This Saturday afternoon promises to be a big one for students
attending Saint Augustine’s College in Abbeyside and Dungarvan CBS as they
combine under the name of Dungarvan Colleges, and play Thurles CBS in the semi
finals of this years Dr Harty Cup at Fermoy.
Dungarvan Colleges or Colaiste na Déise as they were
known since five colleges in from County Waterford combined in 2002 till 2012
when just two of the five sides in the grouping remained, have defended the
trophy they won for the first time last February for the first time when they
beat Nenagh CBS at Cashel as well as anybody could have asked.
However, they will know only too well, that this
latest test is set to be their toughest in this year’s competition to date.
Thurles CBS are a team of unquestionable ability. They
have played four games in the competition to date, winning all four games.
They began with a 1-16 to 1-9 victory over fellow
Tipperary College side Nenagh CBS. Next up was a 0-13 to 2-3 win over Midleton
CBS and rounded off their league section of the competition with a
comprehensive 3-26 to 0-11 victory over Hamilton High School from Bandon.
In the Quarter finals they had another comfortable 2-23
to 2-12 win this time over Castletroy Community School.
The quality they process within their panel cannot be
questioned. Six member of a forty-one man panel have won All-Ireland minor
hurling medals, Paul Maher, Ronan Maher, Stephen Cahill, Conor Lanigan, Sean
Ryan and Sean Nally will be hoping to add a Dr Harty Cup medal collection in
the coming weeks.
Of the six, Paul Maher, Ronan Maher, Stephen Cahill
and Sean Nally are expected to fill positions down the spine of the team,
namely Goalkeeper, centre back, centre field and centre forward respectfully
while Sean Ryan and Conor Lanigan are expected to fill positions where they will
be more than capable of causing problems for the Dungarvan Colleges defence.
Dungarvan Colleges in reaching this stage of the
competition have performed remarkably well.
They began with a 3-13 to 1-13 win over Doon CBS at
Cahir. The Limerick side are the current Munster ‘B’ Colleges Champions having
beaten Dungarvan CBS in the final last spring.
Next up for Dungarvan Colleges was a trip to Dr Morris
Park in Thurles for a meeting with Saint Flannan’s from Ennis.
The County Clare side have won this competition more times
than anybody else and every year are regarded as one of the favourites to lift
the trophy.
Twelve months ago, it was the West Waterford side that
came out on top when they two sides clashed at the quarter final stages of the
competition at Tipperary town, but in the most recent clash between the two it
was the Ennis side that came out on top on a 0-16 to 2-9 scoreline.
The Dungarvan side got back to winning ways when they
beat Saint Caimin’s from Shannon at Tipperary Town on a 3-12 to 0-11 scoreline
and secured their passage in the knockout stages of the competition when they
beat Gael Choláiste Mhuire from Cork City in Castlemartyer on a 5-18 to 2-8
scoreline.
Last time out in the quarter finals Dungarvan Colleges
had a 0-14 to 0-10 win over Blackwater Community School from Lismore.
Dungarvan Colleges have within their panel a number of
players who were involved in last year’s campaign.
Their half back line of Tadhg Bourke, Kevin Daly and
Tom Devine who is this year’s captain is vital to the team. Last time out
especially in the second half they were outstanding and if they can replicate
the form they showed in that game, then Dungarvan Colleges have to have a very
good chance of reaching a second final in twelve months.
In the middle of the field, the ability of Colin Dunford
and Cormac Curran will be known to most.
Michael Harney has been named at centre forward but it
would not be a surprise to see him switch possibly to the middle of the field.
Christy Breathnach last time out was a late change to the named team and he put
in a solid hours work against the Lismore college side and retains his place
from the start this time around.
Darragh Lyons and Patrick Curran of Dungarvan are
players of the highest quality and will cause all sorts of trouble in the
Thurles half of the field if fed with quality ball from further out the field,
while Seamus Keating at full forward with his height is more than capable of
causing trouble if the right ball is sent in to him.
Last time out Ryan Donnelly missed the game through
injury. The ability of the young Dungarvan forward that was instrumental to
helping the Old Boro Club win a first county minor final since 1984 last year
and in helping the club reach a first county senior final since 1951 is well
documented.
Against Blackwater Community School his absence was
felt but it was balanced out with Stephen Bennett been unable to line out for
the Lismore College side.
It’s reported that he will play no part in this game
either and if this proves to be correct then it will hamper the Dungarvan
Colleges chances.
However ever cloud has a silver lining and if Ryan
Donnelly is not fit to play any part in the game it gives someone else the chance
to show exactly what he can do.
When Colaiste na nDéise had their numbers cut before
the games with Saint Flannan’s and De La Salle in last years competition, the
rest of the players rely upped their performance. Those that came in to replace
suspended players in the following games also put in a solid performance and no
doubt if Donnelly cannot line out in the white and blue shirt, who ever does
come in to replace him will up their performance as the players did twelve
months ago.
Little is likely to separate the sides in the eyes of
the bookies, but they are likely to make the challengers the favourites.
It must be a like a well worn record coming from me,
but Waterford sides often revel on been the underdog and they will do so again
in this game if the bookies do not see them as the team that will advance.
As pointed out last time out, Dungarvan Colleges
centre half back line was outstanding when questions were asked of them and if
they can put in a similar hours work, then they are a long way towards securing
their passage to the next phase of the competition. However, they will need the
likes of Colin Dunford, Darragh Lyons and Patrick Curran who all impressed as
well last time out to be equally as good and better this time around and will
need others who are capable of putting in a better hours work than what they
did against Blackwater Community School to up their games.
Last year on-route to winning the competition, the
Dungarvan CBS and Saint Augustine’s combination received some fantastic
support.
While most would have preferred the Dungarvan Colleges
and Thurles CBS to be played in someplace like Clonmel, Fermoy to many is but a
short trip up the road for most in West Waterford, so hopefully the defending
champions will not lack in support on the day.
Published Teams:
Dungarvan
Colleges:
Laurence
Power
Kealan
Looby Brian
Looby Michael
Cronin
Colin Dunford Cormac Curran
Eamon Crotty Michael Harney Christy Breathnach
Rory O’Regan Kieran O’Dwyer Robert Larkin
Jack Lineen Ronan Maher Brian Troy
Stephen Cahill Eoin Moriarty
Sean Ryan Sean Nally Kevin Dunne
Conor Lanigan Paraic Russell Caley Maher
Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork)
(The second semi final between Our Lady’s from Templemore and Ard Scoil Rís from Limerick will take place in Nenagh on Sunday).
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