Early Wallstrike does the trick for Aghada

TONY WALL’S early goal proved the deciding score at the end of this exciting fourth round IHC encounter at Mallow yesterday.

Having dominated for large periods, and with a tally of 11 wides by the final whistle, Aghada should have won by a more comfortable margin. But they couldn’t kill off a dogged Meelin side that battled until the final whistle.

Meelin may feel they could have come away with something from the game and will rue some of their decision making, repeatedly shooting for goal when simple points were on offer and finding Aghada keeper Martin Day in outstanding form.

Aghada enjoyed a dream start, getting off the mark with a goal inside two minutes. There was some suspicion of a square ball for Wall’s goal, which came when he doubled on Cian Fleming’s drive into the goalmouth, but the officials were confident it was legitimate and Meelin were left fighting an uphill battle.

With Aghada looking the sharper in the opening exchanges Meelin relied on set piece strikes from Eamon Brosnan and Shane O’Riordan to keep in touch.

Conversely just one of Aghada’s seven first-half scores came from a dead ball effort.

Meelin enjoyed the better of the third quarter but continued to overcomplicate their attacking play. Leading 1-12 to 0-10 with 10 minutes remaining, Aghada looked to go through the motions.

But a late flurry from Meelin inspired by Brosnan reduced the gap to just two points before an excellent Ger Melvin point restored the goal advantage which they had rarely looked likely to let slip.

Scorers for Aghada: T O’Keeffe 0-7 (4f), T Wall 1-1, G Melvin and P O’Niell 0-2 each, C Fleming and W Leahy 0-1 each.

Scorers for Meelin: E Brosnan 0-5 (2f), J Forrest 0-4, S O’Riordan 0-2 (2-65), W Murphy, DJ O’Sullivan and C Murphy 0-1 each.

AGHADA: M Day, B Hennessy, JP O’ Connor, K O’ Connor, G Melvin, T O’Neill, M Russell, C Fleming, C Rice, W Leahy, E Healy, E Savage, P O’Neill, T O’Keeffe, T Wall.

Subs: S Wall for E Savage (40), A Cotter for Wall (48), J Connelly for Leahy (58).

MEELIN: S O’Sullivan, D O’Riordan, D Lenihan, K Collins, J O’Doherty, B O’Sullivan, J Forrest, L Collins, W Murphy, E Brosnan, S O’Riordan, DJ O’Sullivan, J O’Callaghan, J Forrest, C Murphy.

Subs: B Collins for O’Callaghan (45).

Referee: David Copps (Ballyhea).