Aghada’s Junior B hurlers secured their place in the knockout stages of the championship with a hard-fought win over St. Catherine’s in Killeagh this morning. Our lads dug deep to produce a strong performance and finish the group stages as table toppers.

St. Catherine’s won the toss and elected to play with a powerful wind (and rain!) in the opening half. Despite the conditions, Aghada got off to the perfect start when Oscar Slye’s attempted point dropped short, deceiving the keeper and nestling into the net. Just minutes later, Aghada struck for a second goal – this time Eoin Motherway finishing smartly after clever build-up play from Cian Fleming. The perfect start against the breeze. 

The Ballynoe side began to make better use of the breeze and steadily cut into the lead, bringing it back to a single point by the 20-minute mark. But with Fionn O’Connell and Hugh Mulcahy working tirelessly around the middle, Aghada weathered the storm. Just before half time, James Hurley kept his composure to land two long-range frees, giving Aghada a two-point cushion at the break: Aghada 2-2 | St. Catherine’s 0-6.

Turning to play with the wind in the second half, Aghada were dealt an early setback when St. Catherine’s opened the scoring within forty seconds. But with David Rice and Conor Geary excelling in defence, our forwards began to thrive. James Motherway clipped over a neat score before his brother Eoin added another from a free, following great work by Jordan Halpin. James Hurley then showcased his accuracy once again, pointing a 65 and another booming free from his own half.

Aghada pushed further clear with scores from centre back Aaron Stafford and the ever industrious David Wallace, and when St. Catherine’s were reduced to 14 men, it looked as though our lads would coast home. However, the opposition rallied impressively, cutting the gap with two quick-fire points. Cian Fleming steadied matters with a well-taken score, but Catherine’s kept battling.

The score of the game then arrived from James Hurley, when he struck a magnificent effort from the left wing to restore a five-point cushion. In a nervy finale, St. Catherine’s launched a series of high balls into the square, but our defence stood tall. Substitute Aidan O’Connell made several crucial clearances, ably supported by Richie Condon and Cian Hegarty, while Marcus Leahy added fresh energy after the loss of James Motherway to injury. Special credit also goes to goalkeeper James O’Donnell, whose shot-stopping and composure throughout were vital to the victory.

When the final whistle sounded, Aghada had done enough – sealing a 2-10 to 1-11 win and booking their spot in the knockout stages as group winners on five points. Well done to all the players and management team on a tremendous effort.

Aghada: James O’Donnell, Richie Condon, David Rice, Conor Geary, Fionn O’Connell, Aaron Stafford (0-1), Cian Hegarty, Hugh Mulcahy, David Wallace (0-1), Jordan Halpin, James Motherway (0-1), Oscar Slye (1-0), Eoin Motherway (1-1, (0-1F)), Cian Fleming (0-1), James Hurley (0-5, (0-4F)). 

Subs used: Aidan O’Connell & Marcus Leahy.