Cork IAHC: Luke Casey’s extra-time goal seals classic semi-final win for Aghabullogue
Aghabullogue will face Bandon in the Cork Intermediate A Hurling Championship final. Pic: Jim Coughlan.
A minute’s silence held for Kerry Corcoran before this Co-Op Superstores Cork IAHC semi-final at Ballyanly on Saturday put sport in perspective. The wife of Aghabullogue footballer Dhani Merrick passed away on Wednesday.
“We’re all obsessed with sport and with hurling, but then you hear of Dhani’s wife and what they are going through,” Aghabullogue manager Micheál McGrath said.
“They have a young child, it is absolutely horrendous. You go back to thinking of your own children and how we would survive at home without a mother.
“There is a group of lads who are all close, but there are three or four lads who are here today and are very close to Dhani and they are feeling it an awful lot.
“I got a text from Dhani a couple of weeks ago saying we keep his spirits up on the field.
“Our thoughts and wishes are with Dhani and his family.”
The game itself was an extra-time classic, and it was only in the 20 minutes of additional time Aghabullogue claimed their place in the final against Bandon.
James O’Hanlon rescued a draw for Aghada in the sixth minute of second-half injury time, 2-16 to 4-10.
And it was O’Hanlon who restarted the scoreboard, but a run of seven unanswered points reignited the Aghabullogue challenge.
Aghabullogue’s fifth goal from Luke Casey in the 77th minute sealed the victory.
Casey, who bagged 1-3, was late arriving to the match.
“Luke was in Dublin this morning at Ireland amateur soccer trials and Seán (McGrath, Micheál’s brother) went up and collected him in Abbottstown at 12.30pm. I just hope they didn’t meet any speed vans or have points accrued,” he added.
The strong wind had an impact, it made shooting particularly difficult especially for Aghabullogue who dropped down to this grade after losing last season’s relegation playoff to Kilworth — although Aghada almost caught up with their big wide count.
Yet, it is hard to be critical of two unbelievable squads. The intensity of which necessitated numerous substitutions with players retiring due to cramp, and this hit Aghada the hardest.
It must be remembered both clubs are out again next weekend in football, and for Aghabullogue the double remains alive.
Goals were key currency for the winners - five in all, in a contest where referee Niall Fahy was strict on over-carrying.
James Lane kickstarted their green flag run in the eighth minute in reply to two William Leahy points.
James Foley grabbed their second goal 10 minutes later and that would enable them lead 2-6 to 0-9 interval.
Leahy was impressive for Aghada.
The second half was only two minutes old when Aghabullogue struck for goal number three, this time from Ódhran O’Connell - an Aghabullogue side, it must be said, without the injured John Corkery.
Led by a James O’Hanlon goal - set up by the evergreen Pearse O’Neill - Aghada started to get their act together, 1-12 to 3-7.
It remained a one-point game until Lane registered his second goal, and Aghabullogue’s fourth, in the 50th minute.
It gave them breathing space and a gap of four.
But Aghada pulled themselves together again and Charlie Terry’s major had them right back in it with four minutes remaining.
Matthew Bradley, who worked so hard throughout, scored Aghabullogue’s final flag in the 57th minute to put them 4-10 to 2-14 up as Cillian Timmons and Paul Ring did sterling work in the Aghabullogue defence.
Sub John Looney left it a one-point match and in the sixth minute of added time O’Hanlon levelled.
Brendán O’Sullivan came on for Aghabullogue towards the end of regulation - unable to start due to injury - and his presence had a steadying effect.
They dominated the opening period of extra-time to forge 4-15 to 2-17 ahead.
Casey’s goal enabled them to take control again and lead by seven.
But credit to Aghada, who can take so many positives from this display, Fionn O’Connor cut the difference with their third goal at the death.
“It could have gone any way,” gracious manager Alan Devoy said. “Extra-time was a lottery with key players going down with injuries and cramps on both sides. That hurt us.
“To be fair to Aghabullogue, they pushed on. They took their chances. We feel we left a few behind us.
“Our goal at the start of the year was to get out of the group stage because we had never got out. We wanted to go a bit further. It’s 2017 since we got to a hurling final.
‘If you said to me at the start of the year we’d get to a county semi-final, I’d probably have taken it.
“The very best of luck to Aghabullogue. They’ve had a very tragic loss in their club, so fair credit to them for coming out and performing today.”
M Bradley (0-10, 0-5 frees), J Lane (2-1), L Casey (1-3), Odhran O’Connell (1-2), J Foley (1-1), S Tarrant (0-1).
W Leahy (0-9, 0-7 frees, 0-1 65), J O’Hanlon and F O’Connor (1-2 each), C Terry (1-1), M McCarthy (0-2, 0-1 65), T Hartnett, R O’Connell and R Murphy (0-1 each).
I Barry Murphy; T Long, C Timmons, TJ Buckley; C Gillespie, P Ring (Capt), P O’Sullivan; S Furey, C Furey; J Buckley, J Foley, S Tarrant; M Bradley, Odhran O’Connell, J Lane.
L Casey for J Buckley (39), B O’Sullivan for C Furey, M Dennehy for T Long (both 50), Oisín O’Connell for P O’Sullivan (57), J Buckley for J Lane (69).
J Walsh; K O’Shea, J McDonnell, F O’Connell; J Tynan, M Russell (Capt), T Hartnett; R O’Connell, W Leahy; N Devoy, C Terry, F O’Connor ; R Murphy, P O’Neill, J O’Hanlon.
A Stafford for F O’Connell (20), J Looney for N Devoy (half-time), M McCarthy for J Tynan (38), C Fleming for R Murphy (48), S O’Callaghan for A Stafford (70), O Slye for R O’Connell (70), J Norris for M Russell (71).
Niall Fahy (Brian Dillons).
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