Róisín Phelan stars as ladies football champions Aghada beat Mourneabbey to return to final
Aghada's Ali Smith turns away from Mourneabbey's Maire O'Callaghan during the Cork Credit Unions Cork ladies SFC semi-final at Rostellan. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Aghada are through to the Cork Credit Unions ladies senior football championship final following their win over Mourneabbey at Rostellan on Sunday.
The defending champions were superb all through and were the better side over the 60 minutes. They had some outstanding performances with former Cork star Róisín Phelan leading by example as always.
Overall this was an impressive team performance as they now face Éire Óg in the final, a repeat of last year’s decider. That is scheduled for next Sunday but it causes a problem for Aghada as they are also in a camogie final on the same day against Bishopstown, and hopefully both boards will look favourably at this and sort the issue early in the week.
Aghada took the lead in the first minute when two of their Cork stars, Sarah Leahy and Hannah Looney, combined for the former to point.
At the other end former Cork star, Ciara O’Sullivan, got Mourneabbey off the mark two minutes later.
But for the next 12 minutes or so it was all Aghada as Looney put them back in front. Phelan increased their lead when she converted a free, to make it 0-3 to 0-1 after six minutes.
From the restart she regained possession and drove at the Mourneabbey defence, brushing aside several defenders to score the game’s first goal
Kaitlin Smith added a point, to put them 1-4 to 0-1 in front.
With 14 minutes gone Mary Leahy got their second goal, before Ann Ryan got Mourneabbey’s second point.
Looney pointed again to make it 2-5 to 0-2 with 20 minutes gone.
Laura Walsh pointed for Mourneabbey and she brought them back into contention when she found the back of the net to make it 1-3 to 2-4.
Doireann O’Sullivan, not long on as a sub, reduced the deficit as she pointed with her first touch, but Looney got the last score of the half to see Aghada lead by 2-6 to 1-4 at the break.
Two early frees from Walsh reduced the deficit, but Aghada had one foot in the final after 37 minutes.
Kaitlin Smith was fouled by Maire O’Callaghan and from the resultant penalty Phelan found the back of the net to make it 3-6 to 1-6.
Abigail Ring added a point and with 44 minutes gone they ended the game as a contest.
Rachel Leahy played Smith in for Aghada’s fourth goal and it was game over at that point – 4-7 to 1-6.
Two frees from Walsh, along with a point from Doireann O’Sullivan made it 4-7 to 1-9 with five minutes left.
But Aghada finished strongly with Ring, Smith and Looney all scoring to see them run out comprehensive winners.
R Phelan 2-1 (1-0 pen, 0-1 f), K Smith 1-2, M Leahy 1-0, H Looney 0-4, A Ring 0-2 (0-1 f), S Leahy 0-1.
L Walsh 1-5 (0-4 f), D O’Sullivan 0-2, C O’Sullivan, A Ryan 0-1 each.
S Walsh; K O’Farrell, S McAllister, A Cooper; M McCrea, S Leahy, R Leahy; H Looney, R Phelan; M Leahy, K Smith, A Coughlan; A Ring, A Smith, B Smith.
Y Bourgoine for A Cooper (29 inj), A O’Connor for M Leahy (47), C Walsh for B Smith (53 inj), B McGrath for R Leahy (58), M Collins for A Ring (60).
M O’Sullivan; A Walsh, E Meaney, M Burke; R Breen, G Cronin, S Finnegan; M O’Callaghan, K Williamson; E Walsh, B O’Sullivan, A Ryan; C O’Sullivan, D Cronin, L Walsh.
D O’Sullivan for S Finnegan (21), A O’Sullivan for A Walsh (40), C O’Callaghan for D Cronin (47), L Finnegan for A Ryan (56), E Walsh for M O’Callaghan (60).
Ionnais O’Connell, Glanmire.
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