ST COLMAN'S, of Fermoy, Co Cork, the reigning Harty Cup champions, were in rampant mood when they dismissed Nenagh CBS to take their sixth Munster Colleges' Senior Hurling title in yesterday's final at Clonmel.
This rematch of last year's decider was another disappointment as the Tipperary boys never had a chance against the defending champions. St Colman's took control from the start and were never in danger.
They led 0-9 to 0-5 at halftime and their right half-back and captain Luke Mannix, delivered the killer blow with a goal in the ninth minute of the second-half. His 55-yard free was saved by goalkeeper Brian Hogan but he failed to control the ball and it ended in the net.
Neil Ronan, at full-forward, was in brilliant form for the winners and scored 10 points before being substituted with 11 minutes to go. He was inspirational in a forward line also powered by Ian Gardiner, Eoin Fitzgerald and Shane Kearney.
The St Colman's defence led by Mannix, Niall Fizgerald and David Relihan, along with mid-fielders Shane Murphy and Paul Cotter, were in superb form and held Nenagh scoreless from play until the 58th minute.
Some 12 minutes into the second-half, the game was marred by a flare-up which ended with John Treacy (Neangh) and Ian Gardiner (Fermoy) being ordered off. Ritchie Flannery, John Treacy, Cormac Gavin, Timmy Kelly and their top scorer, Brian Duff, tried hardest to bring the challengers into the game but the Nenagh side were always chasing a lost cause.
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