Wily Wills brothers help guide Ballincollig past Aghabullogue
NOT TO BE: Aghabullogue and Matthew Bradley started brightly only for Ballincollig to wrestle control. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Three wins out of three for Ballincollig in the Cork PIHC but the message from the camp is that they still need to improve.
Their place in the semi-final was secured on Sunday afternoon as they comfortably defeated Aghabullogue at Ballyanly.
Impressive displays from the two Wills brothers Stephen and Adam secured Ballincollig the win they needed to finish top of Group 2, sending Aghabullogue into a relegation playoff against Kilworth in the process.
A bigger challenge now lies in wait for the village, and they believe if they are to reach the final, they will need to improve on their showing here.
“The objective at the start of the year was to get out of the group. We did that, we happy enough with the win and we’re in the semi-final so we’ll just see who comes out the other side and try to prepare for that,” said coach Danny Dwyer.
“We wouldn’t be overly happy with today. There’s more in there. Sometimes we’re training better than what we’re playing but the name of the game in the championship is to improve round by round with a view to it being game on by the semi-final time.
“That’s what we’re aiming towards.” With so much at stake, it came as no surprise that there was nothing between the sides in the opening stages. In fact, by the end of the first quarter, the two teams had struck four points and two wides apiece.
Ballincollig would soon take control of proceedings though and led by the excellent Stephen Wills, they threatened to race clear of their rivals.
The talented half-forward notched three stunning scores in succession – two from long-range and one from a free – to help the village into a 0-8 to 0-5 lead by the 28th minute.
Matthew Bradley had started brightly for Aghabullogue, but he soon began to mishit his frees from decent positions, although he would end his drought with a superb strike.
Unfortunately for his club though, that came either side of excellent points from James O’Dwyer and Cian O’Driscoll which ensured Ballincollig held a 0-10 to 0-6 advantage at the interval.
And from there they never looked back as shortly after the restart they grabbed a crucial goal when Brian Keating collected Steven Wills’ clever handpass and blasted the sliotar past the keeper.
Snatching a win may have seemed unlikely but Aghabullogue knew they needed to keep going and keeping getting scores which could see them avoid a relegation playoff.
Bradley continued to add to his tally, as did Tarrant, but so too did Stephen Wills to ensure Ballincollig ultimately emerged with an eight-point victory to book their place in the last four.
S Wills (0-9, 7f), B Keating (1-2), A Wills (0-3), P Morris (0-3, 2f), J O’Dwyer (0-2), D O’Sullivan, C O’Driscoll, C O’Leary (0-1 each).
M Bradley (0-9, 7fs), S Tarrant (0-3, 2fs), J Corkery and TJ Buckley (0-1 each).
J Lenihan; R O’Donovan, B Dore, C Moore; D O’Sullivan, F Denny, T O’Connell; B Keating, B Coleman; S Wills, J O’Dwyer, S O’Neill; A Wills, P Morris, C O’Driscoll.
C O’Leary for O’Neill (38 inj), P Kelly for B Coleman (52).
F Foley; T Long, C Timmons, M Dennehy; D Thompson, P O’Sullivan, C Gillespie; S Furey, P Ring; TJ Buckley, J Foley, S Tarrant; J Corkery, M Bradley, J Lane.
B Sullivan for Thompson (20), B Dineen for Lane (41), B Casey for Furey (44), L Casey for Bradley (55), J Buckley for P O’Sullivan (60).
Brian Coniry (Crosshaven).
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