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SENIOR FOOTBALL: Austin Stacks 0-9; Dingle 1-6.
On a perfect Saturday evening for football in Connolly Park this opening round of this season’s curtailed Co. League ended all square after a last minute equalizer.
We had a brilliant start and led by four points to no score as the half entered the last five minutes. Only twenty five seconds had elapsed when Ronan Shanahan put through this season’s captain, Fiachna Mangan for a super opener.
Fiachna was on target again with our 4th point in the 22nd minute and in between we had points from Brendan O’Sullivan and Greg Horan.
But then in the space of two minutes Dingle drew level with an opening point and a well-taken goal. Both sides had a point each in the closing minutes – ours coming from a second by Brendan O’Sullivan to level matters at the break (0-5 to 1-2).
Dingle took the lead with a point seven minutes after the resumption but we dominated the remaining quarter of the second half and lead by two points at the second water-break (0-8 to 1-3) with three consecutive points from Greg Horan, Ferdia O’Brien and Brendan O’Sullivan.
It was the visitors turn then to dominate the closing quarter with three unanswered points from team captain Michael Geaney to give them a one point lead (1-6 to 0-8) as the game entered added time.
But one last attack saw Wayne Guthrie putting through Ferdia O’Brien who put over the equalizer to share the spoils.
Team: Robbie Murphy, Colin Griffin, Barry Shanahan, Paul O’Sullivan, Ciarán O’Reilly, Ronan Shanahan, Ciarán O’Connell, Brendan O’Sullivan (0-3), Shane Walsh, Greg Horan 0-2), Fiachna Mangan (Capt) (0-2), Donagh McKivergan, Michael O’Donnell, Ferdia O’Brien (0-2).
Subs: Donagh McMahon (ht), Shane Carroll (41m), Niall Fitzmaurice (46m), Wayne Guthrie (54m).
Wayne Quillinan and his Management Team of Jonathan Conway, Eoin Colgan, Tommy Naughton, John O’Sullivan, Damien Ryall and Mikey Collins will be happy with the result after a 37 week layoff by our lads from competitive action.
We now travel to play Spa Killarney in round 2 of the Co. League on next Saturday evening (19th June) at 7.30pm.
CONGRATULATIONS: to our own Conor Jordan who made his debut with the Clare Senior Footballers at the week-end. Conor’s Dad (George – a former dual player with Stacks) is of course a Clare man.
Conor came on at half time in Sunday’s NFL playoff and Clare were most unlucky not to have won against Mayo – going down by just four points in a high scoring game (2-22 to 2-18) in Cusack Park.
B FOOTBALL: Laune Rangers B 1-7; Austin Stacks B 6-10.
When we led by a point at the interval (2-4 to 1-6) in this opening round of Div. 5A of the Co. League played in Killorglin on this Sunday afternoon (13th June) some people were wondering would this game also end up all square like our Senior game the night before.
But what a second half our lads put in – holding the opposition to just one more point during that second half while adding a further four goals and six points to end up with an eighteen points winning margin.
Rangers started brightly with the one and only Mike Frank Russell as sharp as ever and were two points up before Andrew Morrissey opened our account in the 8th minute followed shortly after by a pointed free by Gearóid Sheehan after a foul on Conor Myers.
They went ahead again in the 10th minute but when Cian Purcell goaled from a penalty in the 13th minute they were never to take the lead again.
The second quarter was tit for tat with Rangers scoring 1-3 to our 1-2. Conor Myers with a goal and a pointed mark and a point by Dean Scanlon from play were our scorers to give us that one point lead at half time.
Twenty seven seconds had just elapsed in the second half when Shane Carroll added to our tally followed by another pointed free, three minutes later, by Gearóid Sheehan following another foul on Conor Myers.
Then, within a minute, came what turned out to be Rangers last score of the game. We added two more before the second half water break (Shane Carroll from a free and Conor Myers from a mark) to leave us four ahead at that stage (2-8 to 1-7).
