Superb Aghaloo second half stuns Glenelly

    Aghaloo 1-14  Glenelly 0-7

A SCORING burst from Aghaloo during which they hit eleven unanswered points saw them come from behind to see off the dogged challenge of Glenelly at O’Neills Healy Park on Friday night and book their place in the Junior Championship Final.

That purple patch was a far cry from the opening half as Glenelly produced a superb display of football to leave themselves in with a chance of creating an upset. Aghaloo hit a number of wides but credit has to go to their opponents who played with intensity and moved the ball at pace on their way to establishing a 0-6 to 0-3 interval advantage.

The second half proved to be a totally different story as Glenelly had to wait until the 27th minute to get their one and only score as Aghaloo took a stranglehold on proceedings before substitute Niall Henderson put the icing on the cake with a late goal.

The prematch favourites almost had a dream start after thirty seconds when Tiarnan Donnelly and Gary O’Gorman combined to put Niall McElroy in on goal but he was denied by a fabulous save from Conor McAneney.

Ronan O’Kane opened the scoring for Glenelly with a well struck free from out on the left wing only for McElroy to level matters from a placed ball as well. Aodhan McConnell then edged Glenelly in front and as Aghaloo began to misfire in front off the posts; a Lorcan McCullagh free left it 0-3 to 0-1 at the end of the opening quarter.

Team captain Cormac McBride then offloaded for McCullagh to stretch that advantage before a free from O’Kane left four between the sides. Aghaloo were really struggling at this stage and they were happy to see McElroy get them a much needed score from a free.

Glenelly though continued to look the better side and a flowing move involving McBride, Oscar O’Neill and McCullagh ended with full forward O’Kane taking a superb score from an acute angle. By this stage Aghaloo had posted eight wides with Donnelly contributing a few of those but he demonstrated his class with an outstanding point with the outside of the boot with the last kick of the half to trim the deficit to three.

Aghaloo reappeared a transformed side. Midfielder Jody McGlone got them going with an inspirational point with his weaker left foot before a Donnelly free left just the minimum between the sides.

McAneney’s kickouts were coming under increasing pressure as Aghaloo pushed up and after a Donnelly free had levelled matters the winners won the next kick out as well, only for defender Gary O’Gorman to race through and fist over to give them the lead for the first time.

All of a sudden Aghaloo had complete control throughout the field and they never looked like relinquishing their grip on proceedings. Jody McGlone knocked over a “45” before O’Gorman drove through to split the posts again. With McGlone to the fore in midfield Glenelly couldn’t get primary possession and after substitute Miceal Muldoon had registered, full forward Ruairi McGlone landed two points in as many minutes.

A brilliant Aghaloo move resulted in a fisted point from Harry McGinn before Glenelly finally opened their second half account in the 57th minute via Garret O’Neill.

Aghaloo though, came straight down the field in the next attack for Donnelly to find McElroy who drew the last defender before crossing for Henderson to find the net from close range.

McElroy then had a point to conclude the scoring as Aghaloo made it safely through, although not without a scare.

The Scorers

Aghaloo

Niall McElroy 0-3 (2F), Tiarnan Donnelly 0-3 (2F), Niall Henderson 1-0, Gary O’Gorman 0-2, Ruairi McGlone 0-2, Jody McGlone 0-2 (1 “45”), Harry McGinn 0-1, Miceal Muldoon 0-1

Glenelly

Ronan O’Kane 0-3(2F), Lorcan McCullagh 0-2 (1F), Aodhan McConnell 0-1, Garret O’Neill 0-1