Late drama as Aghabullogue and Kanturk serve up Senior A cracker
Kanturk's Brian O'Sullivan drives forward under pressure against Aghabullogue. Picture: Chani Anderson
When the referee blew his full-time whistle, a number of players crashed to the ground in disappointment. From both teams.
Aghbullogue would normally have been the happier of the two teams having snatched a draw deep into injury time thanks to Luke Casey’s superb two-pointer from a tight angle, but the result sees them crash out of the Cork Senior A Football Championship, although they will avoid a relegation playoff at least.
As for Kanturk, they thought they had earned the win they needed to potentially progress straight into the semi-finals, depending on other results, when Grantas Bucinskas drilled the ball into the far top left corner of the net with just a few minutes remaining.
The talented forward, who finished the game with an impressive 1-5, also saw a handpass strike the far-left post after Casey’s leveller in the final seconds of this pulsating clash, but the share of the spoils at least secures their place in the quarters, where they will meet Kilshannig.
The tone of the game was set inside the first few minutes as Aghabullogue, who knew coming into this game that they had to win to have any chance of progressing, started brightly and quickly raced into a five-point lead by the sixth minute.
Their first score in Macroom was a goal as Luke Casey, who was also impressive in registering 1-4 on Sunday, as he pounced on a defensive mistake before poking the ball past the goalkeeper.
Aaron O’Sullivan followed that finish by fisting over the bar before Evan O’Sullivan also raised a white flag to add to their dream start.
Kanturk would only score on three occasions in the first half, ruing a number of poorly struck wides throughout the contest, but when they did work scoreboard, they made it truly count as Daniel O’Connell punched to the net after good work from Mark Healy.
O’Connell almost punched home again moments later before Paul Walsh also spurned a goal opportunity at the end of the first quarter which would’ve edged them in front.
Aghabullogue responded well by claiming back-to-back points through Casey and Padraic O’Sullivan and they finished the first half with white flags from Aaron O’Sullivan and a Matthew Bradley free.
But two sensational strikes from outside the two-point arc from Bucinskas, the first from a free and the second coming from play, ensure Kanturk only trailed by two at the break, 1-6 to 1-4.
The hurling goalkeeper added another free to his and his side’s tally shortly after the resumption to reduce the deficit to the minimum, but Aghabullogue again showed their character to dig deep and score three points without reply through Casey and a Bradley double, one from a free and one from play.
Kanturk soon missed another goal chance but they were firmly in control of this game heading into the final minutes as a booming Colin Walsh score and a Tommy Walsh strike from long-range, which was close to being given as a two-pointer, moved them to within two of their opponents, 1-9 to 1-7.
Then came the late drama which left both teams wondering what could have been as Kanturk landed a couple of massive blows with Bucinkas’ goal and Bryan Healy’s point before Casey landed his superb two-pointer after Aghabullogue had just squandered two chances from a similar range.
L Casey 1-4 (1 tp), M Bradley 0-3 (0-2 f), A O’Sullivan 0-2, E O’Sullivan, P O’Sullivan 0-1 each.
G Bucinkas 1-5 (1 tpf, 1 tp, 0-1 f), D O’Connell 1-0, T Walsh, C Walsh, B Healy 0-1 each.
I O’Sullivan; P Dilworth, D Merrick, J Foley; O O’Connell, S Tarrant, P Ring; C Gillespie, A Murphy; P O’Sullivan, E O’Sullivan, A O’Sullivan; M Bradley, L Casey, C O’Sullivan.
J Lane for P O’Sullivan (53).
R Cashman; J McLoughlin, D Browne, C Mullane; M Healy, T Walsh, R Walsh; J Fitzpatrick, A Walsh; P Walsh, B O’Sullivan, D O’Connell; G Bucinkas, C Walsh, L O’Keeffe.
L McLoughlin for J Fitzpatrick (40), B Healy for D O’Connell (44).
Canice Walsh (Nemo Rangers).
App?
