BY BRENDAN KENNEALLY

LAST year’s beaten finalists Aghinagh are back into the semi-finals of the Ross Oil Mid Cork Junior Football Championship and a meeting with Éire Óg after an impressive 3-16 to 1-11 win over Ballincollig at a sun-drenched Ovens on Saturday evening last.

Aghinagh were fortunate to emerge from their group with superior scoring difference after only one victory, but the improved form shown in that win over Clondrohid in their last outing was carried forward to this encounter and they were much the better side against a hitherto unbeaten Ballincollig.

Two goals in two minutes early in the second quarter were vital, helping Aghinagh to an interval lead of 2-6 to 0-8. The third Aghinagh goal from Con Buckley two minutes into the second half was the killer blow, and there was a subsequent inevitability about the final outcome, though Ballincollig never ceased in their efforts to get back into live contention. The opening quarter gave promise of a very tight contest. Darren Murphy opened their account in the third minute, Liam Twohig levelled from an Aghinagh free before Pete Kelly and Mark Oldham kicked points to put The Village back in front. Aghinagh’s Jack Kearney saw a blistering shot hit the butt of the upright but Twohig then pointed, a score matched by Jack Murray for Ballincollig to give his side a 0-4 to 0-2 advantage after 12 minutes.

Ballincollig ‘keeper Chris Walsh made a fine save from Liam Twohig in the 15th minute but was helpless to keep out William Coakley’s palmed finish to the net from Twohig’s cross two minutes later in a move initiated by Mathew McCarthy’s excellent turnover at midfield. Shane Corkery then kicked a superb two-pointer for Aghinagh and after Pete Kelly had his second point in reply, Aghinagh struck for a second goal T.J. Buckley’s pin-point pass to Thomas Morgan was beautifully finished by the midfielder, 2-4 to 0-5, and the whole completion of the game altered in Aghinagh’s favour. Ballincollig battled on, points were exchanged, and at the break Aghinagh held a four-point advantage, 2-6 to 0-8. The winners had a great start to the second half. Liam Twohig kicked a two-point free and Con Buckley then belted a loose ball to the Ballincollig net after Liam Twohig, in possession, had been knocked over. Three goals clear now with less than three minutes played since the restart, Aghinagh were buzzing and were never going to lose that lead.

With Con Buckley, Twohig and Coakley simply on fire in attack, the scores kept coming, but Ballincollig, in fairness, never gave up and were rewarded with a goal from Olan Dorgan five minutes from time.

Aghinagh defenders Donagh O’Riordan, Declan Ambrose and TJ Buckley will have happy memories of this quarter-final.

Meanwhile, as expected, Donoughmore, got over Béal Átha juniors in the second quarter final, 1-18 to 1-7, at Carrigadrohid on Sunday, and they moved confidently on to a semi-final meeting with neighbours Grenagh. It was obvious from an early stage that Donoughmore were the superior side but having slipped up before in the group stage, they were not going to take the foot off the pedal here with a last four position at stake. Thus, they applied pressure on Beal Átha from the start and totally dominated the first half. David McDonnell opened the scoring with a first minute point for the winners and similar scores followed from Gavin O’Sullivan, Jack Murphy, Declan Keating and McDonnell again, leaving it 0-6 to no score after 10 minutes. Keating, Sean O’Hanlon and Mark Lucey added points before Beal Átha at last had an opening score, a point from a Ronán Ó Loinsuigh free in the 21st minute, which got an instant response from Keating. When Tadhg Ó Laoghaire pointed another Beal Átha free, Rory Honohan kicked another point for the winners. In the dying seconds of the half, Ó Laoghaire kicked a two-pointer for the Gaeltacht men, which left Donoughmore leading 0-11 to 0-4 at the interval.

Any remote prospect of a Beal Átha revival was quickly quenched with Donoughmore adding 1-5 to their tally within the opening five minutes. Gavin O’Sullivan finished a three-man move out of defence with a well taken goal and kicked a two-pointer from a free, and it was clear that the game was over as a contest, Donoughmore now with a 15-point advantage.

Beal Átha got a goal back through Micheál Long but it was too little, too late.