HARTY CUP: Title defence off to a flyer for Thurles CBS who ease to victory in Dundrum

TUS Dr Harty Cup - Group 3 - Round 1

Thurles CBS 0-24 

JTBCS Hospital 0-15

By John O’Shea 

Thurles CBS, the holders, bidding for their first back-to-back titles since 1951, got their current campaign up and running with a nine-point victory over John the Baptist Community School, Hospital, at Páirc Ciocáim, Dundrum, on Wednesday afternoon.

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Played on a good surface with no wind to contend with, a good-sized crowd was treated to an entertaining game, even though the CBS looked like winners from far out. They were very strong down the spine, with Darragh Hickey on the edge of the square, Ryne Bargary in the heart of the defence, and the midfield partnership of Euan Murray and Tiarnán Ryan supplying plenty of good ball to their attack, where Tiarnán Ryan, James Butler, and Cillian Minogue proved a handful for the Hospital defence. 

They led 0-12 to 0-6 at the end of the opening 30 minutes and pushed on after the break, hitting a purple patch coming up to the end of the third quarter, where they hit six unanswered points on the bounce.

The Hospital side stayed with the CBS over the opening quarter, with Riain McNamara, Tiernan Ryan, and Shane O’Dea all getting on the scoresheet. 

They trailed by three at that stage and afterwards were always chasing the game. Their best period was after the restart when they hit four of the opening six points. At the end, it was the superior firepower of the Tipperary side that won the day.

The game started at a lively pace, with top scorer Cillian Minogue getting the scoreboard moving after 45 seconds of play from a placed ball. Hospital equalised through Riain McNamara after having been put through by wing-back Sean Tiernan. 

Sean Griffin raced up the open side before laying off to James Butler, who eased the CBS back in front. Tiernan Ryan equalised for the second time on five minutes before Ciarán Hyland came to the rescue of Hospital when coming off his line to smother a shot from Jack Cahill after seven minutes. 

Minogue and Shane O’Dea traded minors to bring the sides to level terms for the third and final time, as Euan Murray and Tiarnán Ryan began to shade it at midfield. Jack Cahill landed a huge free from out around the middle before Minogue and Tony Ryan doubled the CBS advantage.

Thurles pushed on over the second quarter, with Minogue, Tiarnán Ryan, and James Butler making life hard for the Limerick school. Coming up towards the half-time break, Rory Crosse was called into action when he saved well from Conor O’Dwyer, who was first to react to a ball rebounding off the crossbar. 

In added time, Minogue turned provider when setting up Darragh Doyle for a good point at the railway end to leave the score Thurles CBS 0-12, JTBCS 0-6.

After the restart, Hospital started better, with Riain McNamara slotting over three minors inside the opening five minutes. 

However, the CBS upped the intensity and hit the next six points without reply, from Cillian Minogue, James Butler, and Tiarnán Ryan, coming up towards the end of the third quarter, to lead by 0-20 to 0-10.

Hospital responded with two quick minors from Tiernan Ryan and Shane O’Dea, but Tony Ryan finished a good cross-field move with his third of the afternoon. Both sides introduced players from the bench over the final ten minutes as the clock ran down, with the CBS getting the opening result as they ran out easy winners at the finish.

Scorers: Thurles CBS: Cillian Minogue (0-10,6f), Tiarnán Ryan (0-4), Tony Ryan (0-3), James Butler (0-2), Danny Barry (0-2), Jack Cahill (0-1f), Darragh Hickey (0-1), Darragh Doyle (0-1).

JTBCS Hospital: Sean Tiernan (0-6,5f), Riain McNamara (0-4), Shane O’Dea (0-3), Michael Hanley (0-1), Conor O’Dwyer (0-1).

Thurles CBS: Rory Crosse (Boherlahan Dualla); Evan Nolan (Thurles Sarsfields), Darragh Hickey (Emeralds Johnstown), Conor Kennedy (Boherlahan Dualla); Danny Barry (Fethard), Ryne Bargary (Boherlahan Dualla), Sean Griffin (Upperchurch Drombane); Euan Murray (Durlas Óg), Tiarnán Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill); Tony Ryan (Killenaule), James Butler (Sean Treacys), Leelan Donoghue (Thurles Sarsfields); Darragh Doyle (Killenaule), Cillian Minogue (Thurles Sarsfields), Jack Cahill (Ballingarry).

Subs used: Larry Collins (Sean Treacys for Darragh Doyle (46); Tomás Ryan (Upperchurch Drombane for Leelan Donoghue (50); Eoin Webb (Durlas Óg) for Cillian Minogue (55); Alex Coppinger (Thurles Sarsfields) for Sean Griffin (58); Ben Moore (Moyne Templetuohy) for Tiarnán Ryan (58). 

JTBCS Hospital: Ciarán Hyland (Garryspillane); Eoin Clifford (Ballybricken Bohermore), Adam Gleeson (Hospital Hewrbertstown), Kevin Hennessy (Hospital Herbertstown); Sean Tiernan (Caherline), Michael Hanly (Ballybricken Bohermore), John O’Riordan (Bruff); Shane O’Dea  (Hospital Herbertstown), Conor Shanahan (Bruff); Evan Martin (Caherline), Rory Hanly (Ballybricken Bohermore), William Ryan (Hospital Herbertstown); Riain McNamara (Hospital Herbertstown), Conor O’Dwyer (Pallasgreen), Tiernan Ryan (Garryspillane).

Subs used: Christian Higgins (Hospital Herbertstown) for Evan Martin (44), Sean O’Dwyer (Caherline) for William Ryan (47), Pádraig McCarthy (Caherline) for Conor O’Dwyer (55), Garrett Murnane (Bruff) for Conor Shanahan (58).

Referee: John McCormack (Knockavilla Kickhams)

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