Bradley delivers the goods as Aghabullogue take Cork IAHC honours

MAMMOTH TALLY: Aghabullogue's Matthew Bradley shoots over a point against Midleton during the Co-Op Superstores IAHC final at Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Pic: Eddie O'Hare

Aghabullogue 3-17 Midleton 2-19 

An injury time free from Matthew Bradley fired Aghabullogue to the Co-Op Superstores Cork IAHC title after an exciting contest with Midleton in Páirc Uí Chaoimh this afternoon. 

It was fitting that Bradley was the man who stepped up when the need was greatest as he was simply outstanding from beginning to end, hitting 0-12 and being involved in virtually everything good that the Aghabullogue did.

It brought an end to a tough week for Midleton, but they deserve great credit for the way they performed here. Two points from Bradley in the 53rd and 55th minute seemed to have won the game for the Muskerry side as they pushed them 3-16 to 2-15 ahead.

Aaron Mulcahy, who was the yin to Bradley’s yang, kept plugging away though and two points from him and Darragh McCarthy’s second of the day brough the margin back to the minimum. 

It was the fourth time since the interval that Midleton had got this close, and when Mulcahy finally got them, level with his 14th of the day it seemed that they day might just belong to them.

Bradley thought otherwise though, as he and his side will now chase a double in two weeks’ time against Mitchelstown.

Things were tense and tight from the beginning and the sides were tied twice inside the opening 6 minutes, Shane Tarrant and Bradley with the points for Aghabullogue, Mulcahy with a couple of frees for Midleton.

Aidan Ryan was key to the Magpies senior success 10 years ago, and he showed all that class and experience early on here. He was enjoying the better of the ariel battle with Pauric O’Sullivan, and he twice laid the ball off smartly to Gavin Reddy. Reddy pointed the first time and was fouled the second the time which allowed Mulcahy to put Midleton 0-4 to 0-2 ahead.

Bradley wasn’t going to allow Midleton to get any further ahead than that though as he responded with successive scores before Mulcahy traded frees with Tarrant to leave the sides deadlocked. It felt like the game needed a spark, and it what it needed when we were treated to two goals in a minute.

Midleton struck first as Kian Farmer pounced on the break off a long ball in from Tiarnán Roche, rifling the ball into the corner off the ground to finally put some daylight between the sides. 

From the resultant puckout the sliotar ended up in the hand of Tarrant who passed to John Corkery who in turn blasted to the net to level the game for the fifth time. 

They were to be level twice more as Mulcahy and Bradley tapped over two more frees and Ryan and Niall Barry Murphy scored from play to leave it 1-7 each after 28 minutes.

Three minutes of added time were then announced, and Aghabullogue began to play their best hurling, scoring four of the next five points to take a 1-11 to 1-8 interval lead. 

Bradley, who seemed to be everywhere, struck over three more frees, Colm Gillespie opened his account while Midleton’s response came from Darragh McCarthy.

Two more Mulcahy frees had Midleton back to within one within three minutes of the re-start, but then the Muskerry side took control of the game with 2-1 in four minutes. The first goal came from a brilliant one-two between Corkery and Paul Ring. 

Corkery’s shot was saved well by Zach Smith, but Tarrant was on hand to fire home the rebound. 

Mulcahy then traded points with Ring before Corkery showed a clean pair of heels to Alan Power on the way to his second goal of the day.

That put them seven clear but Midleton weren’t for turning. Two Mulcahy points brough them back into it before Alex Quirke did brilliantly to bat an angled delivery from Ryan to the net to blow the game open. 

Farmer brought to them to within a point, but Bradley responded. Then Mulcahy’s first score from play made it a one-point game again, but Bradley responded again.

It was a case of close, but not close enough for Midleton from there, as Bradley proved himself to be the man.

Scorers for Aghabullogue: M Bradley (0-12, 0-8 frees), John Corkery (2-0), S Tarrant (1-2), C Gillespie, P Ring and N Barry Murphy (0-1 each).

Scorers for Midleton: A Mulcahy (0-14, 0-11 frees, 0-1 ’65), K Farmer (1-1), A Quirke (1-0), D McCarthy (0-2), G Reddy and A Ryan (0-1 each).

AGHABULLOGUE: F Foley; T Long, C Timmons, Jerome Corkery; TJ Buckley, P O’Sullivan, M Dennehy; N Barry Murphy, S Furey; John Corkery, P Ring, J Foley; M Bradley, S Tarrant (c), C Gillespie.

Subs: B Dineen for Gillespie (h/t), B Casey for O’Sullivan (43), D Quinlan for Long (49).

MIDLETON: Z Smith; C Gunning, C Murphy, D Scanlon; L Hennessy, J Nagle (c), G Reddy; A Daly, A Quirke; A Mulcahy, A Ryan, D McCarthy; T Roche, K Farmer, C Crowley.

Subs: A Power for Gunning (inj, 24), P Dowling for Crowley (43), D Cagney for Roche (52), P O’Shea for Reddy (59).

Referee: Patrick O’Mahony (Kilbrittain).