Semi-Finals are there to be won says Aughnasheelin manager Terence Reynolds

“Semi-Finals are there to be won, they’re not there for pretty stuff,” was the on-point message from Terence Reynolds to his Aughnasheelin troops last Saturday and they delivered with a five point semi-final win over Kiltubrid.

The former Carrigallen player gave an insight into the thinking Aughnasheelin deployed for the game as he revealed it was their intent to push the pace with the wind at their backs in the first half: “The message we gave out before the game is that if we’re playing with the wind, we go for it. 

Aughnasheelin storm into Final as Kiltubrid finish with 12 players

AUGHNASHEELIN 1-8 KILTUBRID 0-5

“We need to have a lead playing with the wind - you saw last week that any team that doesn’t have the lead built up paid in the second half. We wanted to play with the wind early doors, get four, five or six points up and then reassess things at halftime.”

Aughnasheelin’s scoring rate dropped off in the second half but Terence revealed that may have been down to a different tactical approach against the wind: “We did drop a wee bit deeper because they are very dangerous inside, long diagonal balls no matter who you are  hard to defend. So we brought on Cathal Egan and I thought he shored things up early on and he got a brilliant turnover early on in the second half that led to a score. 

Brilliant Annaduff blow Allen Gaels away with power packed second half

ANNADUFF 3-13 ALLEN GAELS 2-9

“Yes we sat a wee bit deeper, we were carrying a few niggles and that was on our minds, we didn’t want to go flat to the mat but we felt that if we got a lead up with the wind, we’d be able to see it out.”