Éire Óg edge Aghabullogue in PIHC derby with Cork footballer keeper playing key role
Colm O'Callaghan, Éire Óg, under pressure from James Lane and James Foley, Aghabullogue. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
Éire Óg pipped divisional rivals Aghabullogue in an absorbing Co-Op Superstores Premier IHC at Carrigadrohid on Saturday.
In the presence of a large attendance, the meeting of near neighbours was always going to be a competitive contest and it certainly did not disappoint in terms of excitement with both sides hurling with fury and intensity. Deadlocked on 11 occasions, ultimately Éire Óg’s slicker play saw them pick off crucial scores during the latter stages.
Cork football custodian Chris Kelly adapted exceptionally well to the sliothar for the Ovens combination, pulling off top-drawer saves in both halves to thwart the Aghabullogue attack. And when it mattered, Éire Óg play rose to the boil under the influence of Brian Corcoran, Conor McGoldrick, Dara McCarthy and sharp-shooter Eoin O’Shea who chalked up a 0-11 tally.
No surprise, the teams were locked together for much of the opening half with O’Shea and Matthew Bradley obliging at either end early on. Aghabullogue grew into the contest, the most recent IHC winners applied a spell of pressure to yield quality points in quick succession from John Buckley, David Thompson, John Corkery and Bradley.
To their credit, Éire Óg stemmed the flow, the next four points registered by Oisín O’Shea, Dylan Foley and Jack Sheehan. Though Aghabullogue squandered a number of opportunities with wides and efforts falling short, they summoned up a burst, points to Shane Tarrant and the impressive Seán Fury helped secure a narrow 0-10 to 0-9 advantage at the interval.
The sides traded points on the restart, Kelly emerging a central figure between the Éire Óg uprights, terrific saves from the Aghabullogue inside line of James Foley and Corkery proved pivotal to the outcome of the spoils. It remained anybody’s game, Éire Óg points to Oisín and Eoin O’Shea matched by Bradley and Tarrant to square up the exciting fare for the 11th occasion at 0-16 apiece.
As the contest raged, Éire Óg increased the intensity levels, confirmed on points to substitute David Casey and Oisín O’Shea only for a spirited Aghabullogue reply with a Foley flag. However Éire Óg looked the more accomplished side in the closing phase, talisman Eoin O’Shea bisected the uprights with a pair for his side to hold the scent of victory.
Trailing by three, Aghabullogue made a desperate last-ditch attempt to save the day, substitute Brian Dineen’s effort sailed over the crossbar for a consolation point.
Next up for Éire Óg is a meeting against another close neighbour in Ballincollig on Friday, August 23 with Aghabullogue regrouping ahead of facing Mallow on the following day.
E O’Shea 0-11 (0-6 f), O O’Shea 0-3, J Sheehan 0-2, D Foley, K Hallissey, C O’Callaghan, D Casey 0-1 each.
M Bradley 0-5 (0-3 f), S Tarrant 0-3 (0-2 f), J Corkery 0-3, J Foley, S Fury 0-2 each, J Buckley, D Thompson, B Dineen 0-1 each.
C Kelly; B Corcoran, M Brady, D Kirwan; D Dineen, C McGoldrick, D O’Herlihy; J Sheehan, D McCarthy; K Hallissey, E O’Shea, C O’Callaghan; D D Healy, D Foley, O O’Shea.
D Casey for D Healy (46), E Kelleher for J Sheehan (57).
F Foley; T Long, C Timmons, M Dennehy; C Gillespie, P O’Sullivan, D Thompson; S Furey, T J Buckley; S Tarrant, J Buckley, M Bradley; J Corkery, J Foley, J Lane.
L Casey for J Buckley (42), B Dineen for J Lane (47), B O’Sullivan for P O’Sullivan (50).
David Copps (Ballyhea).
App?
