91吃瓜网

St Brendans Killarney defeated St Flannans by 2-17 to 1-11 in the Corn Ui Mhuiri Football Semi-Final on Saturday February 4th on Saturday February 4th in Mick Neville Park Rathkeale.

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Injuries are the biggest threat to St Brendan鈥檚 title defence

Report from the Irish Examiner newspaper

91吃瓜网 Post Primary SAFC semi-final – St Brendan鈥檚, Killarney 2-17 St Flannan鈥檚, Ennis 1-11: Closing in on full-time, the focus of the St Brendan鈥檚 management had switched from the scoreboard to the growing number of casualties building on the sideline.

With a second successive Corn U铆 Mhuir铆 final appearance locked down, thoughts turned to the February 25 decider and who may be in danger of missing out.

The Killarney outfit already had a crowded sick bay arriving into Rathkeale on Saturday. Returning home after a relatively comfortable nine-point semi-final win, the list had lengthened.

Michael Potts, wing-back on last year鈥檚 all-conquering Kerry minor team, was one of three regular starters missing from action on Saturday after sustaining a concussion during a challenge last week.

He was joined on the line by another member of last year鈥檚 Kerry minor squad, Cian Callaghan (knee). Jack Griffin had his tonsils removed last Monday and so was also unavailable.

Centre-back Cian Gammell carried a slight groin strain into the game and would have been rested were it not for the fact that the other two members of the half-back line, Potts and Griffin, were already ruled out.

Gammell put in a fine shift, but did have to be removed late on. Mich茅al Devlin, meanwhile, picked up a knock in the first period which also forced him off.

鈥淟ast year, we were blessed in that we went through the entire campaign without an injury,鈥� remarked winning manager Gary McGrath.

鈥淲e were down three today and lost two more during the game. We are certainly getting our belly-full of it this year. Cian (Gammell) is probably our biggest worry at the moment and we will just have to wait and see. A lot of these lads are going two and a half years without a break between the Kerry minors, their club and the school. There are a lot of fellas with niggles and fellas are sick. We came in without three Kerry minors and it says something about the strength of our panel that we were able to come through without them.鈥�

This pair clashed at this juncture last year, with the Killarney outfit romping to a 15-point win.

This latest meeting, however, wasn鈥檛 as straightforward and although Dara Moynihan started and finished a 12th-minute goal to send St Brendan鈥檚 1-4 to 0-2 clear, it was immediately cancelled out by the Ennis outfit.

Eoghan Thynne saw his initial effort well saved by keeper Robert Osborne, but from the ensuing kick-out, St Flannan鈥檚 worked possession back into the opposition danger area and while Osborne repelled Sean Kennedy鈥檚 drive, he could do nothing about Darragh Duggan鈥檚 well-placed shot.

Ian Molloy split the posts in the subsequent action to make it a one-point ball game, 1-4 to 1-3. The response from the 2016 Hogan Cup champions, though, was clinical, as five points were reeled off without reply.

Two of those came from David Shaw who had missed their quarter-final as he attended an AFL Academy camp in Florida. He finished with six here, all from play. The gap was five at the break, 1-9 to 1-4, and was never closer than that in the second period.

Shaw added to his tally while centre-forward Donnachadh O鈥橲ullivan landed three from play and one from the dead ball. Sub Barry Keane bagged their second goal two minutes from time after Mark Hartnett鈥檚 shot had come down off the post.

Scorers for St Brendan鈥檚: D O鈥橲ullivan (0-7, 0-3 frees); D Shaw (0-6); B Keane (1-1); D Moynihan (1-0); M O鈥橲hea, B Courtney (0-1 free), C Flynn (0-1 each).

Scorers for St Flannan鈥檚: D Duggan (1-5, 0-5 frees); C Donnelly, E Thynne (0-2 each); I Molloy, G Cooney (0-1 each).

ST BRENDAN鈥橲: R Osborne (Legion); L McMonagle (Dr Crokes), C O鈥橠onoghue (Glenflesk), S O鈥橪eary (Kilcummin); N Donoghue (Firies), C Gammell (Legion), E Cosgrave (Firies); B Courtney (Dr Crokes), D Shaw (Dr Crokes); D Moynihan (Spa), D O鈥橲ullivan (Firies), M Devlin (Legion); N McCarthy (Spa), M O鈥橲hea (Dr Crokes), C Flynn (Firies)
Subs: M Hartnett (Dr Crokes) for McCarthy (24 mins); B Keane (Listry) for Devlin (30, inj); O O鈥橠onoghue (Glenflesk) for Gammell (52, inj); B Slattery (Legion) for O鈥橠onoghue (54, bc).

ST FLANNAN鈥橲: T O鈥橞rien (St Joseph鈥檚 Doora Barefield); M Collins (脡ire 脫g Ennis), P Casey (Clondegad), D O鈥橲hea (St Joseph鈥檚 Doora Barefield); I Ugwueru (脡ire 脫g Ennis), R Hayes (Crusheen), C McNeilis (Clondegad); T Hannan (St Joseph鈥檚 Doora Barefield), I Molloy (Banner); C Donnelly (Clarecastle), G Cahill (Corofin), S Kennedy (Kilmaley); G Cooney (脡ire 脫g Ennis), D Duggan (St Joseph鈥檚 Doora Barefield), E Thynne (St Joseph鈥檚 Doora Barefield).
Subs: C Brannock (St Joseph鈥檚 Doora Barefield) for Kennedy (46 mins); Kennedy for McNeilis (52); R Collins (Banner) for Thynne (56).

Referee: M Maher (Cork).

