St Brendan’s College, Killarney had far too much guile and firepower for last year’s beaten finalists Tralee CBS – who were firm favourites again on this occasion – in their top billing Corn Uí Mhuire quarter-final clash at Austin Stack Park, Tralee on Wednesday afternoon.
But, inspired by the brilliant Jamie Moynihan at midfield, the Sem held all the aces on their way to a comfortable nine points victory, 1-18 to 1-9.
The famed Killarney nursery was always in control of this encounter with Ben Kelliher of Dr Crokes excelling and making his mark on the scoreboard and the defence locktight under the direction of his Crokes’ team-mate Cian Mulcahy.
St Brendan’s led 0-7 to 0-4 at the break and Glenflesk’s Jamie Moynihan tacked on another on the restart but the Green pounced against the run of play and Ronan Carroll finished to the net to make a real contest of it.
The sides were level 0-9 to 1-6 with the stylish Josh Bowler of Killarney Legion and Spa hotshot Joey McCarthy on target for the Sem but Luke Rochford and Martin McKivergan were quick to level.
And then the Sem – trained by Kieran Herlihy with Arthur Fitzgerald and Mike Leahy – took control with the powerful Moynihan lording it around the middle and Ben Kelliher pointing and the opportunist Joey McCarthy causing real damage.
With their defence on top and Moynihan dominant at midfield, they settled the contest with three unanswered points, two from 16-year-old Ben Kelliher, and then Joey McCarthy struck for that all-important goal.
The Sem rearguard, with Cian Fleming, Dara Stack, Jack Rudden, Darragh Brosnan and AdamB yrne providing great back-up for the masterful Mulcahy and Kacper Robak a safe pair of hands behind them, ensured there was no way back for CBS after that and the Sem tacked on five more points – compared to just one for the Tralee school – to triumph.
Scorers for St Brendan’s College: J McCarthy 1-4 (0-2 frees); B Kelliher 0-5; J Moynihan 0-3 (0-1 free); O Fleming 0-3 each; C Mulcahy 0-1; J Bowler 0-1; L O’Brien 0-1.
Scorers for Tralee CBS: R Carroll 1-2; R O’Driscoll 0-3 (0-2 frees); H Lenihan 0-1 (free); M McKivergan 0-1; T O’Connor 0-1; L Rochford 0-1 each.
St Brendan’s College: Kacper Robak (Dr Crokes), Cian Fleming (Listry), Dara Stack (Kilcummin), Darragh Brosnan (Spa), Jack Rudden (Glenflesk), Adam Byrne (Dr Crokes), Ciam Mulcahy (Dr Crokes), Jamie Moynihan (Glenflesk), Oran O’Neill (Spa), Ted O’Gorman (Fossa), Joey McCarthy (Spa), Mark O’Carroll (Dr Crokes), Ben Kelliher (Dr Crokes), Josh Bowler (Legion), Oisin Fleming (Legion)
Subs: Dylan O’Meara (Fossa) for T O’Gorman; Bryan Murphy (Legion) for M O’Carroll; Liam O’Brien (Glenflesk) for J Bowler; James Dempsey (Milltown/Castlemaine) for D Brosnan; Mark Kennelly (Fossa) for J McCarthy.
Tralee CBS: Ó O’Halloran (Ardfert), S Óg Brosnan (Austin Stacks), E O’Flaherty (Ardfert), E Moriarty (Ballymac), T Ó Slatara (Churchill), F Ryan (Austin Stacks), H Lenihan (Churchill), L Óg O’Connor (Ardfert), T O’Connor ( Ballyduff), P Brosnan (Moyvane), M McKivergan (Ballymac), R Carroll (Austin Stacks), L Rochford (Ballyduff), D Corridon (Ardfert), R O’Driscoll (Austin Stacks).
Subs: N Lacey (Kerins O’Rahillys) for D Corridan; M Corridan (Ardfert) for M McKivergan; B Pierce (Kerins O’Rahillys) for T O Slatara;T Quilter (Churchill) for R O’Driscoll.
Referee: Eddie Walsh (Rathmore).
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