Aghabullogue 0-20
Kilbrittain 0-14
NOEL HORGAN REPORTS
A KILBRITTAIN victory over Aghabullogue never looked on the cards in the Co-Op Superstores county junior B hurling championship semi-final replay at Páirc Uí Rinn last Sunday.
Three points down inside three minutes, the Carbery standard-bearers were unable to get back on terms subsequently, and it’s fair to say Aghabullogue weren’t flattered by their eventual winning margin a week after they had lost the original game. But following an objection from Aghabullogue in relation to the scorekeeping, Cork County Board’s CCC ordered a replay, and the Mid Cork men took their second chance.
‘Fair play to Aghabullogue, they were the dominant team in the first half when we were a bit off it. We were better in the second half, but we just couldn’t get the score down, because Aghabullogue kept tipping away, and they deserved the win overall,’ Kilbrittain boss Damien Desmond said.
Desmond insisted his charges couldn’t be faulted in terms of commitment, stating that they ‘died with their boots on’ in the second half.
‘There’s a great group of lads there, they’ve worked very hard over the past year, but they just never got going today, which was disappointing.’
After Aghabullogue got the first three points, wing-forward Pat O’Mahony, fed by Conor Hogan, opened Kilbrittain’s account in the fourth minute. Aided by points from ace free-taker Eamonn Lyons and Seamus O’Sullivan, the West Cork men cut the gap to the minimum, 0-4 to 0-3, after nine minutes, suggesting they were fully recovered from an uncertain start.
They didn’t raise another flag, however, until Pat O’Mahony pointed, following great work by Luke Griffin, in the 18th minute, and Aghabullogue had reeled off five scores in the interim.
Griffin and Eamonn Lyons, from a free, completed Kilbrittain’s tally in the first half, at the end of which they trailed by 0-13 to 0-6.
That Aghabullogue held most of the aces during the opening 30 minutes is beyond dispute. Daniel Dineen and Aodhan Healy spearheaded a potent attack, Sean O’Connell and Niall Barry-Murphy were both to the fore at midfield, while Jeremy Corkery regularly caught the eye on the left flank of a defence that resisted stoutly as a unit.
Luke Griffin and Conor Hogan promised most up front for Kilbrittain, but they struggled at midfield, and they weren’t without their problems either at the back where only team skipper Kevin O’Neill looked completely comfortable in the left corner.
In a bid to improve their fortunes at midfield, Kilbrittain switched Fionn Ustianowski from wing-back for the second-half, and he immediately made his mark, winning a free following the throw-in which Eamonn Lyons converted. Lyons was on target from another placed ball three minutes later, and there’s no denying Kilbrittain competed admirably as the second half progressed.
Ustianoswski at midfield, James O’Donovan and the ultra-consistent Kevin O’Neill at the back, Conor Hogan and especially Luke Griffin up front contributed most generously to Kilbrittain’s improvement, but it wasn’t nearly enough to wrest the reins of control from Aghabullogue’s grasp.
After Luke Griffin made a great run to place Oisin Gillain for a point in the 43rd minute, the score stood at 0-15 to 0-9, but a brace in reply from Aghabullogue substitute Barry McGelligott kept the Muskerry side firmly in the driving seat as the last quarter dawned.
To their credit, Kilbrittain refused to give up the ghost, and their never-say-die attitude was rewarded with a hat-trick of points shared by Conor Hogan and Eamonn Lyons, who tacked on two from frees.
After Lyons was on target, following on a foul on Fionn Ustianowski in the 54th minute, the gap was down to five, 0-17 to 0-12, but the resultant puck-out was plucked from the clouds by Aghabullogue’s Daniel Dineen, who won a free which Aodhan Healy pointed. That was enough to prevent Kilbrittain from building up serious momentum on the run-in, and, in truth, it was in keeping with the general pattern of the proceedings after the interval.
The bottom line is the winners showed a facility to respond tellingly at the merest hint of a threat to their advantage in the second-half, and, while Eamonn Lyons, with a superb effort from play, had the next score for Kilbrittain, Aghabullogue finished the game in control.
Scorers
Aghabullogue: A Healy 0-9 (7f); D Dineen 0-3; N Barry-Murphy, B McElligott 0-2 each; A O’Sullivan, S O’Connell, Odhran O’Connell, P Twomey 0-1 each.
Kilbrittain: E Lyons 0-8 (7f); Pat O’Mahony 0-2; S O’Sullivan, L Griffin, O Gillain, C Hogan 0-1 each.
Aghabullogue: I Barry-Murphy; D Quinlan, A Barry-Murphy, D O’Leary; Oisin O’Connell, K Barry-Murphy, J Corkery; S O’Connell, N Barry-Murphy; S Bermingham, S O’Connell, B Kendellan; Odhran O’Connell, A Healy, A O’Sullivan.
Subs: P Twomey for S O’Connell (inj, 32), B McElligott for Kendellan (38).
Kilbrittain: E McCarthy; M Kalitka, J Murphy, K O’Neill; I Burke, J O’Donovan, F Ustianowski; S O’Sullivan, O Brennan; Pat O’Mahony, E Lyons, O Gillain; C Horgan, C O’Leary, L Griffin.
Subs: Patrick O’Mahony for O’Leary (40), J Ahern for O’Sullivan (44), C O’Donovan for Pat O’Mahony (57).
Referee: B Coniry (Crosshaven).
