The Harps finish strong to win thrilling minor hurling semi-final

The Harps 0-19 Rosenallis 0-17
Midlands Park Hotel Laois MHC Semi-final

Reigning champions The Harps are back into another Laois MHC final thanks to a hard-earned win over Rosenallis in Mountrath this morning.

In a very evenly-contested affair, the sides were level on an incredible 13 occasions but The Harps hit four of the last five points to finally settle the tie in their favour.

An impressive second-half performance from big midfielder Cathal Murphy was key for The Harps and he hit three of those late points to help get them over the line.

He was ably assisted by Cody Comerford who hit 12 points in total while Jim O’Connor was also to the fore with two good scores from play.

Arguably the best player on view, however, was Rosenallis centre-forward David Dooley but despite scoring 14 points he ended up on a losing side.

There was never much between the sides who were level 0-5 each at the first water break, 0-10 apiece at half time and 0-14 each at the second water break before The Harps finally did enough to get the job done.

Comerford – younger brother of Laois senior players Ciaran and Daniel – got the first two scores of the game, but Dooley was soon off the mark and he pointed either side of two Comerford efforts before Colin Bennett came up from wing-back to fire over a brilliant effort from Rosenallis.

Dooley then levelled things up before a fantastic Jim O’Connor effort from a tight angle nudged The Harps back into the lead. A long-range free from Dooley however had the sides level at the first water break.

The sides traded scores throughout the second quarter with Comerford getting all five of The Harps scores, four of them from frees, and Dooley getting four of Rosenallis’s – the other coming from Eoin McEvoy. They were again level at the midway stage.

The second half continued in the same pattern though Cathal Murphy’s influence grew as the game went on and he got two frees after half time.

The lively Eoin McEvoy got a second for Rosenallis but neither side could get further than one up and they were still level at 0-14 each at the second water break.

Dooley pointed either side of another Jim O’Connor effort two fine scores in quick succession from Murphy put The Harps one up as the game ticked towards 60 minutes.

But it looked as if extra time would be needed when David Dooley pointed from play to level things up.

Yet The Harps would have the final say and another from Murphy and a free from Comerford finally settled it in The Harps’ favour.

They will now play Abbeyleix in the final next week.

SCORERS – The Harps: Cody Comerford 0-12 (nine frees), Cathal Murphy 0-5 (three frees), Jim O’Connor 0-2; Rosenallis: David Dooley 0-14 (nine frees, one ’65), Eoin McEvoy 0-2, Colin Bennett 0-1

THE HARPS: Oisin Conroy; Rory Dunne, Stephen Murphy, Adam Walsh; Dan Kirby, Daniel Dooley, Ciaran Flynn; Cathal Murphy, Darragh Kelly; Luke Dunphy, Cody Comerford, Charlie Murphy; Dylan Foyle, Jim O’Connor, Ciaran Kirby. Subs: Alex Redmond for D Kirby (50), Daniel Bowe for L Dunphy (50)

ROSENALLIS: Mason Creagh; Paul Egan, Aodh Bowes, Eoin Sharp; Ciaran Cuddy, Tom Fennelly, Colin Bennett; Alex Marron, Charlie Friel; Cian Ryle, David Dooley, Cathal Keady; Eoin McEvoy, Fionn Kempster, Diarmuid Dooley.  Subs: John Kellett for Keady (25), Peter Foynes for Kellett (45), Jimmy Hyland for Ryle (45)

REFEREE: Patrick Phelan (Castletown)

SEE ALSO – Dunamaise delighted to open their doors and lift the curtains again

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source https://www.laoistoday.ie/2020/09/27/the-harps-finish-strong-to-win-thrilling-minor-hurling-semi-final/