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Kerry minor Shaw stars as Brendan’s book place in Corn U铆 Mhuir铆 decider

St Brendan鈥檚 Killarney 2-17 St Flannan鈥檚 College Ennis 1-11

Report from the42.ie

HOLDERS ST BRENDAN鈥橲 Killarney continued their quest for back-to-back Corn U铆 Mhuir铆 titles as they booked their place in this year鈥檚 decider. Goals from Dara Moynihan and substitute Barry Keane saw them ease to a nine-point win over St Flannan鈥檚 in Rathkeale.

With the wind at their backs in the first half, Brendan鈥檚 opened up a five-point lead, Flannan鈥檚 full-forward Darragh Duggan cancelling out Moynihan鈥檚 early goal to leave it 1-9 to 1-5 at the break.

Kerry minor David Shaw, who missed Brendan鈥檚 last game while at AFL academy trials in Florida, was in majestic form and kicked six points from midfield. Four unanswered points in that third quarter effectively settled the game as a contest, and although Flannan鈥檚 did cut the gap to six again late on, Keane鈥檚 goal put the result beyond any doubt.

St Brendan鈥檚 Killarney

1. Robert Osborne (Killarney Legion)
2. Lorcan McMonagle (Dr Crokes)
3. Chris O鈥橠onoghue (Glenflesk)
4. Sean O鈥橪eary (Kilcummin)
5. Niall Donoghue (Firies)
6. Cian Gammell (Killarney Legion)
7. Evan Cosgrave (Firies)
8. Billy Courtney (Dr Crokes)
9. David Shaw (Dr Crokes)
10. Dara Moynihan (Spa)
11. Donnchadh O鈥橲ullivan (Firies)
12. Miche谩l Devlin (Killarney Legion)
13. Niall McCarthy (Spa)
14. Mark O鈥橲hea (Dr Crokes)
15. Ciaran Flynn (Firies)

St Flannan鈥檚 College Ennis

1. Tom O鈥橞rien (St Joseph鈥檚 Doora Barefield)
2. Mark Collins (脡ire 脫g Ennis)
3. Peter Casey (Clondegad)
4. Darragh O鈥橲hea (St Joseph鈥檚 Doora Barefield)
5. Ikem Ugwueru (脡ire 脫g Ennis)
6. Ross Hayes (Crusheen)
7. Colin McNeilis (Clondegad)
8. Tom Hannan (St Joseph鈥檚 Doora Barefield)
9. Ian Molloy (Banner)
10. Sean Kennedy (Kilmaley)
11. Gearoid Cahill (Corofin)
12. Cian Donnelly (Clarecastle)
13. Gavin Cooney (脡ire 脫g Ennis)
14. Darragh Duggan (St Joseph鈥檚 Doora Barefield)
15. Eoghan Thynne (St Joseph鈥檚 Doora Barefield)

Referee: Mark Maher (Cork)

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When 鈥� Saturday February 4th at 12 noon
Where 鈥� Mick Neville Park Rathkeale
Referee 鈥� Mark Maher (Cork)
Next Round 鈥� The winners will play the winners of Col Chriost R铆 and Tralee CBS in the Final on Saturday February 25th.

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Admission Prices
Adults – 鈧�5
Students / OAP鈥檚 – 鈧�3

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Results to Date

St Brendans
Quarter-Final – St Brendans 2-18 PS Chorcha Dhuibhne 0-9
Group C Round 1 鈥� St Brendans Killarney 2-23 I.S. Killorglin 1-7
Group C Round 2 – St Brendans Killarney 1-15 De La Salle College Macroom 1-8
Group C Round 3 – St Brendans Killarney 2-24 脕rdscoil U铆 Urmaltaigh Bandon 0-8

St Flannans
Quarter-Final – St Flannan鈥檚 4-9 Mercy Mounthawk 2-12
Group D Round 1 – St Flannans 1-8 St. Fachtnas Skibbereen 0-10
Group D Round 2 – P.S Rathmore 3-11 St Flannans 1-14
Group D Round 3 – St Flannans 0-9 P.S Chorcha Dhuibhne 0-5

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Match Preview
St. Brendans have been very impressive in the Corn Ui Mhuiri to date as they look to defend their title. Wins over I.S. Killorglin, De La Salle College Macroom and 脕rdscoil U铆 Urmaltaigh Bandon by a combined 48 points in the group stages was very impressive. PS Chorcha Dhuibhne were their Quarter-Final opponents and while the game was close in the opening half, St. Brendans had too much for the Dingle side, winning by 15 points in the finish. Six of last year鈥檚 starting line-up are available for selection this season and they have looked a formidable outfit in this year鈥檚 competition to date.

St. Flannans (three time winners 鈥� last time in 1995) reached last year鈥檚 Semi-final before bowing out to St. Brendans so will hope for a reversal of fortune on this occasion. This season, St. Flannans took part in Group D, the most competitive of the four groups saw St. Flannans record a first round one point win over St. Fachtnas Skibbereen before losing narrowly to P.S Rathmore by 3-11 to 1-14 in round two. St. Flannans needed to win their last game versus P.S Chorcha Dhuibhne which they duly achieved, winning a low scoring game by 0-9 to 0-5 to qualify for the Quarter-Finals as group winners. In the Quarter-Finals, three goals in the opening ten minutes saw the Clare school race in to a nine point lead and another goal before half-time had them in control at the interval. Mercy Mounthawk dominated the second half, outscoring their Clare opponents by 1-4 to 0-2 but it wasn鈥檛 enough to deny St. Flannans a place in the semi-finals by a margin of 3 points.

Mark Maher is in charge of this game with a 12 noon throw-in on Saturday at Mick Neville Park Rathkeale.