Aghabullogue 1-16

Dohenys 2-13

JOHNNY CAROLAN REPORTS

BOTH sides experienced the full range of emotions in this McCarthy Insurance Group SAFC clash at Kilmichael on Saturday evening before leaving with a point each.

Coming up to half-time, last year’s Premier IFC winners Aghabullogue held an 11-point lead against Dohenys but, wind-assisted in the second half, the Dunmanway side ate into the deficit until it was no more – and they could have even stolen victory, having never led up to then.

Down by ten at half-time, the Dohenys management kept the players out on the pitch as they sought to sort out some issues and were rewarded, to the delight of new manager Niall Hurley.

‘We had to do something different,’ he said.

‘We always go in at half-time and I just said no, something different here, so we stayed out.

‘Maybe that was a trigger for the lads that there was something seriously going on, from our side as well on the line.

‘I'm delighted with the young fellas – we lost a couple of lads from last year's panel, it’s an all-new management team and Dave O’Donovan came in with us, we’re delighted to have him with us, he’s a huge asset.

‘I'm happy with the point.’

It was an outcome that looked quite remote in the first half as Aghabullogue carried the momentum of 2025 into the higher grade. An early 0-3 to 0-1 lead was buttressed as Matthew Bradley’s two-point free was followed by a goal from the same player.

Outside of Keith White frees, Dohenys struggled to conjure much, with Breandán O’Sullivan excellent in the Aghabullogue defence.

Paul Ring’s point had stretched the lead to 1-10 to 0-3 by 24 minutes when Cialan O’Sullivan was hauled down for an Aghabullogue penalty but Adam Murphy’s effort was kept out by Stephen Daly.

Even then, it looked more like damage-limitation rather than a huge turning point and Dohenys needed Daly to make another important save from Bradley, but John Corkery’s two-pointer gave Aghabullogue a commanding 1-13 to 0-5 advantage.

Dohenys' manager Niall Hurley.

However, Shane Barry’s free reduced the arrears slightly before the break and White and Keith McCarthy had points on the restart but Cialan O’Sullivan replied with a pair of scores for the Coachford side.

Dohenys were not cowed, though, with Eoin Lavers coming to the fore in defence to ensure they enjoyed the bulk of possession.

Pádraig Crowley and Fionn Herlihy combined for White’s sixth point and the deficit was reduced from nine to a more-manageable six as McCarthy’s delivery was won by midfielder Adam O’Donovan, who produced a smart finish to the net.

That left it 1-15 to 1-9 with 20 minutes left but Dohenys were lucky that Bradley had a goal effort for Aghabullogue coming back off the post immediately after that.

They made the most of the let-off as sub Ian Bryan and Oran McCarthy linked to set up Barry for the second goal and the gap was down to one thanks to a booming orange flag from Herlihy.

Bradley did respond with a close-range free but White made it a one-point game again and Dohenys might have even moved in front – first, White was denied by a John Buckley save and then sub Gavin Farr’s two-point attempt tailed just wide.

The levellers came as the ball was worked through Lavers, White and Murphy before getting to McCarthy, who slotted over, ensuring a share of the spoils.

While naturally disappointed not to have won, Aghabullogue boss Ray Keane could see the bigger picture.

‘I’ve said this plenty of times before, it depends whether you're a glass-half-full man or a glass-half-empty man,’ Keane said.

‘Yeah, we could have won the game – very impressive in the first half, but at the same time left three goals after us, which ultimately cost us.

‘We fought hard and probably in the end we're lucky enough to come out of it with a draw. Again, going back to perspective, it’s the first time I think since 1890 that this club was formed that they're playing senior football, so we'll take the point, we'll go back and we'll put the heads down and see where it takes us.’

Scorers

Aghabullogue: Matthew Bradley 1-5 (1 2ptf 0-2f); Cialan O’Sullivan 0-4; John Corkery (2pt), L Casey 0-2 each; Pádraic O’Sullivan, Paul Ring, Aaron O’Sullivan 0-1 each.

Dohenys: Keith White 0-7 (5f); Shane Barry 1-1; Adam O’Donovan 1-0; Fionn Herlihy (2pt), Keith McCarthy 0-2 each; Rhys Coakley 0-1.

Aghabullogue: John Buckley; Tom Long, Dhani Merrick, Paul Dilworth; Paul Ring, Shane Tarrant, Breandán O’Sullivan; Colm Gillespie, Adam Murphy; Pádraic O’Sullivan, John Corkery, Aaron O’Sullivan; Matthew Bradley, Cialan O’Sullivan, Luke Casey.

Subs: Odhran O’Connell for O’Sullivan (37, inj), David Thompson for Pádraic O’Sullivan, Evan O’Sullivan for Aaron O’Sullian (both 57), Seán O’Sullivan for Cialan O’Sullivan (60+1).

Dohenys: Stephen Daly; Jerry Farrell, Eoin Lavers, Donal Rice; Oran McCarthy, Jerry Collins, Barry O’Donovan; Adam O’Donovan, Rhys Coakley; Shane Barry, Fionn Herlihy, Keith McCarthy; Keith White, Seán Murphy, Pádraig Crowley.

Subs: Ian Bryan for Crowley (38), Ellis Farrell for O’Donovan (49), Gavin Farr for O McCarthy (55).

Referee: Cormac Dineen (Douglas).