Hospital advance to Dr Harty Cup knock-out stages despite defeat to CBC

JOHN the Baptist Community School, Hospital have qualified for the knock-out stages of the Dr Harty Cup, Munster post-primary schools U19 'A' hurling competition despite suffering a narrow 0-23 to 2-19 defeat to CBC, of Cork, in Banteer on Wednesday afternoon.

The victory secured by Rice College, of Ennis, over Scoil na Trioniode Naofa, of Doon, in their group fixture later in the day secured the Hospital students passage into the preliminary quarter-final of the Dr Harty Cup.

Had they bowed out, John the Baptist would have been most unfortunate as the immense contributions of Garryspillane premier intermediate regulars Declan Heavey at centre-back and Hugh Flanagan at centre-forward left them dominating play for long periods of the hours.

However, on the two occasions when they looked like reflecting their dominance on the scoreboard as well, they were zapped by breakaway goals against the run of play and then hit by a clutch of follow-up points before they could recover their shape.

John the Baptist missed a few chances to equalise after Eoghan O'Shea's pointed free got CBC off the mark early on and, even when Diarmuid Hurley found the target for the Hospital side, he was immediately met by Michael Quill before before Michael Hanly and Cian McNamara put the Limerick school ahead for the first time.

However, that was responded to by a Ross Buckley point as was Hugh Flanagan's score on the run by O'Shea's free. However, at this point, Hospital got enough of a grip on the middle third to open up the spaces ahead of them that allowed Flanagan's pointed '65' and scores from Declan Heavey, Griffin McCaffrey and Hurley to open up a lead of significance.

Just as CBC looked as they were beginning to be tailed off, Murray collected off the puckout and, although his shot on the gallop was stopped by Tiernan Ryan, Michael Brosnan drove the rebound to the corner of the net.

Although Jamie O'Shea immediately replied, it failed to check the momentum as Ber Mayer, and Eoghan O'Shea, from play, and from a free, pointed inside two minutes.

Hospital held out against the follow-up efforts and then equalised off a monster Heavey free, before Heavey again and Flanagan restored their lead with points.

However, after Hourigan and Charlie Cronin swapped points, O'Shea pounced twice in added time to tie up the scores at 1-10 to 0-13 at the break.

Hourigan then gave the Cork school the lead within seconds of the restart before Hospital rediscovered their stride for Jamie O'Shea to level and Hurley and Cronin to put them ahead with further points.

But just as happened in the first half, their momentum was nipped in the bud when Murray pulled the rebound from Ryan's save of Jack Hegarty's effort over the goal line,

Following up immediately, Eoghan O'Shea's free and point from play and Brosnan stretched CBC's lead to four before their opponents could settle .

Going into the final quarter, John the Baptist lifted themselves again with points from Cronin and Jamie O'Shea and, following substitute Sam O'Driscoll's reply off his first touch of the sliotar, McCaffrey and Flanagan's pointed free had the gap back to two.

Forcing a turnover just as the equaliser loomed, Denis Riordan's long range effort eased the pressure on CBC and, when he was followed by scores from O'Driscoll, Eoghan O'Shea and Jack Trench, they looked to have done enough as the watch slipped past regulation time.

However, Hospital still wouldn't concede. Running at their opponents, they drew three fouls for Flanagan to punish and piled forward in an all-out attack which ended with Conor Sheehan's goal attempt being diverted wide by Keith Flood. The resulting '65' just failed to find the space for a match-winning shot on goal before referee Denis Hickey called time.

SCORERS: CBC: Eoghan O'Shea 0-9 (5 frees), Michael Brosnan 1-1, Cillian Murray 1-0, Andy Hourigan, Sam O'Driscoll 0-2 each, Ross Buckley, Michael Quill, Ben Mayer, Denis Riordaan, Jack Trench 0-1 each; 0-1. JOHN THE BAPTIST COMMUNITY SCHOOL: Hugh Flanagan 0-7 (4 frees, 1 '65'), Declan Heavey (1 free), Diarmuid Hurley, Jamie O'Shea, Charlie Cronin 0-3 each, Griffin McCaffrey 0-2, Michael Hanly, Cian McNamara 0-1 each.

CHRISTIAN BROTHERS COLLEGE, CORK: Keith Garvan (Ballygarvan); Jack Higgins (Sarsfields), Denis Riordan (Kilworth), David Kingston (Mallow); Ross Buckley (Whitechurch), Rory Higgins (Sarsfields), Cillian Connolly (Glen Rovers); Jack Hegarty (Ballinora), Andy Hourigan (Mallow); Ber Mayer (Ballinora), Eoghan O'Shea (Ballinhassig), Michael Quill (Blackrock); Jack Trench (Ballinora), Cillian Murphy (Bishopstown), Michael Brosnan (Glen Rovers). SUBS: Sam O'Driscoll (Aghada) for Cillian Murray (49 minutes), Cian Lawton (Midleton) for Michael Quill (54 minutes).

JOHN THE BAPTIST COMMUNITY SCHOOL, HOSPITAL: Tiernan Ryan (Garryspillane); Niall McNamara (Pallasgreen), Shane Treacy (Stakes Wallaces), Adam Gleeson (Hospital-Herbertstown); Shane O'Dea (Hospital-Herbertstown), Declan Heavey (Garryspillane), Jamie O'Shea (Garryspillane); Rory Hanly (Ballybricken-Bohermore), Griffin McCaffrey (Hospital-Herbertstown); Cian McNamara (Hospital-Herbertstown), Hugh Flanagan (Garryspillane), Scott Ryan (Ballybricken-Bohermore); Michael Hanly (Ballybricken-Bohermore), Diarmuid Hurley (Hospital-Herbertstown), Charlie Cronin (Bruff). SUBS: Evan Martin (Caherline) for Scott Ryan (half-time), Kevin Hennessy (Hospital-Herbertstown) for Aidan Gleeson (52 minutes), Conor Shanahan (Bruff) for Michael Hanly (54 minutes), Paudie Hennessy (Bruff) for Nial McNamara (injured, 58 minutes).

REFEREE: Denis Hickey (Millstreet, Cork).