Charleville CBS have achieved their primary aim upon returning to Harty Cup hurling for the first time since 2017.

A four-point victory over a resolute Hamilton High School saw the North Cork students advance to a preliminary quarter-final and reverse their loss to the same opponents in last season’s Munster ‘B’ semi-final.

A draw would have seen them into the last 12 alongside group winners Nenagh CBS but they always looked like stamping their ticket with a win at Banteer.

Chris Dunne was back to fitness to lead the way with nine points while a well-coordinated defensive effort kept them in pole position, anchored by Seán Bresnan, Bill Collins, and Niall Tobin.

Hamilton bow out but have no time to rest. Eight of their starting team are also on their Corn Uí Mhuirí first 15, with a round 1 refixture against Tralee CBS to come this Friday. 

Still, they held nothing in reserve here, chasing down a game-changing goal until the final puck.

Kevin Dart-O’Flynn and Oisín Gillain put in all-action performances charging forward from defence, while Seán Mac an tSaoi matched his football tally in victory over CSN Bishopstown last week by striking another seven points with the small ball.

They fought valiantly to trim the deficit from eight back to three but couldn’t get any closer.

Turlough O’Neill was the first to lay down a marker for Charleville. 

He won a free from the throw-in, converted by Dunne, laid on the next point for Bresnan, and added one of his own after Eoin O’Mahony robbed the opposition puck-out.

A Dunne free made it 0-4 to 0-1 before Hammies snatched a short-lived lead.

Cillian O’Mahony turned over the sliotar to start the move and Seánie Crowe’s point attempt was deflected onto the post. 

Hugh O’Mahony was alert to the bouncing ball and while his initial pull was parried by Kieran Murphy, his rebound found its way across the line.

Gillain made it 1-2 to 0-4 before Dunne and Micheál Maguire traded points from play.

Charleville’s response was measured as they grew to dominate from there to half-time, scoring nine of the final 11 points.

They had six in a row between the 14th and 24th minutes, in which time O’Neill also saw two goal efforts saved by Matthew Kelleher. 

Hammies had shipped four green flags to Nenagh last time out but Kelleher fought hard to keep his clean sheet throughout.

His opposite number Murphy landed two frees from his own 45 on the short Banteer 4G pitch, Dunne slotted two more, while Gareth Gleeson and Joseph Hickey opened their accounts.

Hammies’ response came via a Seán Mac an tSaoi free and Harry O’Sullivan point but they were cancelled out by back-to-back Gleeson points after good work from corner-backs Tobin and Fionn O’Sullivan. 

A Bresnan intercept and point pushed the advantage out to six, 0-14 to 1-5, by half-time.

Tobin got in on the scoring act on the resumption followed by a Dunne free but Cork football keeper Josh Woods was keeping Hammies alive. 

Playing at full-back, he hooked Patrick Daly to prevent a shot on goal, intercepted Gleeson’s pass across the square, and blocked down Hickey, all within the first five minutes.

Those heroics set the platform for Hammies to creep their way back into contention.

Gillain’s second long-range point was added to by Crowe and Oisín McCarthy, although a Dunne free steadied the gap at seven.

But Hammies’ work-rate was underlined by them forcing back-to-back frees for overcarrying as Mac an tSaoi picked off four points on the spin.

It was 0-18 to 1-12 now and all to play for in the last nine minutes plus stoppages.

Charleville almost came to regret their 14 wides but a Bill Collins block down protected their cushion and two Dunne frees gave them more oxygen.

Hammies went goal hunting in the five minutes of stoppage time but Murphy saved from Charlie Twomey and Maguire, while Mac an tSaoi whizzed his final bullet just too high.

Scorers for Charleville CBS: C Dunne (0-9, 6 frees, 1 65); G Gleeson (0-3); K Murphy (0-2 frees); N Tobin, F O’Sullivan, S Bresnan, T O’Neill, E Horgan, J Hickey (0-1 each).

Scorers for Hamilton HS: S Mac an tSaoi (0-7, 5 frees); H O’Mahony (1-0); O Gillain (0-2); S Crowe, O McCarthy, H O’Sullivan, M Maguire (0-1 each).

CHARLEVILLE CBS: K Murphy (Newtownshandrum); F O’Sullivan (Ballyhea), T McCarthy (Newtownshandrum), N Tobin (Bruree); S Byrne (Ballyhea), B Collins (Newtownshandrum), S Bresnan (Charleville); R Troy (Newtownshandrum), T O’Neill (Newtownshandrum); C Dunne (Dromina), E O’Mahony (Newtownshandrum), E Horgan (Granagh-Ballingarry); G Gleeson (Charleville), P Daly (Ballyhea), J Hickey (Ballyhea).

Sub: B Kiely (Charleville) for Horgan (51).

HAMILTON HS: M Kelleher (Valley Rovers); J Woods (Valley Rovers), C O’Mahony (Bandon), F Cali (Bandon); O Gillain (Kilbrittain), J Cullinane (Bandon), S Ahern (Bandon); K Dart-O’Flynn (Valley Rovers), S Crowe (Valley Rovers); S Mac an tSaoi (Valley Rovers), H O’Sullivan (Valley Rovers), O McCarthy (Valley Rovers); H O’Mahony (Bandon), S Murphy (Bandon), M Maguire (Courcey Rovers).

Subs: E O’Sullivan (Valley Rovers) for Cali (47), N Daly (Valley Rovers) for Murphy (47), D Walsh (Ibane Gaels) for Crowe (56), C Twomey (Ibane Gaels) for H O’Mahony (56), J Ahern (Kilbrittain) for Gillain (59).

Referee: J Hartnett (Boherbue).