VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: The Club is looking for as many volunteers as possible to come to our Connolly Park Grounds next Saturday morning (5th Sept) at 11am to help do a clearance at our juvenile pitch in order to have it ready for the following weekend for the U13 Lee Strand Tournament. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
SENIOR FOOTBALL: St. Michaels/Foilmore 0-17; Austin Stacks 3-14.
We travelled to Foilmore on last Saturday evening (29th Aug) to play our postponed round 9 Co. League game and did enough to return home with our 5th League win of the season (in addition to two draws) and secure 3rd place on the League table.
Great first half points from veteran Mikey Collins (2), Fiachna Mangan, Shane Carroll (2) and Darragh O’Brien (2) and a goal and two points by Shane O’Callaghan left us ahead at the break by 1-9 to 0-6.
The second half was just 18 seconds in play when Pa McCarthy placed David O’Sullivan who raced through and netted. Further points from Mikey Collins (2), Fiachna Mangan and Darragh O;Brien and a second Shane O’Callaghan goal (in the 42nd minute) saw us well in command as the game entered the final quarter.
After 21m we led by 8 pts, after 35m we led by 11 pts and after 45m we were 13 pts ahead. But a never-say-die attitude by the home side saw them dominate the closing quarter – scoring 8 pts to one – thus reducing the deficit to six at the end of play. Our lone point in that final quarter came from a beautiful effort by Jack O’Shea – his first score with the Senior team since making his Senior debut just four games ago on the 13th June.
It is now in our own hands. If we win our remaining two games – at home to Finuge and away to Desmonds – we will end up at least 2nd on the League table, thus gaining a Co. League final spot for the third season in a row.
It was good to see Shane O’Callaghan and Wayne Guthrie back again after their sojourn abroad and both have showed that they have lost none of their sharpness while away.
Team: Jonathan Conway, Seán Ryan, Barry Walsh, John Dennis, Pa McCarthy, Fearghal MacNamara (Capt), Ciarán O’Connell, Shane Carroll (0-2 – one free), Brían Mangan, Michael Collins (0-4), David O’Sullivan (1-0), Alan Duggan, Fiachna Mangan 0-2), Shane O’Callaghan (2-2), Darragh O’Brien (0-3).
Subs used: Jack O’Shea (24m) (0-1), Wayne Guthrie (26m), Michael O’Donnell (39m), Seán Dukes (47m), Seamus Bastible (55m).
JUNIOR B FOOTBALL: Our round 4 Town League game, against Kerins O’Rahillys is due to go ahead in Connolly Park on this Wednesday evening (2nd Sept) at 7pm. A date for our final round 5 game against St. Pats is awaited as we write.
We also await the playing of our 1st round (quarter final) game in the Co. Championship (Molyneaux Cup), away to Rathmore. The winners of this game will play Killarney Legion in the semi final.
U21 FOOTBALL: Fixtures have been made for the first round (quarter final) of the U21 Championship Shield competition. We have received a bye into the semi final while the three games in the quarter finals are fixed for this Wednesday evening (2nd Sept). Our semi game has been fixed for the following Wednesday (9th Sept) with the time, venue and opposition still to be decided
MINOR FOOTBALL: Austin Stacks 5-9 (24); Laune Rangers 2-20 (26).
It’s very seldom a team notches up an aggregate score of 24 points and still comes out on the losing side but that’s exactly what happened at an overcast Connolly Park on last Friday evening (28th Aug) in round 4 (of 5) on the Central League.
This was a very entertaining game of open attacking football with brilliant individual performances and excellent passages of team play by both sides. In addition both sides had periods of almost total dominance.
Seán Dukes had us ahead after just 15 seconds but by the 12th minute Rangers had built up a four points lead (0-6 to 0-2) – our 2nd point coming from Louis Ryle.
Then we had a period of domination – scoring 2-4 to no score in a nine minute period (13th to 22nd). Our two goals came from Cian Liston and Louis Ryle and Louis was also one of the point scorers, together with Fergal Ryan and Michael O’Donnell (2). In the closing minutes of the half the visitors added four more points but the score of the game came in the 28th minute when Mikey Kenny was at the end of a good Rock move involving Philip Quilter, Seán Dukes and Fergal Ryan to punch to the net to give us a five points lead at the break (3-6 to 0-10).
Conor Lowe made his Minor debut at the start of the second half, and it wasn’t very long when he had our opening score of this half with a lovely point. But it was now Rangers turn again to dominate and after 10 minutes of the resumption they added a further 1-4 to give them a one point lead at that stage (1-14 to 3-7). Then in a three minute spell, first half goal scorers, Cian Liston and Louis Ryle repeated the feat with Cian adding a point as well to restore our lead to six points again (5-8 to 1-14).
But in the closing quarter Rangers scored a further 1-6, while our only score came from a Seán Dukes pointed free to leave the visitors winners by two points.
All our scores, bar that last point by Sean Dukes, came from play while on the other hand 10 of Rangers 20 points came from frees.
Despite the loss there is still the possibility of getting to a semi final spot, depending on the results of a number of back games still to be played, including our own final game away to Milltown/Castlemaine.
Team: Daniel Kinsella, Pádraig Looney, Brandon Patterson, Daniel Teahan, David Fitzmaurice, Seán Fitzmaurice, Shane Walsh, Michael O’Donnell (0-2), Philip Quilter, Louis Ryle (2-2), Seán Dukes (0-2 – 1 free), Fergal Ryan (0-1), Michael Kenny (1-0), Cian Liston (2-1), Michael Linnane.
Subs used: Tomás Sheehy (ht), Conor Lowe (ht) (0-1).
It was good to see both Cathal O’Reilly and Jonathan Myers at the game. Cathal and Jonathan are recovering from their recent cruciate surgery and we all wish them a full and speedy recovery.
CONGRATULATIONS: and best wishes are extended to Fr. Kevin Sullivan on his appointment as Parish Priest of Milltown Parish. Fr. Kevin was among our team of Juvenile Coaches for a number years.
BINGO: continues on this and every Saturday night commencing at 8.30pm.
CLUBHOUSE: As always the Clubhouse is available for all types of Parties. For Bookings phone Des at 066 7126942 after 8pm any evening.
CARDS: The 45 Card Sessions continue in the Clubhouse every Monday and Thursday Nights, commencing at 9.30pm each night.
LOTTO: Last Monday’s (24th Aug) Jackpot worth €5,000 was not won. The numbers drawn were 1, 5, 16, and 23.
The €20 Prizes went to Liam Lynch, David McGrath and Bernie O’Connell, all c/o Carmel Quilter; Denis Foley, c/o Denis O’Connor; and Laura O’Regan, c/o Brendan O’Regan.
SYMPATHY: Sincere sympathy is offered to the families of the following who died recently – John Lynch, Barrakilla and late of Ballinorig (Tralee) and Pallas (Listowel); and Nigel Kenny, Quarryvale, Mounthawk and late of Co. Mayo.
