Harty Cup Semi-Final Preview, Saturday January 17th, 12:30
Two venues, two very different problems to solve, and four teams with four clear identities.
Templederry: the most explosive attack in the competition v the tightest defence in the competition.
Ennis: the slickest second-half team in the competition v the most reliable scoreboard machine left in it.
Below is a full, data-led preview of both semi-finals, with form lines, key matchups, and a predicted winner and scoreline for each.
Semi-Final 1, Templederry
Nenagh CBS v Thurles CBS
The headline stats
Nenagh CBS
- Best attack left, 121 total scored, 30.25 per game, 15 goals scored
- Defence, 74 conceded, 18.50 per game, 5 goals conceded
- Main scorer, Eoghan Doughan 4-39
- Main “from play” threat, Doughan 3-12 from play, Paul Cahalan 3-09 from play
Thurles CBS
- Attack, 116 total scored, 29.00 per game, 8 goals scored
- Best defence in the competition, 61 conceded, 15.25 per game, just 3 goals conceded
- Big “from play” profile, James Butler 3-07 from play, Tiarnán Ryan 0-15 from play
- Quarter-final proof point, they won a game where the opposition were better for long spells but couldn’t finish it.
This is the core story, Nenagh score in bursts, Thurles choke bursts.
Paths to the semi-final, how they got here
Nenagh CBS, the power run
Round 1: drew with St Flannan’s, 2-18 to 1-21
Round 2: beat Árdscoil Rís, 4-18 to 1-19
Round 3: demolished Cashel CS, 7-18 to 0-08
Quarter-final: beat Midleton CBS, 3-19 to 2-14
Nenagh’s group was the hardest to top because it was about scoring difference, and Nenagh treated that like an instruction. They did not just win, they went hunting goals.
The quarter-final was the most impressive “control” performance in the knockout phase. They dictated the middle third, they pinned Midleton, and they did not loosen their grip.
Key scoring outputs and trends
- Eoghan Doughan is the competition’s dominant figure, 4-39 overall, and crucially he is not just frees, he’s 3-12 from play.
- Paul Cahalan is the goal punch, 3-09 overall, and 3-09 from play in the numbers, that is serious knockout production.
- Patrick Ryan brings the third scoring wave, 3-06 overall, and 3-01 from play, he is not a passenger, he’s direct damage.
- Quarter-final supporting damage came through goals from Austin Duff, Billy O’Brien, plus points from Eanna Tucker, Joe O’Dwyer, Paddy McCormack, Liam McKeogh, John Grace.
Thurles CBS, the champion’s route
Round 1: beat John the Baptist CS, 0-24 to 0-15
Round 2: beat Blackwater CS, 2-29 to 0-07
Round 3: beat Doon, 4-16 to 3-13
Quarter-final: beat De La Salle, 2-13 to 0-16
Thurles have shown two things across four games.
1, they can blow you away when they get a platform, Blackwater learned that the hard way.
2, they can win a winter trench fight when the game is messy, De La Salle learned that the hard way.
In the quarter-final, the defining numbers were not what Thurles scored, it was what they refused to concede. De La Salle had looks, they had chances, they had wides, and Thurles kept standing.
Key scoring outputs and trends
- James Butler has the sharpest “moment” profile of anyone left, two quarter-final goals, and in the “from play” numbers he sits at 3-07 from play, that is huge.
- Tiarnán Ryan is quietly one of the most important hurlers in the competition, 0-17 overall, 0-15 from play, he keeps the scoreboard moving without relying on frees.
- Cillian Minogue is the finishing layer, 0-22 overall, and even when held, he still draws attention and creates space.
- Quarter-final support scores came from Euan Murray, Dáire Barry, Tony Ryan, Chris Dunne, with Thurles getting key middle-third dominance late.
The tactical picture, where this semi-final is won and lost
1) Nenagh’s goal wave v Thurles’ goal prevention
Nenagh have 15 goals in four games, Thurles have conceded 3 goals in four games.
That’s the match inside the match.
Nenagh’s goal method is repeatable, win it high, break the line, and finish before the defence sets.
Thurles’ method is also repeatable, sweep early, delay the shot, force the extra pass, and turn goal chances into points or nothing.
If Nenagh land two goals from play, Thurles are in real trouble because it changes how Thurles can manage their puckouts and their risk.
If Thurles hold Nenagh to 1 or 2 goals, Thurles become favourites because their scoring rate is basically the same as Nenagh’s.
