Senior Football League Div 4 – Aghada 3-16 v Kildorrey 2-10; Rostellan 4/7/2018
Our footballers continued their push for promotion from this league with a good performance and victory over Kildorrey in Rostellan on Wednesday night. Aghada got off to a flyer when from the throw in, Josh O Shea set up Cian Fleming for the opening point. 5 Minutes later it was 3 points to nil for Aghada as Tim Hartnett and Kevin O’Hanlon added points. The visitors opened their account with a pointed free, but straight away Aghada answered this emphatically. A sweeping move involving O Shea, Hanlon and Tom O’Neill ended with Fleming firing home a good goal from close range. He followed this up with a pointed free and with a quarter gone, Aghada led 1-4 v 0-1. 2 pointed frees from Kildorrey did nothing to slow down the Aghada attacks. Another sweeping move on 20 minutes ended with Hanlon rattling the crossbar. 6 minutes later the corner forward made no mistake and he registered Aghada’s second goal after good build up play from Shane Bennett and Mattie O’Connor. In between these strikes, impressive wing back Mattie O’Connor had kicked 2 fine scores and Pearse O’Neill also had a point on the run from midfield. Another free from the North Cork outfit was the only reply and further points from O’Neill and Fleming completed the scoring to leave Aghada with a sizeable lead on a 2-9 v 0-4 score line at the half time whistle.
Credit Kildorrey, they came out fighting in the second period. And while they never really looked like overhauling the deficit, they would go on to ‘win’ the second half. This time from the throw in, Kildorrey scored, and it was their first green flag to lift their spirits. They followed it up immediately with a point from play. Next Bennett and Fleming hit 2 points in a minute, in a whirlwind start to the second half. With only 7 minutes on the clock, Kildorrey had their second goal. This one from a well struck penalty. Aghada were glad of a super point from wing back, Conor O’Driscoll and another from Fleming to steady the ship and when a strong run from defence from O’Hanlon resulted in Tom O’Neill point, the score with 15 to play was Aghada 2-14 v Kildorrey 2-6. From here to the end it was tit for tat. Kildorrey hitting one more than Aghada of the 7 scores kicked before the final whistle. Bennett had two points for Agahda, one set up by O’Shea and one by Aaron Berry. Berry then intercepted a Kildorrey clearance and put fellow substitute Ray Savage through on goals and he buried a fine 3rd goal for Aghada in injury time.
Next up is Na Piarsaigh in the league on Sunday, and a win in that will guarantee promotion.
Aghada Team and scorers - Andy O' Donoghue, Shane Wall, Michael Russell, Kalen O'Donoghue, Conor O'Driscoll (0-1), Jordan Tynan, Mathew O'Connor (0-2), Tom O'Neill (0-1), Pearce O'Neill (0-2), Daniel Creedon, Josh O Shea, Tim Hartnett(0-1), Shane Bennett (0-3), Cian Fleming (1-5,0-4 f's), Kevin O 'Hanlon (1-1). Subs Used David Rice, Ronan Kennedy, Aaron Berry, Aiden O'Connell, Ray Savage(1-0).
