TREVOR BARRETT TOURNAMENT: The 5th Annual Trevor Barrett Memorial Tournament goes ahead in Connolly Park on this Saturday (24th Aug). The competing teams and the draw will be made on this Monday night. Check Club Website for details.
ALL IRELAND TICKETS: Club Secretary, Elma Nix invites all adult Austin Stacks Club members to enter our Club members draw to win an All Ireland ticket. Please text Elma on 086 1053300 before 5pm this Friday (23rd Aug).
No late applications accepted. Our club members tickets are intended for use by our mentors/senior players/volunteers/supporters – please do not apply unless using the ticket yourself.
STRICTLY COME DANCING: After weeks of intense and dedicated practice it’s now just over a week before our contestants take to the floor of the Festival Dome on Saturday week (31th Aug) for what will be the 9th consecutive running of the ever-popular Strictly Come Dancing Competition.
It was under the stewardship of the then Club Chairman, Aidan O’Connor (back this year as Manager of the C Team) that the inaugural event took place in 2011 and this year fourteen couples will be taking the floor after being put through their paces for the last ten weeks or so by the talented dancing teacher, Jackie O’Mahoney.
SENIOR FOOTBALL: Austin Stacks 1-9; Kerins O’Rahillys 0-10.
After losing to O’Rahillys in the last three seasons of the Town Championship we emerged winners in last Saturday evening’s semi final in a showery, blustery Connolly Park after a tight low-scoring encounter.
With both sides being very measured in their build-ups and both sets of defences excelling, scoring was at a minimum. In the first half both sides scored five points each and in the second half its was five scores each also, the only difference being one of our scores was a goal put away by Shane O’Callaghan in the 35th minute after good work by Darragh O’Brien.
So another good display by our lads, with Wayne and his colleagues using the bench to good effect.
It was good to see Barry Shanahan back in action again after that nasty injury he picked up in that Legion game some four weeks ago, and also good to see Darragh O’Brien getting a run between the posts after his recent absence. And equally as good to see both Donagh McMahon and Gearóid Sheehan making their Senior debuts with both playing exceptionally well in all the build-ups.
Team: Darragh O’Brien, Colin Griffin, Barry Shanahan, John Dennis, Jack O’Shea, Conor Jordan (Capt), Jack Morgan, Wayne Guthrie, Shane Carroll, Donagh McMahon, Greg Horan (0-1), Pa McCarthy, Fiachna Mangan (0-1), Darragh O’Brien (0-5 – three frees), Shane O’Callaghan (1-2).
Subs used: Gearóid Sheehan (ht), Ferdia O’Brien (42m), Michael O’Gara (42m), Ciarán O’Connell (42m), Dylan Casey (42m), John Murphy (54m).
We are due to play John Mitchels in the final (they defeated Ballymac in the other semi final) on next Saturday evening at 6.30pm – venue yet to be announced as we write.
B FOOTBALL: The Co. Junior Championships start on this Friday evening (23rd Aug). We are in a 12 team group which involves six qualifying games in round 1. The six winners will go through to the Molyneaux Cup while the six losers will qualify for the McElligott Cup. All remaining games in both competitions will be on a knock out basis and will be played on consecutive Fridays.
Our opening game in the qualifying round will see us travel to Glenbeigh on this Friday evening for a 6.45pm start against Glenbeigh/Glencar.
THE C TEAM: The same system will apply for our C team who are in a group of 22 teams. The 11 preliminary games go ahead also on this Friday evening involving an away trip for our lads to Brosna. Throw-in is also at 6.45pm. The 11 winners will qualify for the Barrett Cup while the 11 losers will contest the Cahill Cup.
MINOR FOOTBALL: Austin Stacks 2-11; West Kerry 0-10.
We qualified for our second Co. Championship semi final in succession with a brilliant seven points win against a fancied West Kerry side in Connolly Park on last Tuesday evening (13th Aug). Conor Myers had us two points ahead inside the opening four minutes with a pointed free after Dara Barry Walsh was fouled and the other from play after good work by Eoghan Carroll and Tom O’Farrell. West Kerry’s first point came in the fifth minute and then a minute later Eoghan and Conor were the providers for our third point put over beautifully by Greg Scanlon.
Between then and the end of the first quarter it was all West Kerry as they scored four points without reply to give them a two points lead at that stage. However we then dominated the second quarter putting over four of our own, two by Seán Quilter (one from a free after a foul on Daniel O’Rourke) and one each from Conor Myers and Mervyn Shalamba. West Kerry then had a point in added time to leave us with a one point lead at the break (0-7 to 0-6).
It took seven minutes after the resumption to witness the next score and boy was it worth waiting for. Eoghan Carroll made another dashing run up field, found Cian Purcell who laid-off to Conor Myers and Cian was there to take the return pass and slam the ball low into the net for a super goal. During the next thirteen minutes both sides had two points each – our first started and finished by Daniel O’Rourke and the second one from a Conor Myers free when goal-bound Cian Purcell was brought down after running the length of the pitch. Two minutes later Conor was again involved when he put away our second goal after some good work by Mark Holden.
During the remaining 17 minutes of play (referee, Brian Fleming played almost nine minutes of additional time) both sides had two points each – both of ours coming from two superbly-taken frees by Seán Quilter. This was a very solid performance by our starting fifteen together with the three subs introduced during the second half. Ben Quilter was soundness personified in goals with his superb kick-outs almost always finding a colleague. Our two Kerry Minor defenders, Luke Chester and Adam Curran were outstanding and their other four colleagues in the back line – Niall Fitzmaurice, Eoghan Carroll, Padraig Linnane and Daniel O’Rourke were equally as good. Darragh Barry Walsh and Seán Quilter dominated the centre and up-front Craig Teahan and Tom O’Farrell were involved in almost every move which lead to all our thirteen scores.
