Aghaloo fend off Fintona to make the last eight

INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONSHIP FIRST ROUND

Aghaloo 1-20 Fintona 1-15

By Niall Gartland

FROM an Aghaloo perspective it was very much a case of job done as they claimed a warranted five-point victory over Fintona in Friday night’s first-round Intermediate tie at O’Neill’s Healy Park.

By no means was it all plain sailing and the Pearses had their moments, but Aghaloo can be pleased with many facets of a performance adorned by some really polished attacking play at every juncture of proceedings.

Midfielder Jody McGlone caught the eye with a display that was half-bulldozer, half virtuoso, Niall McElroy was classy up front, while Conor Mullen certainly earned his corn, covering every blade of grass. That’s just a few obvious names, by the way – it was a solid all-round team display.

Fintona won’t be too disheartened as they gave it a decent lash and now they’ll turn their focus to a season-defining play-off clash against Killeeshil. That’s the big one from their perspective.

To get things started there were two early goals, Cathal Starrs palming the ball home after a fine run from Oran Hughes, and seconds later, Aghaloo responded in kind as Ruairi McGlone bulged the net.

Aghaloo looked more potent up front, though, and opened up a three-point lead with tidy points from Ruairi McGlone, Niall McElroy and a stupendous two-point free from Jody McGlone.

They extended their advantage further with two more points from the on-song Jody McGlone, who was wreacking no end of havoc, but one of the themes of the evening was that Fintona refused to go away and they kept chipping away.

The Pearses nailed two long-range frees from Aaron McCarney and Mark McGlinn, though they were standoffish at times at the back and Aghaloo tagged on yet another score from that man Jody McGlone.

Fintona finished the half reasonably well with two more points – a McCarney ’45’ and point from play from Eugene Colton, though Aghaloo had the final say with the last kick, that being a Niall McElroy free, wedging open a 1-11 to 1-8 lead at the break.

Fintona were still hanging in there but their hopes of plotting their way to victory took a dash early in the second-half as Aghaloo enjoyed a sustained period of supremacy.

Niall McElroy, such a handful, popped over two early points while Connor Quinn showed immense resilience to hold on to possession before splitting the posts. A clever handpass over the top from Jody McGlone (that man again) set up Conor Mullen for a fisted point and it looked like Aghaloo were about to run away with it altogether.

But again, Fintona were in no mood to go away. McCarney flung over a two-point free before Caolan Donnelly, who had entered the fray for the final 15 minutes, left a more manageable four-point deficit, while Niall Donnelly struck a most beautiful effort late on.

Aghaloo didn’t lose their composure and they kept pushing for scores, Connor Quinn, Niall McElroy, James O’Hara, Jody McGlone and Conor Mullen all finding the target between the 49th and 58th minutes. When it could’ve been tempting to batten down the hatches, they played some really slick stuff and as the clock ticked into injury time, the game was as good as over.

Fintona died with their boots on and got the final score of an entertaining hour via Aaron McCarney, but on the whole they could have no complaints about the overall outcome.

And while Aghaloo’s Conor Mullen quipped afterwards that they ‘don’t make it easy for themselves’, it was a commendable opening salvo in their first year back at Intermediate level from which they’ll take great encouragement heading into the last-eight of the championship.

Scorers

Aghaloo: Jody McGlone (0-6, 1 2pt f, 1 ’45’), Niall McElroy (0-6, 1f), Ruairi McGlone (1-1), James O’Hara (0-3, 1 2pt f), Connor Quinn and Conor Mullen (0-2 each)

Fintona: Aaron McCarney (0-8, 1 2pt, 2 2pt f, 1 ’45’, 1f), Cathal Starrs (1-0), Niall Donnelly (0-2, 2pt), Mark McGlinn (0-2, 1 2pt f), Eugene Colton, Jarded Brogan and Caolan Donnelly (0-1 each)

Teams

Aghaloo: Jason Mulgrew, Mark McCormick, Padraig McGeary, Miceál Muldoon, James O’Hara, Enda McGarrity, Michael Maguire, Jody McGlone, Stewart Douglas, Harry McGinn, Niall McElroy, Jay Douglas, Connor Quinn, Ruairi McGlone, Conor Mullen. Subs: Peter McCormick for McGinn, Oliver Sherry for Maguire, Dillon Mullen for J McGlone

Fintona: Oisin Watson, Eoghan Hegarty, Niall Murray, Patrick McWilliams, Sean McWilliams, Mark McGlinn, Jared Brogan, Conor McGoldrick, Cathal Starrs, Pauric Kelly, Eugene Liam McCarroll, Oran Hughes, Eugene Colton, Niall Donnelly, Aaron McCarney. Subs: Caolan Donnelly for S McWilliams, Conán Hegarty for McCarroll, Liam Griffiths for P McWilliams, Oliver Colton for Hughes

Referee: Cathal McCrory (Greencastle)