Corn Ui Mhuiri Football Semi-Final – St Brendans Killarney 2-17 St Flannans 1-11

St Brendans Killarney defeated St Flannans by 2-17 to 1-11 in the Corn Ui Mhuiri Football Semi-Final on Saturday February 4th on Saturday February 4th in Mick Neville Park Rathkeale.

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Injuries are the biggest threat to St Brendan’s title defence

Report from the Irish Examiner newspaper

Munster Post Primary SAFC semi-final – St Brendan’s, Killarney 2-17 St Flannan’s, Ennis 1-11: Closing in on full-time, the focus of the St Brendan’s management had switched from the scoreboard to the growing number of casualties building on the sideline.

With a second successive Corn Uí Mhuirí final appearance locked down, thoughts turned to the February 25 decider and who may be in danger of missing out.

The Killarney outfit already had a crowded sick bay arriving into Rathkeale on Saturday. Returning home after a relatively comfortable nine-point semi-final win, the list had lengthened.

Michael Potts, wing-back on last year’s all-conquering Kerry minor team, was one of three regular starters missing from action on Saturday after sustaining a concussion during a challenge last week.

He was joined on the line by another member of last year’s Kerry minor squad, Cian Callaghan (knee). Jack Griffin had his tonsils removed last Monday and so was also unavailable.

Centre-back Cian Gammell carried a slight groin strain into the game and would have been rested were it not for the fact that the other two members of the half-back line, Potts and Griffin, were already ruled out.

Gammell put in a fine shift, but did have to be removed late on. Michéal Devlin, meanwhile, picked up a knock in the first period which also forced him off.

“Last year, we were blessed in that we went through the entire campaign without an injury,” remarked winning manager Gary McGrath.

“We were down three today and lost two more during the game. We are certainly getting our belly-full of it this year. Cian (Gammell) is probably our biggest worry at the moment and we will just have to wait and see. A lot of these lads are going two and a half years without a break between the Kerry minors, their club and the school. There are a lot of fellas with niggles and fellas are sick. We came in without three Kerry minors and it says something about the strength of our panel that we were able to come through without them.”

This pair clashed at this juncture last year, with the Killarney outfit romping to a 15-point win.

This latest meeting, however, wasn’t as straightforward and although Dara Moynihan started and finished a 12th-minute goal to send St Brendan’s 1-4 to 0-2 clear, it was immediately cancelled out by the Ennis outfit.

Eoghan Thynne saw his initial effort well saved by keeper Robert Osborne, but from the ensuing kick-out, St Flannan’s worked possession back into the opposition danger area and while Osborne repelled Sean Kennedy’s drive, he could do nothing about Darragh Duggan’s well-placed shot.

Ian Molloy split the posts in the subsequent action to make it a one-point ball game, 1-4 to 1-3. The response from the 2016 Hogan Cup champions, though, was clinical, as five points were reeled off without reply.

Two of those came from David Shaw who had missed their quarter-final as he attended an AFL Academy camp in Florida. He finished with six here, all from play. The gap was five at the break, 1-9 to 1-4, and was never closer than that in the second period.

Shaw added to his tally while centre-forward Donnachadh O’Sullivan landed three from play and one from the dead ball. Sub Barry Keane bagged their second goal two minutes from time after Mark Hartnett’s shot had come down off the post.

Scorers for St Brendan’s: D O’Sullivan (0-7, 0-3 frees); D Shaw (0-6); B Keane (1-1); D Moynihan (1-0); M O’Shea, B Courtney (0-1 free), C Flynn (0-1 each).

Scorers for St Flannan’s: D Duggan (1-5, 0-5 frees); C Donnelly, E Thynne (0-2 each); I Molloy, G Cooney (0-1 each).

ST BRENDAN’S: R Osborne (Legion); L McMonagle (Dr Crokes), C O’Donoghue (Glenflesk), S O’Leary (Kilcummin); N Donoghue (Firies), C Gammell (Legion), E Cosgrave (Firies); B Courtney (Dr Crokes), D Shaw (Dr Crokes); D Moynihan (Spa), D O’Sullivan (Firies), M Devlin (Legion); N McCarthy (Spa), M O’Shea (Dr Crokes), C Flynn (Firies)
Subs: M Hartnett (Dr Crokes) for McCarthy (24 mins); B Keane (Listry) for Devlin (30, inj); O O’Donoghue (Glenflesk) for Gammell (52, inj); B Slattery (Legion) for O’Donoghue (54, bc).

ST FLANNAN’S: T O’Brien (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield); M Collins (Éire Óg Ennis), P Casey (Clondegad), D O’Shea (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield); I Ugwueru (Éire Óg Ennis), R Hayes (Crusheen), C McNeilis (Clondegad); T Hannan (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield), I Molloy (Banner); C Donnelly (Clarecastle), G Cahill (Corofin), S Kennedy (Kilmaley); G Cooney (Éire Óg Ennis), D Duggan (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield), E Thynne (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield).
Subs: C Brannock (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield) for Kennedy (46 mins); Kennedy for McNeilis (52); R Collins (Banner) for Thynne (56).

Referee: M Maher (Cork).

