IAHC: Aghabullogue fight back in second half to see off Mayfield in semi-final

Aghabullogue 0-17

Mayfield 0-11

Aghabullogue came from four points down at half-time to win by six as they saw off Mayfield in Friday night’s Co-op SuperStores Cork IAHC semi-final at Páirc Uí Rinn.

A clash with Midleton awaits for the Coachford side, who will take plenty from the character shown but, equally, they will know that a similar first-half display cannot be afforded in the final.

Trailing by 0-8 to 0-4 at the interval, Aghabullogue might have fallen further behind early in the second half but for a strong Tom Long block to deny Shane Duggan a shot at goal. With the next play, Shane Tarrant’s fourth point had them back to within three before a duo of Matthew Bradley frees left the minimum in it.

The leveller arrived on 44 from Paul Ring following Tarrant’s crossfield ball but Nicky Kelly replied immediately with his seventh point of the evening to put Mayfield back in front, 0-9 to 0-8. Unfortunately for them, they wouldn’t score again for 11 minutes, by which time Aghabullogue had moved four ahead.

With the supply to the Mayfield attack cut off, Aghabullogue found a rhythm that had eluded them up to then. Bradley, flawless from frees, made it 0-9 each before Paul Ring had in the lead for the first time since the early stages.

Half-time sub Brian Dineen and John Corkery got in on the act too and the latter’s second point, a wonderful effort from the left corner, had them 0-13 to 0-9 to the good.

Kelly did end the Mayfield drought on 57 but it was only a temporary halt to Aghabullogue’s march. Bradley sent over a huge free to restore the four-point advantage and Tarrant extended the margin further.

Mayfield lost Dave O’Neill and Shane Keegan to red cards in separate incidents at the death, but the matter had been decided by then. In any case, Bradley made sure with his ninth in the 64th minute before Kelly and Tarrant exchanged points at the end.

Such an outcome looked remote at half-time as Mayfield retired with an 0-8 to 0-4 lead. Just two of the 12 points – one each – had come from open play as the sides struggled to find any fluency.

Four points were shared in the opening nine minutes, a pair of frees each for Aghabullogue’s Shane Tarrant and Mayfield’s Nicky Kelly, before wing-back Shane O’Donovan put the city side ahead for the first time with a free from behind his own 65.

While Tarrant did respond with an effort from halfway, it was the last time the sides were tied in the opening period. As matters began to become more niggly with yellow cards more common, Mayfield moved 0-5 to 0-3 in front with two more Kelly frees. Though Aghabullogue’s Matthew Bradley did register the game’s first score from play on 23 minutes, Mayfield’s Dave Malone replied in kind after good work from Shane Keegan and Kelly grabbed his fifth. As injury time began, Aghabullogue might have wiped out that deficit as Colm Gillespie went for goal but Richard O’Keeffe saved well from him.

At the other end, Shane Duggan had an effort that flashed wide after receiving a deflection and Kelly was on hand to convert the 65 for a four-point advantage.

They were unable to build on that in the opening exchanges of the second half though and Aghabullogue came storming back.

Scorers for Aghabullogue: M Bradley (0-4f), S Tarrant (0-3f) 0-6 each, J Corkery, P Ring 0-2 each, B Dineen 0-1.

Mayfield: N Kelly 0-9 (0-6f, 0-1 65), D Malone, S O’Donovan (0-1f) 0-1 each.

AGHABULLOGUE: F Foley; T Long, C Timmons, J Corkery; TJ Buckley, P O’Sullivan, M Dennehy; N Barry-Murphy, S Furey; J Corkery, P Ring, J Foley; C Gillespie, S Tarrant, M Bradley.

Subs: B Casey for Barry-Murphy, B Dineen for Gillespie (both half-time).

MAYFIELD: R O’Keeffe; K Punch, B Punch, S Keegan; S O’Donovan, D O’Donovan, D Lucey; D O’Neill, E O’Sullivan; N Kelly, MJ Coffey, D Malone; F McSweeney, S Kelly, S Duggan.

Subs: P Duggan for Coffey (45), D O’Gorman for K Punch (56), A Mullery for Malone (57), T Horgan for S Duggan (58).

Referee: P Lyons (Bishopstown).