2) Middle third control, the sweep v the press
Nenagh dictated terms v Midleton, spearheaded by a massive centre-back display from Shane Cleary, and a half-forward line that pinned Midleton deep and turned turnovers into scores.
Thurles, in the De La Salle game, adjusted their build-up, one extra pass in their own half before releasing, and that shifted where the ball landed. They are excellent at correcting in-game.
This semi-final becomes about who owns the next ball, not who has the prettiest hurling.
3) From play production, which team can still score when frees dry up
This is a January semi-final, which means heavy ground and potential droughts.
From play leaders in this tie
- Doughan 3-12 from play
- Cahalan 3-09 from play
- Butler 3-07 from play
- Tiarnán Ryan 0-15 from play
If the whistle goes quiet, Nenagh still have two men who can win a match with play scores alone. Thurles have the same, plus the best defence, which is why this is a proper collision.
Players to watch, named, specific, and why
Nenagh CBS
- Eoghan Doughan, the engine, the scorer, the tone setter, 4-39 overall.
- Paul Cahalan, the goal threat, if he gets one sight, it changes everything.
- Shane Cleary, aerial dominance and ball-winning, and the launch pad for attacks.
- Austin Duff, direct running threat, can win a one v one and finish.
- Billy O’Brien, deep running and big moments, he has already shown goal damage.
Expected key supporting cast from the quarter-final line-out
Paddy McCormack, Darragh Fogarty, Darragh O’Dwyer, John Grace, Eimhin Tucker, Evan Jones, Patrick Hackett, Joe O’Dwyer.
Thurles CBS
- James Butler, pure knockout forward, 2 QF goals, 3-07 from play.
- Tiarnán Ryan, relentless output, 0-15 from play, he is the heartbeat.
- Euan Murray, midfield power and carry, and a scorer too.
- Ryne Bargary, spare defender role, world of ball, and the organiser.
- Cillian Minogue, if he gets any air, he can punish you, even if he’s not the main man on the day.
Expected spine from the quarter-final line-out
Rory Crosse, Benny Fogarty, Darragh Hickey, Dáire Barry, Seán Griffin, Tony Ryan, Leelan Donoghue, plus impact options like Eoghan Hickey.
Prediction
This one comes down to one thing, do Nenagh get goals from play, or are they forced into points.
Thurles are conceding 15.25 points per game and just 3 goals in four matches, that is the most reliable single statistic in the whole competition. Nenagh are scoring 30.25 per game and have 15 goals, that is the most terrifying statistic in the whole competition.
Predicted winner: Thurles CBS
Predicted scoreline: Thurles CBS 1-18 Nenagh CBS 1-16
Why: Thurles can match Nenagh’s scoring rate closely, but they are far more likely to control the goal count. If Thurles hold Nenagh to 1 or 2 goals, their defensive floor gives them a path to win even if they do not dominate play for long stretches.
Semi-Final 2, Cusack Park,Ennis
St Flannan’s Ennis v St Joseph’s Tulla
The headline stats
St Flannan’s
- Attack, 110 scored, 27.50 per game, 9 goals scored
- Defence, 78 conceded, 19.50 per game, 3 goals conceded
- Key scorers, Harry Doherty 3-27, Darragh McNamara 2-08 overall
- Elite from play, Doherty 3-09 from play, McNamara 2-08 from play, plus Eoin O’Connor 1-07 from play
Tulla
- Attack, 88 scored, 22.00 per game, 3 goals scored
- Defence, 70 conceded, 17.50 per game, 5 goals conceded
- The competition’s most reliable scorer, Matthew Corbett 0-44 overall
- Strong from play output too, Corbett 0-10 from play, James O’Donnell 1-09 from play, plus support from Michael Vaughan, Jerry O’Connor.
This is the classic Clare clash, Flannan’s have more goal volume and more from-play spread, Tulla have the best “bankable” scoreboard man left and a defence that keeps games in reach.
Paths to the semi-final, how they got here
St Flannan’s, the slow burn into form
Round 1: drew with Nenagh CBS, 2-18 to 1-21
Round 2: hammered Cashel CS, 3-26 to 1-11
Round 3: beat Árdscoil Rís, 1-19 to 0-18
Quarter-final: beat Templemore, 2-20 to 1-19
Flannan’s are battle-tested. They have been in tight ones, they have been in runaway ones, and in the quarter-final they showed the big trait, second-half solutions.
Down six at half-time to Templemore, they found goals, Darragh McNamara, then Thomas O’Connor off the bench, and they won the last quarter.