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Kerry minor Shaw stars as Brendan’s book place in Corn Uí Mhuirí decider

St Brendan’s Killarney 2-17 St Flannan’s College Ennis 1-11

Report from the42.ie

HOLDERS ST BRENDAN’S Killarney continued their quest for back-to-back Corn Uí Mhuirí titles as they booked their place in this year’s decider. Goals from Dara Moynihan and substitute Barry Keane saw them ease to a nine-point win over St Flannan’s in Rathkeale.

With the wind at their backs in the first half, Brendan’s opened up a five-point lead, Flannan’s full-forward Darragh Duggan cancelling out Moynihan’s early goal to leave it 1-9 to 1-5 at the break.

Kerry minor David Shaw, who missed Brendan’s last game while at AFL academy trials in Florida, was in majestic form and kicked six points from midfield. Four unanswered points in that third quarter effectively settled the game as a contest, and although Flannan’s did cut the gap to six again late on, Keane’s goal put the result beyond any doubt.

St Brendan’s Killarney

1. Robert Osborne (Killarney Legion)
2. Lorcan McMonagle (Dr Crokes)
3. Chris O’Donoghue (Glenflesk)
4. Sean O’Leary (Kilcummin)
5. Niall Donoghue (Firies)
6. Cian Gammell (Killarney Legion)
7. Evan Cosgrave (Firies)
8. Billy Courtney (Dr Crokes)
9. David Shaw (Dr Crokes)
10. Dara Moynihan (Spa)
11. Donnchadh O’Sullivan (Firies)
12. Micheál Devlin (Killarney Legion)
13. Niall McCarthy (Spa)
14. Mark O’Shea (Dr Crokes)
15. Ciaran Flynn (Firies)

St Flannan’s College Ennis

1. Tom O’Brien (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield)
2. Mark Collins (Éire Óg Ennis)
3. Peter Casey (Clondegad)
4. Darragh O’Shea (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield)
5. Ikem Ugwueru (Éire Óg Ennis)
6. Ross Hayes (Crusheen)
7. Colin McNeilis (Clondegad)
8. Tom Hannan (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield)
9. Ian Molloy (Banner)
10. Sean Kennedy (Kilmaley)
11. Gearoid Cahill (Corofin)
12. Cian Donnelly (Clarecastle)
13. Gavin Cooney (Éire Óg Ennis)
14. Darragh Duggan (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield)
15. Eoghan Thynne (St Joseph’s Doora Barefield)

Referee: Mark Maher (Cork)

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When – Saturday February 4th at 12 noon
Where – Mick Neville Park Rathkeale
Referee – Mark Maher (Cork)
Next Round – The winners will play the winners of Col Chriost Rí and Tralee CBS in the Final on Saturday February 25th.

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Admission Prices
Adults – €5
Students / OAP’s – €3

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Results to Date

St Brendans
Quarter-Final – St Brendans 2-18 PS Chorcha Dhuibhne 0-9
Group C Round 1 – St Brendans Killarney 2-23 I.S. Killorglin 1-7
Group C Round 2 – St Brendans Killarney 1-15 De La Salle College Macroom 1-8
Group C Round 3 – St Brendans Killarney 2-24 Árdscoil Uí Urmaltaigh Bandon 0-8

St Flannans
Quarter-Final – St Flannan’s 4-9 Mercy Mounthawk 2-12
Group D Round 1 – St Flannans 1-8 St. Fachtnas Skibbereen 0-10
Group D Round 2 – P.S Rathmore 3-11 St Flannans 1-14
Group D Round 3 – St Flannans 0-9 P.S Chorcha Dhuibhne 0-5

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Match Preview
St. Brendans have been very impressive in the Corn Ui Mhuiri to date as they look to defend their title. Wins over I.S. Killorglin, De La Salle College Macroom and Árdscoil Uí Urmaltaigh Bandon by a combined 48 points in the group stages was very impressive. PS Chorcha Dhuibhne were their Quarter-Final opponents and while the game was close in the opening half, St. Brendans had too much for the Dingle side, winning by 15 points in the finish. Six of last year’s starting line-up are available for selection this season and they have looked a formidable outfit in this year’s competition to date.

St. Flannans (three time winners – last time in 1995) reached last year’s Semi-final before bowing out to St. Brendans so will hope for a reversal of fortune on this occasion. This season, St. Flannans took part in Group D, the most competitive of the four groups saw St. Flannans record a first round one point win over St. Fachtnas Skibbereen before losing narrowly to P.S Rathmore by 3-11 to 1-14 in round two. St. Flannans needed to win their last game versus P.S Chorcha Dhuibhne which they duly achieved, winning a low scoring game by 0-9 to 0-5 to qualify for the Quarter-Finals as group winners. In the Quarter-Finals, three goals in the opening ten minutes saw the Clare school race in to a nine point lead and another goal before half-time had them in control at the interval. Mercy Mounthawk dominated the second half, outscoring their Clare opponents by 1-4 to 0-2 but it wasn’t enough to deny St. Flannans a place in the semi-finals by a margin of 3 points.

Mark Maher is in charge of this game with a 12 noon throw-in on Saturday at Mick Neville Park Rathkeale.