First half goals decisive as Aghada reach All-Ireland junior final

All-Ireland ladies junior club football semi-final

Tuam-Cortoon (Galway) 1-7
Aghada (Cork) 3-12

From Mike Rafferty at Tuam Stadium.

AGHADA are writing their own history as the club advanced to the All-Ireland Ladies Junior Championship final with a comfortable success in Tuam on Sunday afternoon.

Having won a first ever county and provincial title this year, they hit home side Tuam/Cortoon with three first-half goals to seal a comfortable passage.

Now while it was the home side who took the lead courtesy of a Clodagh Lyons free, Aghada captain Emma Farmer quickly levelled matters, before they struck for their first goal on 8 minutes as Amanda Bennett finished a Sarah Leahy pass to the net.

Points by Rebecca Mongan and Caitlin Maloney, closed the gap to a point, before the Cork side hit another rich spell, as Aileen McGrath scored a cracking goal after gathering a Farmer pass.

Hannah Looney and Leonie Fleming exchanged points before Aghada struck for their third goal of the game on 22 minutes. On this occasion, Looney held off a number of challengers on a powerful solo run, before crashing her effort past Anna Nicholson to make it 3-2 to 0-4.

They added further points before half time as Farmer (two) and Looney left them 3-5 to 0-5 ahead at the break, with Caoimhe Moran getting the closing score of the half for Tuam-Cortoon.

Now while an Aoife O’Rourke score got Tuam-Cortoon off the mark quickly on the resumption, they really struggled to make inroads against a tight Aghada defence that dropped deep and crowded them out.

The visitors were much more comfortable picking off their scores as Farmer (three), McGrath, Bennett, Looney and O’Farrell all slotted efforts over the bar. Just a late Ciara Moloney goal gave the home side any reason for good cheer, while a Caoimhe Moran point completed their second half tally.

Scorers for Tuam-Cortoon: Ciara Moloney (1-0), C Moran (0-2), A O’Rourke (0-1), L Fleming (0-1), R Mangan (0-1), Caitlin Moloney (0-1), C Lyons (0-1f).

Scorers for Aghada: H Looney (1-3), E Farmer (0-6) (0-1f), A Bennett (1-1), A McGrath (1-1), K O’Farrell (0-1).

Tuam-Cortoon: A Nicholson; R Connolly, K Hogan, A Shaughnessy; C Creaven, S Finnegan, M Flaherty; K Geraghty, E Flaherty; A O’Rourke, C Moran, L Fleming; R Mongan, C Moloney, C Lyons.

Subs: C Enahalo for A Shaughnessy (26m), C Maloney for C Lyons (35m), E Roache for R Connolly (46m), R Collins for C Creaven (58m).

Aghada: S Walsh; C Tynan, S Phelan, B Wall; C Walsh, R Phelan, K O’Farrell; S O’Driscoll, S Leahy; L McAllister, E Farmer, H Looney; A Bennett, A McGrath, C Moran.

Subs: E Boylan for A Bennett (48m), K O’Connell for K O’Farrell (55m), S Long for A McGrath (55m), L Burchill for L McAllister (58m), L Lenihan for C Walsh (60m).

Referee: Gerry Carmody (Roscommon).

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