Three of the four quarter-finals of the Corn Uí Mhuiri (Munster Collegessenior football championship) were played yesterday afternoon and the three fancied sides - Tralee CBS, St Brendan's College, Killarney and holders De Le Salle, Macroom - all got through with relative ease.
St Brendan's were pushed all the way by Dingle CBS in the Kerry derby in Tralee before winning 2-16 to 2-10. A first-half goal from Kerry minor Jamie Doolan and some fine points from the same player and Cian Tobin had the Killarney side in pole position but Dingle, thanks to Muiris MacGearailt and Eoin Murphy, stayed in touch to trail at half-time by 1-8 to 0-8.
An early goal from Kerry minor panellist Micheál Ó Sé levelled but an opportunist Tobin goal in the 42nd minute saw St Brendan's move five clear. Two stunning saves from goalkeeper Brian Kelly helped keep Dingle at bay but Brendan Garvey blasted the ball to the Killarney net in the 50th minute and the margin was a mere point.
Stung into action in the final 10 minutes, St Brendan's finished the stronger with Breen, O'Connor and James O'Donoghue very much to the fore and Dingle were gunned down by superior firepower as Doolan and O'Donoghue, with two late points each, seeing St Brendan's through.
Tralee CBS, the favourites to win the Corn Uí Mhuiri, travelled to Feenagh as they sought revenge over St Flannan's, Ennis, who shocked them in last year's semi-final.
In an over-physical first half Ross O'Callaghan scored a goal for Tralee while PJ O'Donnell replied for the Clare side who trailed 1-6 to 1-4 at the interval. However, the second half was all one-way traffic as Tralee had too much firepower for St Flannan's and goals from O'Callaghan and Paul Culloty were supplemented by some fine points by Barry John Walsh and Alan O'Donoghue as Tralee CBS advanced 3-12 to 1-6.
Holders De La Salle, Macroom, were far too strong for Glanmire winning 0-16 to 1-3 in a one-sided encounter in Ovens with James O'Leary, Con Dunne and Rory Buckley shining for the winners.
SEMI-FINAL DRAW (on Feb 25th):Tralee CBS v Coláiste Chriost Rí/Bishopstown; St Brendan's v De La Salle, Macroom.