Team: Ben Quilter, Niall Fitzmaurice, Luke Chester, Eoghan Carroll, Pádraic Linnane, Adam Curran, Daniel O’Rourke (0-1), Seán Quilter (Capt) (0-4 – 3 frees), Dara Barry Walsh, Craig Teahan, Cian Purcell (1-0), Mervyn Shalama (0-1), Greg Scanlon (0-1), Conor Myers (1-4 – two frees), Tom O’Farrell.
Subs used: Mark Holden (46m), Ciarán Kelliher (54m), Gavin Duffy (59m).
Like last year we will play East Kerry in the semi final with St. Brendans and Rathmore in the other semi. Both these games are to go ahead on this Tuesday evening (20th Aug) at 6.30pm. Castleisland is the venue for our game.
U21 FOOTBALL: Austin Stacks 1-12; Laune Rangers 0-9.
On last Thursday evening (15th Aug) in Connolly Park our U21s had a six points win against Laune Rangers in the quarter final of the Co. Championship. We opened briskly and had three points on the board within six minutes. The first came after just twenty two seconds with David Fitzmaurice winning the throw-in, finding Ferdia O’Brien who gave to Donagh McKivergan who pointed. The next point came in the fifth minute from Seán Quilter, following a beautiful slick move which was started by goalkeeper Robbie Murphy and continued by Adam Curran, David Fitz and Shane Walsh. Shane was involved again in the third point which came when he won the kick-out and put Michael O’Gara through who put over.
Rangers first score came from a pointed free in the 9th minute and then we put over three more points in quick succession – Seán Quilter for a forty five and two from play by Donagh McKivergan again and Conor Myers. There was no score then until the 23rd minute as play was held up on two occasions with a player for each side going down injured – Dylan Casey our player needing attention. We are glad to say that both players recovered fully. That next score was a pointed free for the opposition which was cancelled out within a minute by a point from play by Ferdia O’Brien. As the game went into added we we were ahead by 0-7 to 0-2 but in the six minutes of added time Rangers scored four points without reply to leave them just one behind at the break (0-7 to 0-6).
Eight minutes elapsed after the resumption before Rangers got the first score of the second half to draw evel for the first time in the game. That was still the position after the 46th minutes when both sides had added just two points each – ours coming from two pointed frees by Seán Quilter and Ferdia O’Brien. We went ahead again in the 50th minute when Gearóid Sheehan quick pass found Michael O’Gara who put over his second of the evening. Two minutes later came what turned out to be the game changer. David Fitzmaurice, as he had done all evening, won the kick-out. He quickly found Gearóid Sheehan who passed to the onrushing Dylan Casey and team captain Dylan shot low to the net for the only goal of the game. Conor Myers and Donagh McMahon added two more points in the closing minutes to qualify us for our first semi final since 2013.
This was another all-round brilliant performance by our lads. How many times did our defenders come to the rescue when a very dangerous Rangers forward line looked like landing the fatal blows. If it wasn’t Shane Kelliher and Dylan Casey it was Dara Barry Walsh and Adam Curan or Brandon Patterson and Eoghan Carroll. David Fitz and Shane Walsh were outstanding at centre field and up front five of our starting forwards got on the score sheet.
Team: Robbie Murphy, Shane Kelliher, Dylan Casey (Capt) (1-0), Dara Barry Walsh, Adam Curran, Brandon Patterson, Eoghan Carroll, David Fitzmaurice, Shane Walsh, Rory Forbes, Ferdia O’Brien (0-2 – one free), Michael 0’Gara (0-2), Seán Quilter (0-3 – one free, one forty five), Donagh McKivergan (0-2), Conor Myers (0-2).
Subs used: Donagh McMahon (ht) (0-1), Gearóid Sheehan (40m), Luke Chester (46m), Daniel O’Rourke (57m), Michael Linnane (59m).
Like our Minors we have drawn East Kerry in the semi final and Cordal is the venue for this game which is scheduled to be played on this Thursday evening (22nd Aug) with a 6.30pm start also. St. Brendans and Feale Rangers will contest the other semi final in Ballyduff.
BEST OF LUCK: Daniel O’Rourke has played football this season with our B team, our U21s and our Minors but on this Sunday (25th Aug), in Austin Stack Park, he will line out with Crotta O’Neills in the Co. Minor Hurling Final. We all wish Daniel and his team mates the best of luck on Sunday.
CLUBHOUSE: As always the Clubhouse is available for all types of Parties and Functions. Enquiries about Club Bookings should be made by contacting Harry Hynes at 087 2467286.
CARDS: The 45 Card Sessions continue in the Clubhouse on every Monday and Thursday nights, commencing at 9.30pm each night.
LOTTO: Last week’s (12th August) Jackpot, worth €11,800, was not won. The numbers drawn were 7, 11, 15, 23.
The €20 winners were: Brian Morgan, c/o Club Rockies; Aram Vartanyan, c/o Carmel O’Neill; Harry O’Callaghan, c/o The Club; Margaret O’Sullivan, c/o Rock Street Post Office; and Tom Leen, c/o The Cards.
Lotto Tickets are on regular sale at the Rock Street Post Office and at the Stacks Clubhouse, as well as from our other regular outlets.
SYMPATHY: Sincere sympathy is offered to the families of the following who died recently: Patrick Foley, Árd na Lí and formerly Ballymacelligott and Scotland; and Kevin N. Roche, Lisbeg and formerly Portarlington.
