Ardscoil Rís denied sixth Harty Cup title after dramatic end to final with Nenagh CBS:

Ardscoil Rís denied sixth Harty Cup title after dramatic end to final with Nenagh CBS:

By John Keogh Limerick Leader Sport

Points from Marc O’Brien and Patrick Kearney looked to have sealed a sixth title for Ardscoil but Nenagh bagged a late, late goal courtesy of a scramble that eventually saw Andy Hoolan flick to the net for the winning score.

Ardscoil keeper Fionn O’Brien had made a sensational save to deny a Brian O’Meara shot but the Limerick school failed to clear with Hoolan seeing Nenagh to their first ever Harty win.

The game started at a fast pace with both sides firing over two points each in the opening four minutes. Darragh McCarthy and Mason Cawley twice gave Nenagh the lead but Ardscoil hit back through Fintan Fitzgerald and Daniel Scully.

Ardscoil then wrestled control of the game with Marc O’Brien and Eoin Begley efforts, the latter after Michael Collins was denied a goal by a smart save by Nenagh keeper Simon Grace.

Eoghan Doughan was a threat in the Nenagh full forward line all through the first half and his first of the day reduced Ardscoil’s advantage to one with a fine score.

A Danny Chaplin free and another from Fitzgerald then had Ardscoil leading 0-6 to 0-3 with 12 minutes of the game played. Doughan and Chaplin traded scores before McCarthy cut the gap for Nenagh to just two points once more. Liam Cronin’s side soon stretched that lead to four after two sensational Fitzgerald points from play.

Nenagh had the better of the final 10 minutes of the half. McCarthy and Duff both landed points, before Collins got Ardscoil’s 10th and 11th of the half.

However, Nenagh came thundering back into the contest when Aodhan O’Connor’s run opened up the Ardscoil defence and Duff fired a shot into the net to cut the lead to one. Doughan then levelled the score with an excellent point that left it at 0-11 to 1-8 at the break.

The game was just as tight after the break. Cawley and Chaplin traded scores early doors to see the game level for a sixth time.

Nenagh went two points to the good 10 minutes into the second half with McCarthy landing a superb long range free and then another from play that saw the score at 1-14 to 0-15 after 42 minutes.

However, Ardscoil were soon back level once more courtesy of Darragh Gleeson and Begley points. Fitzgerald then gave them the lead but two Ciaran Foley strikes put Nenagh a point to the good heading into the final stages.

Collins, O’Brien and Kearney then all raised with flags for the North Circular Road school only for the game to once more swing in Nenagh’s favour at the death with Hoolan the hero.

SCORERS – ARDSCOIL RÍS: Fintan Fitzgerald and Marc O’Brien 0-5 (0-1 free), Danny Chaplin (0-2 frees) and Michael Collins 0-3 each, Eoin Begley 0-2, Daniel Scully, Darragh Gleeson and Patrick Kearney 0-1 each.

SCORERS – NENAGH CBS: Darragh McCarthy 0-7 (0-4 frees), Austin Duff 1-1, Andy Hoolan 1-0, Mason Cawley and Eoghan Doughan 0-3 each, Ciaran Foley 0-2.

ARDSCOIL RÍS: Fionn O’Brien (Bruree); John O’Keeffe (Na Piarsaigh), Sean McMahon (Smith O’Brien’s), Sean Morrissey (Dromin-Athlacca); James Finn (Na Piarsaigh), Jamie Moylan (Cratloe), Daniel Scully (Dromin-Athlacca; Riain McNamara (Cratloe), Matthew O’Halloran (Sixmilebridge); Diarmuid Stritch (Clonlara), Fintan Fitzgerald (Mungret St Paul’s), Michael Collins (Clonlara); Danny Chaplin (Sixmilebridge), Marc O’Brien (Cratloe), Eoin Begley (Clonlara).

SUBS: Darragh Gleeson (Adare) for O’Keeffe (h-t), Patrick Kearney (Adare) for Chaplin (38 mins), Jack Cosgrove (Ahane) for Stritch (58 mins), Sean Arthur (Newmarket on Fergus) for Collins (62 mins).

NENAGH CBS: Simon Grace (Ballina); Conor Grace (Burgess), Cian Connolly (Nenagh Eire Og), Gavin McGrath (Kiladangan); Jack Doran (Toomevara), Jack Hackett (Toomevara), Andy Hoolan (Moneygall); Ciaran Foley (Borrisokane), Darragh McCarthy (Toomevara); Jack Mulcahy (Kilruane McDonaghs), Mason Cawley (Nenagh Eire Og), Zac Keller (Nenagh Eire Og); Aodhan O’Connor (Nenagh Eire Og), Danny Quinn (Silvermines), Eoghan Doughan (Moneygall).

SUBS: Austin Duff (Toomevara) for Quinn (24 mins), Darragh Treacy (Silvermines) for Keller (48 mins), Joe O’Dwyer (Burgess) for Mulcahy (51 mins), Brian OMeara (Kilruane McDonaghs) for O’Connor (55 mins).

REFEREE: Cathal McAllister (Cork)