PIFC: Kilshanning have too much for Aghada as top seed secured

Kilshanning 0-16 Aghada 1-5 

KILSHANNING are through to the PIFC semi-finals after an impressive victory over Aghada on a sun-drenched evening at Glenville.

The team from Avondhu were trailing by a point at the break and they came back with substitutes proving the difference.

The first half was one of missed opportunities for Kilshanning as they hit six wides, and two almost ended in a goal. This followed a strong start that saw Kieran Twomey and Eanna O’Hanlon put the ball over the bar and that give their side an early two-point lead.

Aghada then raised three white flags in a row, a burst that started with Diarmuid Phelan and finished with Diarmuid Byrne converting a free. After Kilshanning retaliated and made it 0-4 a piece, the East Cork club won their own kick-out and played a quick pass to Danny Creedon. The corner-forward hit the back of the net and Aghada led for the first time.

Kilshanning responded to the setback with Twomey and O’Hanlon adding another two scores to their tally. That was when the first goal chance presented itself and this was kicked wide by Twomey. The ball was also sent to the back post by Jack Twomey and Tom Cunningham punched it out of play.

Aghada got one more score in the time that was left to play, and Tim Hartnett’s second of the game gave his team a 1-5 to 0-7 advantage at the break.

Everything that was missed was accounted for once play resumed, with Kilshanning scoring an unanswered 0-9.

Bill Curtin’s only score of the game was the equaliser and next came Killian O’Hanlon’s second converted free.

Almost every member of the team contributed in some way to Kilshanning’s second-half performance. Diarmuid O’Sullivan was one of the substitutes who shone as he put over 0-2 in the 12 minutes he was on the pitch.

Scorers for Kilshanning: K Twomey 0-5 (0-2 f); T Cunningham, K O’Hanlon (f), E O’Hanlon, D O’Sullivan 0-2 each, C O’Shea, C O’Sullivan, Bill Curtin 0-1 each.

Aghada: D Creedon 1-0; T Hartnett 0-2; D Phelan, P O’Neill, D Byrne (f) 0-1 each.

KILSHANNING: G Creedon; M Twomey, E Burke, S O’Connell, C O’Shea, B Guerin, B Curtin, J Twomey, K O’Hanlon, C O’Sullivan, E O’Hanlon, E O’Sullivan, B Creedon, K Twomey, T Cunningham.

Subs: C McMahon for E O’Sullivan (42), A O’Connell for B Creedon (42), D O’Sullivan for C O’Sullivan (48), K O’Connell for M Twomey (55), C Murphy for Curtin (59).

AGHADA: C O’Shea; J Norris, E Leahy, D Collins, T Hartnett, J O’Donoghue, K O’Shea, D Phelan, A O’Connell, J O’Hanlon, D Creedon, J Tynan, D Leahy, D Byrne, P O’Neill.

Sub: C Hegarty for Phelan (40).

Referee: Canice Walsh (Nemo Rangers)