PIHC: Kilworth and Aghabullogue serve up relegation thriller

Aghabullogue 2-26 Kilworth 2-26 (after extra time)

Aghabullogue and Kilworth will have to do it all again in the Co-op Superstores PIHC relegation final after an epic in Blarney.

Aghabullogue, who were playing with the aid of a slight breeze in the opening half, held Kilworth scoreless early in the second quarter, following an evenly contested first 15 minutes. Kilworth raised their game after the interval with their first goal coming in the 37th minute. 

Aghabullogue drew level with two goals in a minute, to send the contest into extra time. Both sides got the same number of points each in extra time, with the scores level at the end of both extra periods.

Matthew Bradley got three points including a free, for Aghabullogue. Leon Coffey tagged on Kilworth’s first point from play, which followed two frees by Noel McNamara.

Aghabullogue had three points from play, while Kilworth converted two placed balls, before Aghabullogue had Kilworth pinned back.

Four unanswered points from play gave Aghabullogue a lead of 0-10 to 0-5, before Brian Sheehan responded with a point from play for Kilworth. Both sides added three points each to leave Aghabullogue leading 0-13 to 0-9 at the break.

Kilworth upped the ante as they levelled matters with four unanswered points from play.

Bradley converted a free to put Aghabullogue in front by the minimum, but Kilworth’s Brian Sheehan gave his side a two-point advantage with the game’s first goal from the edge of the square. Michael Sheehan extended Kilworth’s lead to three points with a point from play, but Bradley replied with a pointed free.

Entering the final quarter, Kilworth tagged on four unanswered points from play, before Bradley traded a pointed free with a point from play by Kilworth’s Cormac Donnellan.

Aghabullogue had two goals in the space of a minute by Luke Casey and Bradley, to tie the scores at 2-17 to 1-20. Bradley and Jamie Sheehan exchanged points in time added on to force extra time.

Aghabullogue had three points from play in the opening period of extra time with Kilworth’s only score from play coming courtesy of a goal by Donnellan. This left the ties scored at 2-23 each at the break. In the second period of extra time Aghabullogue added three points from play. Kilworth got one point from play and they also converted two placed-balls.

Scorers: Aghabullogue: M Bradley 1-14 (0-8 f), L Casey 1-1, J Corkery 0-3, C Gillespie, J Foley 0-2 each, S Tarrant, P O’Sullivan, TJ Buckley, P Ring 0-1 each.

Kilworth: N McNamara (0-5 f), E Carey (0-2 f, 0-1 sl) 0-6 each, M Sheehan 0-5 (0-1 f), B Sheehan, C Donnellan 1-1 each, J Saich (0-1 sl), J Sheehan 0-2 each, L Carey, L Coffey, W Condon 0-1 each.

AGHABULLOGUE: F Foley; T Long, C Timmons, B O’Sullivan; C Gillespie, TJ Buckley, M Dennehy; B Dineen, P O’Sullivan; J Foley, P Ring, L Casey; M Bradley, S Tarrant, J Corkery.

Subs: S Furey for P O’Sullivan, C Furey for Dineen (both 49), B Casey for B O’Sullivan (60+)

KILWORTH: K Heggeveit; N Byrne, K Lane, A O’Hara; D Twomey, E Carey, M Gowen; L Whelan, J Saich; L Carey, N McNamara, L Coffey; M Sheehan, W Condon, B Sheehan.

Subs: J Sheehan for Coffey (h-t), C Donnellan for Whelan (51), S Og Kenneally for Byrne (60), S Keane for Saich (temp 62-63, 75, inj).

Referee: Pat Lyons (Bishopstown).