HARTY CUP: Our Lady's Templemore find vital early victory to get campaign off to strong start

TUS Dr Harty Cup - Group 4 - Round 1

Our Lady’s Templemore 2-19

CBC Cork 0-20

Our Lady’s Templemore got their Dr Harty Cup campaign off to the perfect start with a strong performance to defeat Cork opposition CBC of Cork in Knocklong on Wednesday afternoon.

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Jack Bevans was the main man for Templemore, hitting 1-9 of his side’s total, missing no frees, and rattling a 49th-minute 21-yard free to the back of the net to help his side to a priceless first-round victory.

To say Bevans was a lone ranger in the win would be far from accurate, with a well-rounded team performance being produced by the Tipperary school as they were seriously challenged by a fancied CBC Cork team who will rue missed chances throughout, amassing an unacceptable total of 15 wides by the game’s end.

However, the difference was that Templemore were clinical in their purple patches and essentially led the game from start to finish, registering a quality opening quarter to take a 0-7 to 0-3 in overcast yet calm conditions at the Limerick venue.

The inside forward line were making early hay in that flurry with Dan Coffey and Philip O’Dwyer flying over three points between to go with four free from Jack Bevans; Eoghan O’Shea was the main man in that time, and it was a sign of things to come from the Ballinhassig clubman throughout.

Our Lady’s workrate was of a higher calibre in the first half, and several turnovers led to scores as James Ryan profited from breaking the ball, while the hard running of Sean Walsh led to two points for the JK Brackens man, with his second coming after being denied a goal from a top-class save by Keith Flood in the CBC goal just before half-time.

The aforementioned Eoghan O’Shea was causing problems at eleven for CBC, and he would finish the half three points from play, but it was Our Lady’s who took a 0-11 to 0-8 advantage at the break.

With momentum in their favour, Our Lady’s got going quickly after the resumption and within five minutes, had added a further 1-2 to their tally after excellent play from Shay Gleeson and James Ryan led to Philip O’Dwyer being played in behind the CBC defence with the Upperchurch Drombane player rattling the back of the net.

That pushed the Tipp school into a 1-13 to 0-8 lead, and while Eoghan O’Shea picked off two points from play in response soon after, Templemore added another three of their own, with the exceptional Shay Gleeson picking off two from centre back along with Jack Bevans’ second from play.

Coasting slightly, Our Lady’s took the foot off the gas as the third quarter elapsed and that allowed CBC to notch four in a row to reduce the gap to five points, but some sharp play from Jack Bevans alleviated the worries; the Borris-Ileigh player catching the CBC defence cold in the 49th minute to rasp home a 21-yard free that all present thought would be tapped over the bar.

Ultimately, that was a key score. Despite Eoghan O’Shea keeping his side in touch with scores in the final ten minutes, some awful wides and poor decisions on the ball stunted a real challenge to the result for CBC, with Philip O’Dwyer’s late point from range in the third minute of added time proving to be the final play of the game.

A fine start to this year’s campaign, Our Lady’s were good value for this victory, and it will stand them in good stead ahead of clashes against St Joseph’s Tulla of Clare and Gaelcholaiste Mhuire AG of Cork to come in the coming weeks.

Scorers: Our Lady’s Templemore: Jack Bevans (1-9, 1-7f), Philip O’Dwyer 1-2, Shay Gleeson, Dan Coffey, Sean Walsh all 0-2 each, Billy Collier, James Ryan 0-1 each.

CBC Cork: Eoghan O’Shea (0-12, 0-6f), Ben Hegarty, Cian Lawton 0-2 each, Cillian Connolly, Michael Quill, Sean Hurley, Michael Brosnan 0-1 each.

Our Lady’s Templemore: Cathal Ryan (Loughmore Castleiney); Darragh Hoare (Drom & Inch), Niall Delaney (JK Brackens), Tommy Burke (JK Brackens); Mark Conroy (Drom & Inch), Shay Gleeson (Moneygall), Billy Collier (JK Brackens); Cian Broderick (JK Brackens), Sean Walsh (JK Brackens); James Ryan (Drom & Inch), Padraic O'Shea (JK Brackens), Jack Bevans (Borris-Ileigh); Jack Marnell (JK Brackens), Dan Coffey (JK Brackens), Philip O'Dwyer (Upperchurch Drombane).

Subs used: Sean Burke (JK Brackens) for O’Shea (55); Liam Dunphy (Roscrea) for Ryan (59).

CBC Cork: Keith Flood (Ballygarvan); James Costello (Mallow), Denis Riordan (Kilworth), David Kingston (Clonakilty); Cian O'Flynn (Blarney), Cillian Connolly (Glen Rovers), James Murray (St Finbarr's); Cian Lawton (Midleton), Sean Riordan (KIlworth); Michael Quill (Blackrock), Eoghan O'Shea (Ballinhassig), Ben Hegarty (Ballinora); Sean Hurley (Éire Óg), Michael Brosnan (Glen Rovers), Tom Huggins (Sarsfields).

Subs used: Jack Hegarty (Ballinora) for Hurley (HT); Ger Kingston (Mallow) for Huggins (HT); Max Murphy (Midleton) for Riordan (43); Liam Cregan (Douglas) for O’Flynn (53); Donagh Holland (Inniscarra) for Hurley (53).

Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)

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