Aghada capture county title after overcoming Éire Óg on free kicks
PURE ECSTACY: Aghada players celebrate winning the Senior A final clash against Éire Óg. Pic: Chani Anderson
Aghada overcame Éire Óg on free-kicks to capture their first ever Cork LGFA senior A county title amid awful weather conditions in MTU Cork on Sunday.
A first senior title in their inaugural county final appearance was just reward for an Aghada team that battled a terrific opponent and the elements before getting over the line.
Having come up short in each of their previous senior three semi-final appearances, Eric Smith’s side defeated Éire Óg thanks to Sarah Leahy, Hannah Looney, Bríanna Smith and Roisín Phelan keeping their nerve in the free-kick shootout.
“It seems surreal to be honest with you,” Aghada manager Eric Smith said.
“It is a couple of minutes after the final whistle, you couldn’t make it up really. On such a bad day for football, to come out the right side of it, we are so, so relieved.
“We actually practiced free-kicks during the week. Some of the girls stepped up under immense pressure and pinged them over. Incredible.”
A home Munster SFC semi-final beckons but, for now, Aghada will bask in the glow of another terrific achievement.
As for Éire Óg, a gut-wrenching fourth consecutive senior county final loss will be hard to take, especially considering how well the Ovens club performed this year.
Take nothing away from Aghada’s achievement however, as. Amid the teeming rain, the winning players serenaded their supporters with the adopted club song ‘Caledonia’.
Éire Óg had the benefit of a gale wind in the first half. So poor were the weather conditions however, that Emma Farmer (free) kicked Aghada’s solitary score of the opening 30 minutes. Sadhbh McGoldrick and Emma Cleary were their opponents’ only scorers as the short whistle sounded.
Thankfully, the second half proved a much more entertaining affair.
Emma Cleary and Emma Farmer swapped points before Farmer landed a free to level the score. Roisín Phelan and Lisa Murphy did likewise as scores remained hard to come by.
Incessant rain didn’t help but 6 minutes to go, former Cork senior and only a week home from Australia, Eimear Scally edged Éire Óg back in front.
Kaitlin Smith split the posts just before the end to make it 0-6 apiece and extra-time was needed after Emma Farmer missed an injury-time free.
Aghada had the wind in the first period and made it count, with Kaitlin Smith netting a fine goal and Roisín Phelan adding a free. Shauna Cronin replied before the final period saw Éire Óg stage a superb comeback as Eimear Scally levelled, 1-6 to 0-9, and took the final to free-kicks.
There, Aghad held their nerve, converting four out of four attempts while Emma Cleary was the Ovens club’s only scorer.
That sparked off wild celebrations amongst the Aghada faithful that will go on for some time.
K Smith 1-1, E Farmer 0-3 (1f), R Phelan 0-2 (2f).
E Cleary 0-3 (1f), Eimear Scally 0-2, L Murphy, S McGoldrick, S Cronin, Elaine Scally (1f) 0-1 each.
S Walsh; S Leahy, S McAllister, K O’Farrell; M McRae, Y Burgoyne, A Cooper; R Phelan (captain), H Looney; C Walsh, K Smith, A Smith; C Moran, E Farmer, B Smith.
A Coughlan for C Walsh (44), M Leahy for A Smith (44), B Wall for Y Burgoyne (60, inj), A Bennett for E Farmer (et).
R Halligan, A Rodgers (co-captain), J Gorman (co-captain), S Sheehan; C O’Brien, S McGoldrick, M Cahalane; S Cronin, E Cleary; L Murphy, L Cleary, M Kelleher; A Hayes, Ó Cremin, O Cahalane.
E Scally for M Kelleher (ht), G Young for C O’Brien (36), E Scally for A Hayes (52), E Sheehan for L Cleary (et), R Sheehan for A Rodgers (et).
Mairead Dullea (Bantry Blues).
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