TUS Dr. Harty Cup Quarter-Final – Árdscoil Rís Limerick 1-14 Midleton CBS 0-12

Niall and Oisin O’Farrell fire Árdscoil Rís into Dr Harty Cup semi-final

Report by Rory Noonan for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Dr Harty Cup quarter-final

Árdscoil Rís (Limerick) 1-14 Midleton CBS 0-12

Limerick’s Árdscoil Rís advanced to a Munster Post Primary Schools Harty Cup semi-final after a hard-fought but deserved win over Midleton CBS at Mallow.

Overall they were the better team, despite a valiant effort by the Cork school, especially in the second half.

For the winners Niall and Oisin O’Farrell were a constant threat up front, scoring 1-11 of their side’s total. And when they were needed in the second-half – as Midleton CBS threatened a comeback – John Fitzgerald and Cian Scully were outstanding in defence for the winners.

The Limerick side kept their winning run going over their opponents, having also beaten them in the final in 2018, and on this performance are going to take a bit of stopping in the semi-final.

Midleton CBS can’t be faulted for their efforts with Diarmuid Healy leading the charge for them, but they would also be the first to admit they were beaten by the better side on the day.

As soon as the game started Midleton CBS changed formation with Darragh Joyce dropping to centre-back and Ciarmhac Smyth playing a sweeping role behind him.

Healy moved to midfield, leaving a two-man full-forward line of Jamie Fogarty and Colm Leahy to start with, as Jack Leahy moved to the half-forward line.

Midleton CBS started the brighter with Healy unlucky not to score just 10 seconds in when his effort went narrowly wide. Daniel Murnane got them off the mark in the second minute, with Niall O’Farrell replying from a free.

Healy restored the Cork side’s lead before they had Smyth to thank as his block denied Rian O’Byrne what looked like a certain goal. O’Byrne had the sides level again before Niall O’Farrell put Árdscoil Rís in front for the first time.

Leahy raised a white flag to make it 0-3 apiece before a long ball in for the Limerick side was pulled on by Oisin O’Farrell to find the back of the net, to help them to a 1-4 to 0-4 lead at the water break.

Niall O’Farrell increased their lead on the resumption as his side was now starting to dominate. Leahy pulled a point back, but O’Farrell was on target again, from a free, to keep his side in control.

Leahy pointed from a free for Midleton CBS but their opponents finished the half much the stronger, with two late points from Niall O’Farrell and one from O’Byrne seeing the Limerick side lead 1-9 to 0-6 at half-time.

Two early frees from Niall O’Farrell increased their lead before Healy and Leahy replied for the East Cork school as scores were few and far. Healy had an effort on goal stopped with Colm Leahy pouncing on the rebound but keeper Seimi Gully kept the effort out. At the water break, it was 1-11 to 0-8 in the winner’s favour and they increased that lead with O’Farrell on target from another free.

Midleton CBS kept battling to the end with two frees from Jack Leahy and one from Healy cutting the lead to four points.

Shane O’Brien got Árdscoil Rís’s only point from play in the second half to increase their lead with Healy on target again for his side. Fittingly Niall O’Farrell got the last score of the tie, from another free, as Árdscoil Rís march on

Scorers for Árdscoil Rís: O O’Farrell 1-1, N O’Farrell 0-10 (6f, 0-2 65), R O’Byrne 0-2, S O’Brien 0-1.

Scorers for Midleton CBS: J Leahy 0-7 (6f), D Healy 0-4, D Murnane 0-1.

ÁRDSCOIL RÍS: S Scully (Clonlara); E O’Leary (Ahane), J Fitzgerald (Na Piarsaigh), B O’Keeffe (Murroe-Boher); V Harrington (Na Piarsaigh), C Scully (Drimin Athlacca-Banogue), M Gavin (Ballybrown); JJ Carey (Na Piarsaigh), R O’Byrne (Crecora-Manister); S O’Brien (Kilmallock), N O’Farrell (Broadford), J Golden (Monaleen); D Lynch (Na Piarsaigh), O O’Farrell (Askeaton), D Kennedy (Sixmilebridge).
Subs: P O’Neill (Na Piarsaigh) for J Golden (ht), D Stritch (Clonlara) for D Lynch (39), F Fitzgerald (Mungret St Paul’s) for R O’Byrne (55).

CBS MIDLETON: P O’Sullivan (Fr O’Neill’s); D Collins (Aghada), G Walsh-Wallace (Killeagh), A Rooney (Carrigtwohill); T O’Leary-Hayes (Midleton), C Smyth (Midleton), D Murnane (Carrigtwohill); D Joyce (Castlemartyr), T Wilk (Cobh); J Fogarty (Killeagh), D Joseph (Carrigtwohill), D Healy (Lisgoold); T Roche (Midleton), J Leahy (Dungourney), C Leahy (Killeagh).
Subs: D McCarthy (Midleton) for T Roche (41), M Wall (Fr O’Neill’s) for D Joseph (46), A Moloney (Midleton) for D Joyce (59).

Referee: Fergal Horgan, Tipperary.