ÉIRE ÓG 1-12

AGHADA 1-8 

(after extra-time)

ÉIRE Óg claimed their first-ever Cork Credit Unions Cork LGFA senior A county title following a hard-hitting replay with reigning champions Aghada in MTU Cork on Saturday.

Extra-time was needed for the third time in as many finals before Éire Óg and Aghada were finally separated.

The Ovens club emerged deserving four-point winners to end a run of four consecutive county final defeats, and claim an inaugural senior A title.

Finally getting their hands on a trophy that eluded the Ovens club for so long was an emotional moment for players, supporters, mentors and manager Peter McGoldrick.

‘There’s never any fear of them,’ the Éire Óg boss commented on his players.

‘They just turn a corner and go again. This win is great for the club and we have come a long way in 20 years.

‘I am thinking of all the managers who came close in the last couple of years. We were the ones just lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.’

Abigail Ring fired defending champions Aghada ahead in the first attack. Éire Óg’s response was swift as a sweeping move ended with Lisa Murphy netting a fine goal inside the second minute.

Hannah Looney and Rachel Leahy reduced the deficit but Aghada’s struggling attack would not score again for over quarter of an hour. That’s not to say Eric Smith’s side didn’t have chances, as both Kaitlin Smith and Yvonne Burgoyne were denied by goalkeeper Ruby Halligan.

Emma Cleary and Laura Cleary (free) stretched Éire Óg’s lead to four before Aghada struck back. A slaloming Brianna Smith run ended with the corner forward firing to the net after 24 minutes. A Sally McAllister long-range point made it 1-4 apiece at the break.

A much tighter second period saw both teams get numbers behind the ball and retain possession, resulting in just six scores. All three of Aghada’s second-half efforts were converted Abigail Ring frees, while Éire Óg replied through Laura Cleary and Orlaith Cahalane.

The champions were still a point ahead in the dying embers when Lisa Murphy equalised to make it 1-7 each and send the replay to extra-time.

Sadbh McGoldrick and Emma Cleary edged the Ovens club ahead during the first period of extra-time. Róisín Phelan and Orlaith Cahalane swapped points as Éire Óg maintained their 1-10 to 1-8 lead. Rachel Leahy’s yellow card was the final blow for Aghada as Isobel Sheehan and Órlaith Cremin scores cemented an historic Éire Óg victory.

Scorers - Éire Óg: L Murphy 1-1; E Cleary 0-3; L Cleary (1f), Ó Cremin 0-2 each; S Cronin, O Cahalane, S McGoldrick, I Sheehan 0-1 each. Aghada: A Ring 0-4 (3f); B Smith 1-0; H Looney, R Leahy, S McAllister, R Phelan 0-1 each.

Éire Óg: R Halligan; R Sheehan, J O’Gorman, I Sheehan; A Hayes, M Cahalane, E Crowley; S McGoldrick, S Cronin; E Cleary, O Cahalane, Ó Cremin; L Cleary, L Murphy, A Rodgers. Subs: G Young for A Rodgers (42), K Cahalane for E Crowley (53), D Walsh for A Hayes (69), M McGoldrick for L Murphy (78), E Healy for Ó Cremin (78).

Aghada: S Walsh; K O’Farrell, S McAllister, A Cooper; M McRae, S Leahy, R Leahy; R Phelan, H Looney; Y Burgoyne, K Smith, A Coughlan; A Ring, C Walsh, B Smith. Subs: A Smith for Y Burgoyne (41), B McGrath for C Walsh (52), L Linehan for R Phelan (78), C Walsh for A Coughlan (78).

Referee: Justin Murphy (Grange).