High School Clonmel manager points to ‘rising tide lifting all boats’
By Denis Hurley for the Irish Examiner newspaper
CBS HS Clonmel (Tipperary) 1-10 St Francis College, Rochestown (Cork) 0-7: Football in Clonmel is enjoying something of a golden age, and the prospect of a dream-like spring remains a reality after Saturday’s Corn Uí Mhuirí semi-final in Fermoy.
Next weekend, Clonmel Commercials will seek to qualify for the All-Ireland Club SFC final when they take on Ballyboden St Enda’s. Here, CBS HS Clonmel booked their place in the final of premier Munster PPS football competition as they benefited from building a sizeable first-half lead.
Manager Tony Gleeson highlighted the ‘rising tide lifting all boats’ effect, in both Clonmel and Tipperary.
“We came out of the B section in 2011,” he said, “there is great work being done in Clonmel by the schools and the clubs. I’d have to acknowledge my own club, Clonmel Commercials, they’re charting new territory next weekend and I think that that has helped the lads, along with the improved structures in Tipperary football.”
A cross-field breeze aided Clonmel more than St Francis College, Rochestown in the first half and a goal from corner-forward Michael O’Reilly in the 19th minute helped a 1-8 to 0-4 half-time lead be established. Ahead of a final against the storied St Brendan’s College of Killarney, Gleeson will have something to work on.
“The second-half performance was a concern for me, we have to look at that,” he said.
“We have to address those issues and hopefully over the next two weeks we will do so. We won the toss and we elected to go with the breeze, hoping that we’d get enough points on the board. I think we just about did that.”
Clonmel’s Mark Kehoe shone at midfield with Michael Barlow getting a couple of early points as ‘Roco’ laboured. However, thanks to the efforts of the Cork school’s Kevin O’Donovan, the score was just 0-4 to 0-2 after 18 minutes. Then came the Clonmel goal, with O’Reilly producing a deft side-footed volley from Eoin Hoctor’s handpass. By half-time, they were seven clear, with defenders Stephen Ryan and Gavin Whelan (two) adding booming points.
O’Donovan did open the second-half scoring for Rochestown but it didn’t usher in a fightback as Calvin Boland answered for Clonmel. Rochestown had brief hope with points from James Holland and Shane Kingston but they needed a goal. The briefest flicker of one came in the 54th minute as Liam Grainger’s shot was blocked and Seán Hilliard’s follow-up was saved by Aidan Tobin.
For Rochestown boss Liam Ó Murchú, it was a case of lamenting the slow start as well as the fact that a talented group of players – many of whom played in last year’s Dr Harty Cup and Corn Uí Mhuirí final losses – will leave the school without Munster senior medals. “We had a slow start again, it seems to be a bit of a problem, it was similar when we played them in the group game,” he said.
“We had great hopes for this team in that they won the Frewen two years ago, but they’ve given their hearts and souls to Rochestown since they came in. They’re the crew that have put the school on the map, four or five years ago we were playing C football in Munster.”
Scorers for CBS HS Clonmel: M O’Reilly 1-1 (0-1f), Michael Barlow 0-3 (0-1f), G Whelan 0-2, S O’Meara (0-1 free), S Ryan, M Hogan, C Boland 0-1 each.
Scorers for St Francis College, Rochestown: K O’Donovan 0-4 (0-1f), J Holland 0-2 (0-1f), S Kingston 0-1.
CBS HS CLONMEL: A Tobin (Clonmel Commercials); Matt Barlow (Clonmel Commercials), S Ryan (The Nire, Waterford), J Mulcahy (The Nire); G Whelan (Ardfinnan), L Cooney (The Nire), D Ryan (Moyle Rovers); M Kehoe (Kilsheelan-Kilcash), E Hoctor (Clonmel Commercials); M Hogan (Ardinnan), C Boland (Clonmel Commercials), K Peters (Clonmel Commercials); Michael Barlow (Ardfinnan), S O’Meara (The Nire), M O’Reilly (Clonmel Commercials).
Subs: S Martin (Kilsheelan-Kilcash) for Hoctor (51, black card), R Kennedy (Moyle Rovers) for Cooney (55), M Gibbs (Kilsheelan-Kilcash) for O’Meara (59), S Egan (Kilsheelan-Kilcash) for O’Reilly (60, black card).
ST FRANCIS COLLEGE, ROCHESTOWN: C Denn (St Michael’s); D Murphy (Douglas), N Walsh (Douglas), E Riordan (Carrigaline); D Stack (Carrigaline), R Ó Colmáin (St Michael’s), N Quirke (Carrigaline); E Ryle (Carrigaline), E O’Brien (Douglas); C Russell (Douglas), S Kingston (Douglas), S Collins (Douglas); J Holland (Douglas), C Cormack (St Michael’s), K O’Donovan (Nemo Rangers).
