8 to 0-9 at half time was more or less maintained throughout much of the second half, and it was even extended as Thurles CBS led by six points with ten minutes to go at 2-15 to 1-12, but a strong finish from the Dubs had the Tipp players and the travelling support on tender hooks as a quickfire 1-2 including a brilliant individual goal from David Purséil had the game back in the melting pot going into injury time; just three points between them.

However, Thurles managed to find the answers to hold out against the Leinster Schools semi-finalists - who were only at this stage due to the Offaly Schools combinations lack of eligibility - with two Tommy Maher points late on providing enough of a cushion for the Tipp school to hold on.

Indeed, Thurles had the better of the opening stages of the first half and had built up a 1-3 to 0-2 lead after just 11 minutes with Robbie Ryan finish his goal well in the 10th minute, taking an overlapping hand pass close to goal and cutting across the Colaiste Eoin goalkeeper to slot home with ease.

Changes were made to the starting line up from the Harty Cup final defeat with James Doyle, Bill Flanagan, and Darragh Kelly justifying their selections early in the game, with the former pairing of Flanagan and Kelly getting early scores in the first quarter, with Flanagan bagging Thurles’ second goal in the 15th minute after a incisive run down the centre of the goal opening the goal up for the Moycarkey man to slot low to the net.

Colaiste Eoin were struggling to cut out the link up play of the Thurles play that led to those two goals, but they had danger men of their own in the firm of David Purséil and Diarmuid Ó Dulaing who were causing problems with their pace early on, with Pusséil in particular hitting 0-3 in the first 20 minutes, and this coupled with Ó Dulaing’s frees had them still in contention at 2-4 to 0-6 after 21 minutes.

Tommy Maher was orchestrating the play well for Thurles from midfield, and he had three points added to their advantage in as many minutes that followed, but Colaiste were hanging in and had a trio of scores in reply up to the 29th minute through Purséil, Ó Dulaing, and a long range effort from Breandan Ó Cionnaith; but it was Thurles who finished the half’s scoring with a Bill Flanagan point from play as Thurles held a 2-8 to 0-9 advantage.

That cushion would be maintained for much of the third quarter, as Darragh Kelly and Tommy Maher pointed after the break to extend Thurles’ lead; the score from Éire Óg Annacarty man Kelly proving to be a beauty from an acute angle.

The teams went tit-for-tat in the scoring stakes up until the last ten minutes of the game, with Thurles being served by James Doyle, Robbie Ryan (free), Liam Doyle, and Joe Egan, but Thurles left a lot of scores behind them during this period (12 wides in total in the match), which kept the Dublin men in touch  going into the home stretch.

A 52nd minute free from Ó Dulaing had the game back to five points, which was quickly followed by a first for Gearoid Ó Flannabhra and it was panic stations for Thurles in the 60th minute when David Purséil bagged an incredible individual goal, taking the ball on the wing at the far 45 before taking off and linking up with substitute Padraig Mac Aogáin to run through and bury his effort past Eoin Horgan; just three points between the teams at 2-16 to 2-13.

Thurles needed to find a settling score or, at the very least, maintain possession and take control of the game again, but the Dublin men were on top now with the gap reduced to two points after four minutes of stoppage time, with Ó Dulaing pointing after consulting the referee on time remaining.

Luckily for Thurles though, they managed to manufacture a late settling free after Joe Egan (who impressed all match long) found possession and drew a free, and with Tommy Maher banging it over the black spot, Thurles managed to repel the last Colaiste Eoin attacks to set up a semi-final bout with Galway’s Presentation College Athenry.

Scorers:  Thurles CBS: Tommy Maher (0-6, 0-3f), Robbie Ryan (1-2, 0-1f), Bill Flanagan 1-1, Darragh Kelly 0-3, Joe Egan 0-2, Robbie Stapleton , James Doyle, Liam Doyle all 0-1 each.

Colaiste Eoin: David Purséil 1-4, Diarmuid Ó Dulaing 0-5f, Jamie Ó Conaire 1-0, Breandan Ó Cionnaith 0-2, Ruan Ó Conchubair, Ciaran Ó Donnabhrain, Gearoid Ó Fiannabhra all 0-1 each.

Thurles CBS: Eoin Horgan (Knockavilla Kickhams); Liam Doyle (Holycross Ballycahill), Evan Morris (Holycross Ballycahill), Padraig O'Dwyer (Killenaule); Eoin O'Connell (Loughmore Castleiney), Jim Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill), James Doyle (Holycross Ballycahill), Tommy Maher (Thurles Sarsfields); Joe Maher (Moycarkey Borris), Bill Flanagan (Moycarkey Borris), Aidan Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields); Robbie Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill), Darragh Kelly (Eire Og Annacarty), Robbie Stapleton (Thurles Sarsfields).

Subs: Darragh Fitzpatrick (Drom & Inch) for Morris (45); Jimmie Lahart for Ryan (48); Aidan Stakelum for Flanagan (48); Daniel Rossiter for Stapleton (55); Kieran Purcell for O’Connell (58).

Colaiste Eoin: Rory Ó Flannabhra; Liam Ó Cuanaigh, Dara Ó Cinneide, Conor Mag Ruairc; Ruan Ó Conchubair, Conal Ó Riain, Lúc Breathnach; Aodhan Inglis, Breandàn Ó Cionnaith; James Ó hAmaill, Gearoid Ó Flannabhra, Jamie Ó Conaire; Ciaran Ó Donnabhain, Diarmuid Ó Dulaing, David Purséil.

Subs: Padraig Mac Aogáin for Ó hAimaill (46).

Referee: Patrick Phelan (Laois)