St. Colmcille’s made Midleton Park South a happy hunting ground for the second consecutive week, securing a hard-fought victory over Aghada in Round 2 of the U21 A East Cork Football league. Following up on their impressive win against hosts Midleton a week prior, the team demonstrated great character to overturn a halftime deficit and the loss of center-back Ruairi Quinlan early in the game to run out 1-16 (19) to 1-09 (12) winners.
It was Aghada who started the brighter side, kicking the first two points of the contest. St. Colmcille’s eventually found their rhythm when Sean Whelan converted a free after eight minutes. Just a minute later, midfielder Adam Bowen rattled the net with a well-taken goal to push his side into the lead. Whelan added another pointed free, but Aghada responded strongly, finishing the half with a goal and a string of points, including one two-point effort, to lead at the break, 1-07 to 1-03. A late score from Sean Delaney was crucial in reducing the deficit.
Facing a four-point deficit, St. Colmcille’s produced a dominant second-half performance. Rob Sheehan set the tone with a point quickly after the restart. The team’s accuracy from distance proved vital, with Seán Delaney and Rob Sheehan both landing spectacular two-point scores. Sheehan was a constant threat, adding another point from play and a late two-pointer despite receiving a yellow card midway through the half.
Seán Whelan also showed his class, adding three more scores, including two crucial two-pointers, to pull the team clear. A final point from Tom Sullivan sealed the comprehensive 1-16 to 1-09 victory, cementing a fantastic team performance and a powerful statement of intent in this league campaign.
TEAM
1 – Billy Ryan
2 – Evan Quain
3 – Aidan Docherty
4 – David O Mahaony
5 – Ciarán Ryan
6 – Ruairí Quinlan
7 – John Barry
8 – Adam Bowen
9 – Joe Dunphy
10 – Luke Mullins
11 – Rob Sheehan
12 – Riain Harden
13 – Seán Whelan
14 – Seán Delaney
15 – Alex Flynn
SUBS USED: James Buckley, Tom O’Sullivan, Cian Dunne, Jack Harte, Michael Harte, Jamie Murphy, Charlie Horgan