Subs: J Lyons (Nemo Rangers) for Murphy (13, black card), L Grainger (St Michael’s) for O’Brien (half-time), M McAuliffe (Douglas) for Riordan (half-time), S Hilliard (Cobh) for Holland (53, injured).
Referee: M Meade (Limerick).
Great day for Tipperary football as High School Clonmel reach Corn Uí Mhuirí final
High School Clonmel 1-10 Rochestown College (Cork) 0-7
Denis Hurley reports from Fermoy for the42.ie
THE GOOD TIMES continue for Tipperary football, with CBS HS Clonmel booking their place in the final of the Corn Uí Mhuirí final after a good win over St Francis College, Rochestown at Fermoy today.
Clonmel are the only Tipp winners of the competition, winning the inaugural running of it in 1928, but they will get the chance to add to that victory against Killarney’s St Brendan’s College in a fortnight and they are fully deserving of the opportunity.
In many ways, this was similar to Clonmel’s win over ‘Roco’ in the group stages, with a lead built up by half-time after playing with the wind and good defending ensuring that they stayed ahead. A goal from corner-forward Michael O’Reilly – a lovely side-footed volley – in the 19th minute put CBS firmly in control as it opened up a 1-4 to 0-2 lead.
Midfielder Mark Kehoe had been the stand-out performer as they asserted themselves, with Michael Barlow and Shane O’Meara among the points. In addition, half-back Gavin Whelan kicked two boomers before half-time, giving them a 1-8 to 0-4 interval advantage. Daniel O’Brien and Mark Kehoe 2015 Tipperary minor Mark Kehoe was a key figure for High School Clonmel this afternoon.
Rochestown’s brightest performer, Kevin O’Donovan, kicked his third and their fourth point early in the second half but it didn’t kick-start a revival. Clonmel centre-forward Calvin Boland showed good strength to reply and Rochestown found them difficult to break down.
Points from James Holland and Shane Kingston around the three-quarter mark brought them back to within six but a goal was required if they were to bridge the gap and it always remained elusive.
Scorers for High School Clonmel: Michael O’Reilly 1-1 (0-1 free), Michael Barlow 0-3 (0-1 free), Gavin Whelan 0-2, Shane O’Meara (0-1 free), Stephen Ryan, Michael Hogan, Calvin Boland 0-1 each.
Scorers for Rochestown College: Kevin O’Donovan 0-4 (0-1 free), James Holland 0-2 (0-1 free), Shane Kingston 0-1.
CBS HS CLONMEL
1. Aidan Tobin (Clonmel Commercials)
25. Matt Barlow (Clonmel Commercials)
3. Stephen Ryan (The Nire, Waterford)
7. Jake Mulcahy (The Nire)
6. Gavin Whelan (Ardfinnan)
5. Liam Cooney (The Nire)
15. Dara Ryan (Moyle Rovers)
8. Mark Kehoe (Kilsheelan-Kilcash)
9. Eoin Hoctor (Clonmel Commercials)
10. Michael Hogan (Ardfinnan)
11. Calvin Boland (Clonmel Commercials)
12. Kyle Peters (Clonmel Commercials)
13. Michael Barlow (Ardfinnan)
14. Shane O’Meara (The Nire)
17. Michael O’Reilly (Clonmel Commercials)
Subs
18. Seán Martin (Kilsheelan-Kilcash) for Hoctor (51, black card)
24. Ray Kennedy (Moyle Rovers) for Cooney (55)
23. Martin Gibbs (Kilsheelan-Kilcash) for O’Meara (59)
22. Shane Egan (Kilsheelan-Kilcash) for O’Reilly (60, black card)
Rochestown College
1. Cian Denn (St Michael’s)
3. Donnchadh Murphy (Douglas)
4. Nathan Walsh (Douglas)
2. Eoghan Riordan (Carrigaline)
14. David Stack (Carrigaline)
21. Rossa Ó Colmáin (St Michael’s)
17. Niall Quirke (Carrigaline)
8. Evan Ryle (Carrigaline)
10. Eoghan O’Brien (Douglas)
12. Conor Russell (Douglas)
11. Shane Kingston (Douglas)
15. Sam Collins (Douglas)
13. James Holland (Douglas)
9. Ciarán Cormack (St Michael’s)
5. Kevin O’Donovan (Nemo Rangers)
Subs
20. Jack Lyons (Nemo Rangers) for Murphy (13, black card)
18. Liam Grainger (St Michael’s) for O’Brien (half-time)
7. Matthew McAuliffe (Douglas) for Riordan (half-time)
19. Seán Hilliard (Cobh) for Holland (53, injured)
Referee: Mike Meade (Limerick)
