BOTH CORN UÍ Mhuirí (Munster PPS U19AFC) semi-finals will be Kerry-Cork affairs, but only after holders Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne squeezed through against St Flannan’s College today.
At Killeedy, the Dingle school trailed as the final minute of normal time dawned, but Ruairí Ó Beaglaioch was on hand to get a vital goal for a 1-5 to 1-3 win.
Darren O’Brien’s goal helped the Ennis school to lead by 1-2 to 0-3 at half-time, Emmet McMahon and Philip Talty on target too. Cathal Ó Beaglaioch and Dylan Ó Géibheannaigh had Corca Dhuibhne level in a low-scoring second half but Kevin Keane responded to put Flannan’s ahead once more. Unfortunately for them, it was not to be their day.
In the semi-final, they will face St Francis College, Rochestown, who were 3-8 to 1-10 winners over Ballincollig’s Coláiste Choilm in Ballygarvan.
Early goals from Adam Cantwell and Adam Hennessy, both set up by Alan O’Hare, had ‘Roco’ – the last Cork school to reach the final, in 2015 – comfortable early on, but Ballincollig responded well and Seán McCarthy’s goal was the centre-piece of their revival, 2-3 to 1-5 the half-time score.
Rochestown had the breeze in the second half and they pushed ahead again through Hennessy and Conor Russell, with Cantwell’s second goal opening up a six-point advantage. Evan Dodd and Evan Cooke scored as Coláiste Choilm once more came back to within a point, but three late Russell points ensured Rochestown advanced.
The other all-Cork clash with won by Clonakilty Community College, who saw off Bandon’s Hamilton High School by 1-7 to 0-5 in Newcestown.
Clon led by 0-4 to 0-3 at half-time after playing with the wind and though Billy Murphy and Fionn Herlihy had Bandon ahead on the resumption, they didn’t score again.
JP Eady and Brian White – brother of Cork stars Seán and Mark – were on hand as Clon pushed ahead and Ciarán O’Neill’s late goal made sure of victory.
Killarney’s St Brendan’s College will oppose Clonakilty in the last four following a 2-17 to 3-9 win against Tralee CBS at Lewis Road in Killarney.
Conor Hayes had an early goal for Tralee and when Seán Quilter fired home another one it was 2-3 to 0-4, but ‘the Sem’ fought back well before half-time, with Ryan O’Grady netting and Paul O’Shea among the point-scorers as they led by 1-9 to 2-5 at half-time.
They pushed further clear early in the second half and Emmet O’Shea’s goal on the three-quarter mark made it 2-15 to 2-8.
Tralee sub Darragh Reen did get a goal in the closing stages but Killarney weren’t to be denied.
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