Aghabgullogue big winners over disappointing Millstreet outfit
THE opening moments of this Bon Secours Intermediate Football Championship quarter-final clash between Millstreet and Aghabollogue at Páirc Íosagáin in Baile Mhúirne on Friday gave the impression that this would be an evenly matched contest in which the Duhallow and Muskerry sides would go hammer and tongs at it for the hour.
A searing run by Millstreet midfielder Shane Hickey saw him finish the ball over the Aghabollogue bar and it seemed like the Duhallow side were off to a storming start. That sense of confidence didn’t last long as once Aghabollogue got into their stride, they didn’t stop until the final whistle.
Even, after the first half water break, when Millstreet appeared to come back into it with a barrage of five points without reply, Aghabollogue kept their heads and plugged away to ensure they kept showing their rivals a clean pair of heels.
The killer blows came from Aghabollogue just after that initial score from Millstreet. First two points and then a goal from corner forward Luke Casey and the Aghabollogue lads were four points to the good. That was close as it got for Millstreet for the rest of an hour they will want to forget.
Two more points from Casey before the water break and the story kept getting worse for Millstreet. The occasional foray they did make up the field was stymied by a rock solid Aghabollogue defence and those defenders were liable to turn the tables very quickly on their attackers.
This was borne out by the team’s corner back, Paudie Twomey, who found himself at the opposite end of the field and he kicked over what will be remembered as a corner back special to get his name on the scoresheet.
There’s a certain amount of controversy about the introduction of the forward mark,how it’s ruining the game. The water breaks are also having an impact on games. Teams go in deflated and come out rejuvenated.
Teams who were in front and were going at 90mph before the break go in for refreshments half way through the period and come out and find it difficult to get their momentum back. On this occasion, it served the game well in that for that brief spell, it appeared Millstreet might make a contest of it. It only lasted until the break and the score then was 1-10 to 0-7.
The game recommenced and while Shane Hickey appeared to have the goal at his mercy in the opening minutes, his rocket went skywards rather than the back of the net. In fairness to him, it looked easier than it was as he was slightly off balance when the opportunity presented itself, thanks to good work from centre-forward Donagh Kiely to find him at the corner of the small square. Darragh Cashman might have goaled minutes later, but he was robbed by a defender.
In the meantime Aghabollogue found their scoring range again and began to notch up the scores and go further in front while an increasingly desperate Millstreet looked for a breakthrough which wasn’t coming.
In that second half, Millstreet only managed two points while Aghabollogue, before a last minute penalty, scored seven points. Substitute Padraig O’Sullivan scored that spot kick to secure Aghabollogue’s passage to a semi-final clash with fancied Mitchelstown.
It’s worth noting that both Millstreet and Aghabollogue both streamed the match, with commentary and analysis, on their clubs’ respective social media platforms and fair play to them for it. There’s something really pleasant and resonant of the family sense of the GAA to hear commentators talk about the players by referring to them by their Christian names only!
On the other hand the amount of scam streams proclaiming they had coverage of this game was dizzying.
I doubt if any of the dozens of ‘alleged’ scammers who had gone to the trouble of attaching a GAA Beo screengrab from TG4’s excellent coverage, could find either Millstreet or Coachford on a map...
AGHABULLOGUE: J Buckley; P Dilworth, C Smith, P Twomey (0-1); B Casey, P Ring, A Murphy; S O’Connell (0-1), S O’Sullivan; S Tarrant, D Thompson, N Barry Murphy; L Casey (1-6, 2f), E O’Sullivan (0-6, 1f), M Bradley (0-3, 1f) Subs: P O’Sullivan (1-0) for P Thompson (20, inj), M Dennehy for P Twomey (25, inj), J Corkery for P Dilworth (40), J Murphy for S Tarrant (50), A Barry Murphy for N Barry Murphy (50).
MILLSTREET: M O’Donovan; B O’Connor, A Murphy, M Murphy; D Buckley, P Sheehan, D Cashman (0-1); M Ellis, S Hickey (0-5, 2f); J Linehan (0-1), D Kiely (0-1), C O’Leary; P Moynihan, N Flahive (0-1), B Flynn Subs: P Dineen for C O’Leary (20), T Walsh for P Moynihan (25), D Murphy for N Flahive ( 45), R Murphy for M Murphy (50)
REFEREE: D Murnane (Macroom)