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Aghada’s under 21’s snatched a draw in a thrilling finish to this first round clash played in Caherlag on Tuesday the 17th of July. Bride Rovers, who led by 4 points with normal time elapsed will feel desperately unlucky not to have held on for the win. Aghada were definitely the happier of the 2 sides with the result, but on the night there wasn’t a whole lot to choose between the sides. Aghada, playing with the breeze, opened the scoring on 5 minutes through wing forward Kenneth O’Brien. A minute later centre back Paudie Wall pointed a long range free. In the opening 10 minutes ‘keeper Stephen Gilroy was called on to make a number of fine catches, as Bride Rovers piled on a bit of pressure before opening their account on 7 minutes. Bride Rovers now started to get on top especially in the middle sector and raced into a 6 points to 4 lead after 20 minutes. Cian Fleming hit a nice point on the run, to reduce the deficit before Aghada hit their best period of the match. The half backline, which had struggled early on, now got on top, with David Condon, Paudie Wall and especially Shane Morrissey now in control. Aghada’s man of the match, Shane Wall, now sprung into life. First he hit a nice score off his right, then won 2 close in frees which Finbarr Day converted, and then on the stroke of halftime the young corner forward hit another excellent score this time off his left. There was no response from Rovers so this left the half time score 9 v 6 in Aghada’s favour.

Turning to play with the stiffening breeze, Bride Rovers quickly took control of the second half proceedings. 2 placed balls in 3 minutes had the gap down to the minimum. Another fine score from Cian Fleming got Aghada off the mark for the second period, but 2 minutes later, Bride Rovers fashioned a good goal. Willie O’Shea helped set up Day for a point and Shane Wall had another, with 1 in response from Rovers leaving the sides all square after a lively opening 10 minutes, 1-9 V 0-12. Now however Bride Rovers completely took over. They hit 4 points in the next quarter of an hour, but crucially missed as many again. They also created another excellent goal chance, when they had 3 forwards facing only Shane Morrissey in the Aghada defence, but super defending from Morrissey somehow managed to prevent a certain goal which would possibly have put the game beyond Aghada. At the other end, Aghada did have chances, but were only living off scraps and it was left to stirling defensive work from the likes of Liam Day and Aiden O’Connell to keep them in the tie. A surging run from Paudie Wall, resulted in a Fleming pointed free, but Bride Rovers cancelled this out immediately with a free of their own. Time was up and it looked like the game was too, until Shane Wall after a major scramble, trickled the ball into the net to reduce the deficit to a point. The ball probably didn’t even reach the net, but it was a goal all the same. 2 minutes into injury time, Finbarr Day from way out on the left touchline hit over a super point and the sides were level. There was still time for a winner for either side, but neither team managed to create the chance to grab the win and they will have to do it all over again in the replay. A good enough game, with some nice hurling in patches and plenty of fighting spirit from both sides, will mean it will be all to play for again the next day. Aghada team and scorers –

Stephen Gilroy,

Aiden O’Connell, Liam Day, Conor Rice,

David Condon, Paudie Wall, Shane Morrissey,

Evan Kennedy, Finbarr Day (0-5,3f),

Kenneth O’Brien(0-1), Sean O’Donoghue, Alan Creedon,

Shane Wall (1-3), Cian Fleming(0-4,1f), Willie O’Shea.

Subs Used – Declan Morrissey, Richie Condon.