Key scoring outputs and trends
- Harry Doherty 3-27, and he is elite from play, 3-09 from play.
- Graham Ball gives you play scores without panic, he hit 0-5 from play in the quarter-final.
- McNamara is a finisher and a chaos creator, 1-04 in the quarter-final and 2-08 from play overall.
- O’Connor is the impact sub, his goal changed that Quarter Final.
Tulla, the real January team
Round 1: drew with the Mon, 1-16 to 0-19
Round 2: beat Templemore, 1-21 to 3-12
Round 3: beat CBC Cork, 2-21 to 1-13
Quarter-final: beat Blackwater, 0-18 to 0-14
Tulla have already played three different types of game, draw, shootout, and winter warfare. That quarter-final win over Blackwater was the kind of match that knocks teams out, and Tulla stood up.
Key scoring outputs and trends
- Matthew Corbett is the most consistent scorer in the competition, 0-44 overall, and he delivered again in the quarter-final, 0-10 with 0-9 from placed balls, then closed it late.
- James O’Donnell is a serious second scorer, 1-10 overall, and his “from play” number, 1-09 from play, tells you he is not just living off scraps.
- Jerry O’Connor (0-03 in the quarter-final) is a key link man, wins fouls, keeps it moving.
- Michael Vaughan gives them goal threat and leadership
The tactical picture, where this semi-final is won and lost
1) Can Tulla keep it in the 0-1 goal range
Tulla have scored 3 goals in four games, Flannan’s have scored 9 goals.
If Flannan’s get a goal, Tulla are immediately asked to chase with points, and that is hard against a team that can tack on goals in bursts.
Tulla’s best route is to make it a points match and to keep the goalmouth clean. Their defence is second best in the competition on conceded per game, 17.50, so that route exists.
2) Corbett v the whistle and the nerves
Corbett is a match plan on his own. If the game is physical, if there are frees, if it is scrappy, he can keep Tulla alive minute by minute.
Flannan’s have multiple scoring outlets, but in any semi-final there will be a 10-minute spell where you need someone to land two frees and settle the blood. Tulla have that nailed.
3) Flannan’s from-play spread, the hardest thing to defend
Tulla can set up well, and they do not leak soft points, but Flannan’s have three separate from-play scorers who can win their own ball and score under pressure, Doherty, McNamara, Ball, plus Eoin O’Connor and Thomas O’Connor as additional threats.
That forces Tulla to defend honestly, and if you defend honestly, you sometimes foul, and if you sometimes foul, you meet Doherty’s conversion and Flannan’s momentum.
Players to watch, named and specific
St Flannan’s
- Harry Doherty, 3-27 overall, 3-09 from play, he can win it in open field and dead ball moments.
- Darragh McNamara, 1-04 in the QF, and a major goal threat.
- Graham Ball, play scorer, control man, keeps them functioning in chaos.
- Thomas O’Connor, the bench ace, already changed one knockout game.
- Key platform men, Leon Talty, Cian Daly, James Cullinan, Patrick Finneran, Ronan Ralph.
St Joseph’s Tulla
- Matthew Corbett, 0-44 overall, the most important free-taker left.
- James O’Donnell, 1-10 overall, 1-09 from play, genuine second scoring lane.
- Michael Vaughan, leadership and goal threat.
- Patrick Murphy, his big save v Blackwater was season-defining.
- Cian Maxted, the goal-line clearance man, those moments decide January.
- Supporting workers, Jerry O’Connor, Cathal Leamy, Aidan O’Driscoll, Ronan Hayes, Liam Moroney, Hugh Nolan.
Prediction
This is the closer game than most people think, because Tulla can keep you to a scoreline and they have the best “guaranteed” scorer left.
But Flannan’s have more ways to win, particularly through goals and from-play spread.
Predicted winner: St Flannan’s
Predicted scoreline: St Flannan’s 2-18 St Joseph’s Tulla 0-20
Why: Tulla will score, Corbett will keep them alive, but Flannan’s are more likely to land the decisive green flag, and they have multiple from-play scorers to win the periods where frees dry up.
Why those two winners make sense for the final
If the final ends up Thurles CBS v St Flannan’s, the logic is simple and data-backed.
- Thurles are the best defensive team by a distance, 15.25 conceded per game, and they have enough from-play scoring to survive any day when frees are scarce.
- Flannan’s have the highest volume of from-play threats left in the race, and they have proved in the quarter-final that they can solve a game at half-time and win the last quarter.
That combination is what finals are made of, one team that suffocates, one team that can explode.