Harty Cup final replay/St Colman's 2-13 St Flannan's 0-8 Taking inspiration from their Limerick senior players, Andrew O'Shaughnessy and Patrick Kirby, who scored 1-9 between them, St Colman's realised their ambition of a hat-trick of Dr Harty Cup titles with a convincing 2-13 to 0-8 win over St Flannan's in a rather low-key replay at Feenagh last evening.
O'Shaughnessy, who failed to raise a flag in the drawn match, had to wait until the 28th minute before getting off the mark last evening and it was his goal following a 30-yard solo run which deflated the Ennis boys.
O'Shaughnessy had been instrumental 11 minutes earlier in St Colman's opening goal, turning a defender before parting with the ball unselfishly to Colm Coakley, who beat goalkeeper Aidan Ryan from close range.
It had been close enough up to that stage, with Kirby having scored three of St Colman's four points and Eoin Shinners replying with two.
There were still just two points between them until O'Shaughnessy raised the green flag and seconds later Kirby, from an acute angle, made it 2-5 to 0-5.
With the wind behind them the holders were expected to pull away after the break but St Flannan's, with half back Martin Óg Murphy outstanding, kept within range and with 15 minutes to go the same margin of two goals divided the teams, at 2-8 to 0-8.
At that stage St Flannan's began to wilt and Paul Kearney delighted St Colman's followers with a marvellous point from near the touchline, O'Shaughnessy added three more and Fergus Browne rounded off the scoring.
ST COLMANS: D Fitzgerald; C Griffin, B Lane, J Dorgan; K O'Mahony, A Kearney, J O'Donnell; S Stack, E Condon (0-1); M Cleary, P Kearney (0-1), P Kirby (0-5); A O'Shaughnessy (1-4), C Coakley (1-1), F Brown (0-1).
ST FLANNAN'S: A Ryan; A Byrne, D O'Doherty, J McInerney; M Murphy, M Moloney, S O'Brien; R Keane, B Guinnane; J Clancy (0-1), A Griffey (0-2), D O'Halloran; E Shinners (0-4), B Gaffney, N Dunne (0-1). Subs: J O'Connor for Guinnane, A Page for Gaffney.
Referee: W Barrett (Tipperary).
Last year's All-Ireland finalists, Dublin, got the defence of their Leinster title off to a winning start when they had seven points to spare over Louth in Ardee. The game was a lot closer than the scoreline suggests, as Dublin had to thank a late goal from substitute Michael Lyons and two further points for the final winning margin.
There were also victories for Meath over Carlow. Longford over Wexford and Westmeath over Offaly.
