U21A QUARTER-FINAL
St Enda’s 1-7 Aghagallon 2-9
Report & Pics by Brian Hamill
Aghagallon produced a spirited second-half comeback to claim a hard-fought victory over St Enda’s in a pulsating U21A clash that saw momentum swing dramatically at St Enda’s.
Trailing by five points late in the first half, the visitors looked to be in trouble after St Enda’s struck with a long range goal from corner forward Odhran McKenna and a flurry of frees from their lively right half forward Cathair McKenna. Midway through the first half, Aghagallon’s blood substitute Ronan O’Connor scored a goal, before being taken off again! Odhran Rooney was reliable for Aghagallon in the first half, converting two frees.
Aghagallon regrouped at half time and came out with renewed purpose, overturning the deficit with a mix of grit, guile and clinical finishing.
EJ Loughran was instrumental in the turnaround, hitting four second-half points, two from play and two from placed balls, as Aghagallon gradually reeled in their hosts. His score at 23 minutes, a well-taken point from play, nudged the visitors ahead for the first time since the opening exchanges.
Eoin Maginnis added a crucial goal midway through the second half, powering his way through the defence to finish smartly and give Aghagallon a two-point cushion. Daniel McIlmoyle chipped in with a fine point from play, after coming on for the second half and Loughran’s accuracy from frees kept the scoreboard ticking over as St Enda’s struggled to regain their earlier rhythm.
Aghagallon’s defensive discipline, highlighted by the excellent performances from half back’s Enda McCartan and James McCormack and midfield dynamo Padraig Gowdy helped Aghagallon to regain control of the game that was lacking in the first half.
Although there was a strong wind down the pitch for the entire game, both teams were more effective playing into the wind, but towards the end, St Enda’s used the wind to kick the ball high and long on a few occasions, as they chased Aghagallon’s lead.
Aghagallon’s resilience and sharper finishing saw them over the line, securing a 2-9 to 1-7 win and sending a clear message to the rest of the U21 championship contenders.
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