Nenagh CBS relinquished Dean Ryan Cup title to an outstanding Midleton CBS outfit

TUS PPS Dean Ryan Cup U17A Hurling Semi-Final

Nenagh CBS 1-14

Midleton CBS 2-27

Nenagh CBS relinquished their Dean Ryan Cup title in demoralising fashion in Ballyagran, Limerick on Friday afternoon, as they came up well short against an impressive Midleton CBS team in the semi-final of this year’s competition.

A flawless first-half display from the Cork school was far too efficient and ruthless for Nenagh to handle, and there can be no complaints from the 2023 champions about the outcome; Midleton the masters in every aspect.

Particularly in the first half, they registered an awesome tally of 1-17 and didn’t hit a single wide throughout, delivering a clinic of shooting and decision-making that Nenagh simply couldn’t curtail despite their best efforts.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in Cork as Cormac Deane - son of former Cork hurling great Joe - gave an exhibition at midfield, finishing the match with seven points from play as he and his teammates delivered performances all over the pitch.

These schools already faced off in the first round of this year’s Dr. Harty Cup, and with the sides finishing all square on that occasion, more of the same was expected here despite little crossover between the teams, but that was wishful thinking as the first quarter told a different story altogether.

The Cork youngsters flew out of the traps and completely dominated the ball as they raced into a 0-8 to 0-1 lead after just ten minutes with six different scorers pitching in for Midleton in that period.

Nenagh were second to every ball, lost every aerial duel, and were generally at a very low pitch in comparison to the intensity they brought in the quarter-final win over Ardscoil Rís, but they managed to hit their first point from Aodhan Tucker in the 11th minute and when Rian McGrath goaled in the 13th minute after a brilliant piece of set up play from Eoin Grace, they were in the game despite being second best, trailing 0-9 to 1-4 at the quarter hour mark.

From a Nenagh perspective, the hope was that the Midleton storm was now weathered and they could get their own game going now, but Midleton didn’t waiver thereafter and hit the next two points from Cormac Deane and Tom Walsh, before a class individual goal by Dean Murphy put the Cork lads back in the ascendancy, opening a 1-12 to 1-4 lead after 20 minutes.

The remainder of the half was tit-for-tat as the gap was maintained with Nenagh’s main source of scores coming from frees from Eoin Grace and Patrick Hackett, while Paul Cahalan and Aodhan Tucker pitched in with points from play, but the shooting of the Cork school was irresistible with Cormac Deane the main man as he hit his third and fourth point from play to give Midleton 1-17 to 1-8.

Inevitably, Nenagh required a lightning-fast start to pull back that significant deficit, but it wasn’t their day as Midleton started as they finished the half with four of the first five points of the half as Cormac Deane and Sam Ring, along with a first score for Jarlath Cullimore put the Corkonians ahead and in an unassailable position to lead 1-21 to 1-9 with 20 minutes to go.

Patrick Hackett and Eoin Grace continued to take the fight forward for Nenagh and between a point scored apiece by the pair, Hackett was fouled close to goal which gave Grace a penalty chance to bring Nenagh back into it somewhat. However, in a case of Murphy’s Law, Grace was denied by Tom Walsh in the Midleton goal as the game was now well and truly up; if it wasn’t already.

Substitute Ben Geary clinically added a second goal for Midleton in the 51st minute to put more space between the sides and that was all she wrote for this game as the sides played out the remainder with little intensity as the Nenagh CBS students came up short on this occasion.

Scorers: Nenagh CBS: Eoin Grace (0-5, 0-3f); Patrick Hackett 0-3f; Rian McGrath 1-0; Paul Cahalan, Aodhan Tucker 0-2 each; Éanna Tucker, John Grace 0-1 each.

Midleton CBS: Sam Ring (0-10, 0-7f); Cormac Deane 0-7; Tom A. Walsh 0-5; Dean Murphy 1-1; Ben Geary 1-0; Senan Carroll, Jarlath Cullimore, Shane Murtagh, Evan Connolly all 0-1 each.

Nenagh CBS: Patrick McCormack (Moneygall); Ruairi Hackett (Kiladangan), Daniel McKelvey (Silvermines), James Heffernan (Nenagh Éire Óg); Jack Quirke Jones (Silvemines), John Grace (Burgess), Cormac Kennedy (Kilruane MacDonaghs); Aodhan Tucker (Nenagh Éire Óg), Michael MacLoone (Nenagh Éire Óg); Éanna Tucker (Nenagh Éire Óg), Paul Cahalan (Burgess), Patrick Hackett (Toomevara); Charlie Kennedy (Kilruane MacDonaghs), Eoin Grace (Silvermines), Rian McGrath (Kiladangan).

Subs used: Robert Horan (Portroe) for McLoone (HT); Adam O’Callaghan (Portroe) for McGrath (52); Keith O’Donoghue (Burgess) for R Hackett (57); Conor Ryan (Silvermines) for Quirke Jones (57); Dylan Sayers (Moneygall) for P Hackett (60).

Midleton CBS: Tom C. Walsh (Aghada); Darragh Heavin (St. Colman’s), Daniel Guiney (Lisgoold), Rian O’Connell (Fr. O’Neill’s); Cillian Rooney, Colm Garde (Lisgoold), Senan Carroll (Midleton); Jarlath Cullimore (Carrigtwohill), Cormac Deane (Killeagh); Shane Murtagh (St. Colmans), Dylan Mulcahy (Erins Own), Evan Connolly (Kiltha Óg); Dean Murphy (Lisgoold), Tom A. Walsh (Carrigtwohill), Sam Ring (Carrigtwohill).

Subs used: Ben Geary (Killeagh) for Connolly (40); Cathal Seymour (Carrigtwohill) for Murtagh (49); Shane O’Mahoney (Midleton) for Mulcahy (52); Ben Cooney (Kiltha Óg) for Ring (58).

Referee: John O’Halloran (Limerick)