Michael O'Connor East Cork Junior A Football Championship Round 1

Aghada 2-11

Glenbower Rovers 0-11

Our Junior A Footballers were our first team to be out in championship this year last Monday evening in Copper Alley, Youghal. It was far from a Summers evening with conditions very overcast and questions were raised by some supporters whether the game would finish in daylight or not. When will the Summer arrive one would ask!!! Anyway, forgetting the weather, there was a big game to be played. Aghada started the game with an extremely youthful side with player-manager Mattie O’Connor the elder statesman on the field.

Aghada entered the game with confidence having won 6 from 7 league games this year. The hope was this form would lead to a bright start for the men from Aghada. However, this bright start never game. In fact it was our opponents, Glenbower Rovers who made an impressive start scoring two early points. Our lads didn’t help themselves here though as sloppiness on the ball led to a lot of unforced turnovers in the opening stages. Things could have got even worse when Glenbower’s corner forward struck a bullet of a shot off the inside of the goalpost which would have left Aghada trailing by 5 inside ten minutes. Thankfully, the ball somehow stayed out of the net and it seemed to ignite the Aghada cause. Good work from Darragh Ryan and Luke O’Connell led to Charlie Terry getting a shot off which unfortunately went wide. However, from the resulting kickout, Mattie O’Connor won a great ball before feeding Terry with a smart pass. Charlie held off the Glenbower defender before unleashing Fintan Cody who hit a blistering shot to the roof of the net. All of a sudden Aghada were ahead and our supporters hoped this would kick or lads into gear. Unfortunately from our point of view, Glenbower were the ones who kicked into gear kicking a fine score to level proceedings. Young Conall Rooney who played a lot of ball in the opening half won the next kickout and worked the ball up the field where captain Max Ahern was fouled which Charlie Terry converted to ease Aghada back in front. This would be Aghada’s last score for a long period with Glenbower taking control of the game scoring six unanswered points. Aghada management were worried and needed to steady the ship. Ronan Murphy certainly helped raise Aghada spirits when he applied ferocious pressure on a Glenbower forward which forced a crucial turnover at a critical point in the game. From this turnover the ball was eventually worked to Charlie Terry who clipped over a beauty of a score with the outside of his boot. Glenbower won the next kickout and the ball was worked through the lines but waiting in defence was Jack Norris who made a great interception which started off a brilliant team move. The ball was worked through the hands up the length of the pitch with a free was earned in front of the post which Charlie converted to help reduce the gap to our opponents. We were now into injury time, but Glenbower were not finished attacking. Somehow their corner forward found himself one on one with Ray Savage in the Aghada goal. Goal was written all over the attack, but Ray made himself big and made a brilliant save to keep Aghada in the game. The half time whistle sounded straight after the save with Aghada trailing Glenbower 0-9 to 1-3. Aghada had a lot of soul searching to do with Glenbower playing most of the football in the opening thirty minutes.

The second half began with half time substitute Eoin Motherway winning a free after great work to win possession off the Glenbower corner back. The ball was fizzed into Charlie Terry who swivelled his hips and kicked a simple tap over score. Our lads definitely looked sharper in opening minutes of this half, with Aidan O’Connell working hard to feed the ball to Mattie O’Connor who in turn released Fintan Cody to pop lovely score between the uprights. Aghada’s side line was now a hive of activity with Scott Whyte introduced into the fray.

Immediately Whyte was involved in the play after Max delivered a delicious thirty metre pass to Ronan Murphy. Ronan carried the ball forward before finding Scott who was then fouled with the resulting free being slotted over by Fintan Cody. Aghada were now in the groove and looked a different team from the first half. Alan Hogan was working tirelessly around the middle third and a hard earned turnover on his own 21 metre line by the Whitegate man epitomized this. A long range pass from Mattie O’Connor which we will call optimistic eventually found Fintan Cody who was fouled with Charlie converting the tap over free. The ever present Shane Dorney was then fouled coming out of defence soon after this score and quick thinking by Shane from the free where he unleashed Max Ahern led to the score of the game from the Aghada skipper. A fine solo run and a lovely kick from thirty five metres out certainly rallied the Aghada supporters in Youghal on the night. Dan Leahy was making his presence felt around the middle of the field now too winning a ball he had no right to win after help form Eoin Motherway. Dan found Charlie Terry barrelling in on goal but the ball somehow flew over rather than under the crossbar. Aghada though would be content with the point at this stage. Glenbower were not giving up the ghost with the game firmly in the balance. A well worked move from the men in green on the night led to them reducing the gap to Aghada from a free in front of the posts.

Aghada needed every player to up their game for the remaining quarter of the game and by god did they do that. Aghada’s full backline consisting of Jack Colbert, Pete White and Jack Norris were cutting out numerous Glenbower attacks at this stage. One of these hard earned turnovers was worked to Eoin Motherway who hit a scrumptious cross field pass to Charlie Terry with the man on fire on the night splitting the posts again to stretch Aghada’s lead. Scott Whyte then attempted to get in on the scoring action, leaving his man for dead by the corner flag before hitting a bullet of a shot across the face of the goal that unfortunately missed the goal by the narrowest of margins. This attack would not go un rewarded however, with Motherway gathering a loose Glenbower pass before setting up his teammate Fintan Cody who split the posts once again. Jack Corkery had now entered proceedings and was involved in the game clinching score. A sweeping move from defence which included fine passing between Aaron Stafford, Alan Hogan, Aidan O’Connell and Dan Leahy led to Scott Whyte finding space inside the Glenbower thirteen metre line before rattling an unstoppable shot to the top corner of the goal to guarantee victory for Aghada. Glenbower did have another few attacks with one such attack requiring Aghada keeper Ray Savage to make another fine stop which rebounded over the crossbar for the final score of the game. Soon after, referee Pa Beausang blew the full time whistle to signal a good start to our Junior A footballers championship campaign in a very good quality game which was a great advertisement for East Cork Football.

Aghada will be pleased with the win but will be concerned with their first half display. Best on the night for Aghada were Ray Savage, Jack Norris, Dan Leahy, Eoin Motherway, Fintan Cody and Charlie Terry. Plenty of room for improvement which will be needed when we face neighbours Cloyne in Killeagh next Monday evening at 8pm. A mouth-watering clash which promises to be an excellent game.

Aghada Team: Ray Savage, Jack Colbert, Jack Norris, Pete White, Ronan Murphy, Shane Dorney, Darragh Ryan, Mathew O’Connor, Aidan O’Connell, Max Ahern, Luke O’Connell, Conall Rooney, Alan Hogan, Fintan Cody, Charlie Terry, Dan Leahy, Eoin Motherway, Scott Whyte, Jack Corkery, Aaron Stafford.