Doon's Scoil na Trionóide Naofa claim dramatic share of spoils in Dr Harty Cup clash

A DRAW may have damaged the prospects of both sides making the play-offs, but Doon's Scoil na Trionóide Naofa and Rice College, of Ennis, emerged with their honour intact from today's highly entertaining Dr Harty Cup, Munster Post-Primary Schools U19 'A' hurling group clash at ULs North Campus.

The game finished up Scoil Na Trioniode Noafa, Doon 4-8, Rice College, Ennis 2-14, in a welter of excitement at the North Campus. 

The Limerick school had lost out 1-15 to 1-12 to Christian Brothers College, Cork in their previous group fixture, while Rice College had succumbed to CBS Midleton who Doon will play in their remaining round robin game.

Starting under a deluge of rain, but gathering pace and intensity as the weather picked up, it looked at half-time as if Rice's highly effective half-forward line, led by former Clare minor captain Jack O'Neill, and hotshot Pádraig O'Donovan, was going to win them the day but three second-half goals by the recharged Limerick school left them scenting victory with a lead of two points going into added time.

Compounding Rice's difficulties was a red card picked up nine minutes from time, but they kept their focus intact long enough to squeeze out the draw in a game neither side deserved to lose.

Doon started the brighter with Aidan Moloney striking over a point either side of O'Donovan's free but their early dominance was shattered when a long delivery was dropped on the line and Frankie Lyons pounced to whip to the net for Rice College.

The response may have been immediate as a penalty for a foul on Conor Gantley was driven beyond Conor Nash's reach by Doon's Cathal Hayes, but the Ennis half-forward line were now imposing themselves as O'Donovan's free was followed by a sensational O'Neill goal off a defence-splitting solo and O'Donovan fending off the challenges to send over from play.

Tom Ryan's reply brought the gap back to three points, but that was met by O'Neill and, after an exchange of frees between Hayes and O'Donovan, they swapped another pair in reverse order to leave Rice College leading 2-6 to 1-5 at the break.

Rian Mulcahy then stretched the advantage on the restart, but Doon showed the better shape on their return to the field, drawing a foul for Hayes to convert and, then after skipper Tadhg Hourigan whipped to the net off a goalmouth scramble, Hayes sent another free over to draw the sides level.

The Ennis reply was instant, O'Donovan collecting off his own puckout to point and repeating so after the Doon puckout. However, Hourigan was on hand at the other end to gather a long delivery and, despite Nash's outstanding save, followed up to finish the rebound to the far corner of the net for a crucial goal.

Soon after Liam Clune equalised for Rice College and O'Donovan's pointed free restored the Clare side's lead. Doon were still in goal mode, however, as Evan Coleman soloed in from half-way to blast spectacularly past Nash's despairing hurley.

O'Donovan replied with a pointed free only for the Clare school to be reduced to fourteen players following an off-the-ball incident. Their cause looked lost when sub Mícheál Ryan doubled Doon's lead to two points.

However, Rice College stuck in long enough to draw a pair of fouls for O'Donovan to punish with two points and earn a share of the spoils.

SCORERS: SCOIL NA TRIONÓIDE: Cathal Hayes 1-4 (1-0 penalty, 0-4 frees), Tadhg Hourigan 2-0, Evan Coleman 1-0, Aidan Moloney 0-2, Tom Ryan 0-1; RICE COLLEGE: Pádraig O'Donovan 0-11 (0-7 frees, 0-1 '65'), Jack O'Neill 1-1, Frankie Lyons 1-0, Rian Mulcahy, Liam Clune 0-1 each.

SCOIL NA TRIONÓIDE, DOON: Callum Wallace (Doon); Tommy Costello (Cappawhite), Seán Óg Blackmore (Doon), Seán McDonnell (Doon); Oisín Holmes (Murroe-Boher), Aidan O'Connell) (Doon), John Stokes (Doon); Evan Coleman (Cappamore), Donnacha Hogan (Cappamore); Tadhg Hourigan (Pallasgreen), Cathal Hayes (Doon), Aidan Moloney (Doon); Tom Ryan B (Doon), Emmet Roche (Doon), Conor Gantley (Cappawhite). SUB: Mícheál Ryan B (Doon) for Conor Gantley (45 minutes).

RICE COLLEGE, ENNIS: Conor Nash (Doora-Barefield); Luke Pyne (Éire Óg), John Cahill (Clooney-Quin); Eoin Fitzpatrick (Banner), Eoin McMahon (Doora-Barefield), Roan McDermott (Éire Óg); Niall Doyle (Éire Óg), David Cahill (Clooney-Quin); Pádraig O'Donovan (Doora-Barefield), Jack O'Neill (Clooney-Quin), Rian Mulcahy (Éire Óg); Darren Moloney (Éire Óg), Frankie Lyons (Corofin-Ruan), Conor Perrill (Éire Óg). 

REFEREE: Johnny Murphy (Glenroe).