However the fourth quarter of the game was all Austin Stacks and one could say was all Conor Myers. Conor scored a hat-trick of goals during this quarter to add to his first half goal (ending up with 4-2 in total).
Cian Purcell added a goal (his second of the day) and a point and second-half substitute Seán Ryan also pointed during this final quarter.
Team: David Hennessy, Ruairí O’Connell, David Burke, John Murphy (Capt), Paul Barrett, Paul Galvin, Eoghan Carroll, Ciarán O’Connell, Shane Carroll (0-2 – one free), Andrew Morrissey (0-1), Gearóid Sheehan (0-2 frees), Daniel O’Rourke, Cian Purcell (2-1 – one penalty goal), Conor Myers (4-2 – two pointed marks), Dean Scanlan (0-1).
Subs: Rory Forbes (ht), Seán Ryan (35m) (0-1), Tom O’Farrell (53m).
The Management Team of Paddy Barry, Tim McMahon, TJ Sheehan, Kieran Kelliher, Eamonn O’Reilly and Dale Counihan will be well satisfied with such a display as we prepare to take on Moyvane in round 2 at home on next Sunday afternoon (20th June) at 2pm.
MINOR FOOTBALL: Austin Stacks 1-5; Dr. Crokes 3-14.
Our thanks to Eamon Scanlan for the following report.
Stacks minors played the second match of the county league against Dr Crokes in Connolly Park on Monday night. After an excellent win away to Ardfert in their opening match, expectations were high in the camp.
However those expectations were quickly dashed and a well coached Dr Crokes side administered a football lesson on the night.
The early exchanges were even but Stacks were reduced to 14 men after 5 minutes and the extra man soon began to tell.
Immediately after the red card, Josh Lynch and Marc Carmody kicked two points to give us an early lead. However Crokes kicked a free and converted a penalty before the first water break to lead.
The second quarter was all Crokes. They scored 2 goals and six points without reply to reach half time in a commanding lead.
The second half began with a point for Stacks by Togor Silong but Crokes responded with 2 points . Josh Lynch then reacted quickest to a 45 that hit the posts to point for Stacks.
Two further points by Crokes sandwiched a Caden O’Mahony free before the water break. The final quarter saw three more Crokes points as against a goal for Stacks from a penalty by Togor Silong.
All in all this was a disappointing performance from the team who are capable of much better.
There were a few good individual performances but the group never clicked as a team and rarely matched the intensity of their opening night victory. However it is important to remember that of the 18 players used on the night, 11 are underage again next year.
Our final match in the initial phase of the County League is an away trip to Glenflesk next Monday night.
Team: Michael Tansley, Kian Gorman, Cian Dillane, Jack Doyle, Simon Carey, Colm Browne, Luke Casey, Josh Lynch (0-2), Togor Silong(1-1), Jack Hannon (c), Noah Townsend, Aaron Nolan, Marc Carmody(0-1), Caden O’Mahony(0-1), Sean Moynihan Subs Jack Slattery ( Sean Moynihan), Adam O’Carroll (Aaron Nolan) Eamonn Barry (Jack Doyle).
JUNE IN THE PAST: (15th to 21st). On the field of play our Seniors had a good win (2-12to 1-5) over Shannon Rangers in Listowel in the opening round of the 1988 (18th June) Co. Championship. Team: Michael Hussey, Ger O’Keeffe, Eamon O’Brien, Pat Slattery, Liam Liddy, Ray O’Lehan, John Galvin, Brian O’Sullivan (0-1), John Walsh, John L. McElligott (1-7), Liam Kearns (0-2), Owen Moynihan, Ger Power, Michael Crowley, Darren Aherne (1-1). Subs: Martin McKivergan (0-1), David O’Lehan. Three players were making the Senior Championship debut on that day – Liam Liddy, Martin McKivergan and David O’Lehan.
Off the field on 18th June 1990 a Plaque was unveiled on the site of Mulchinock’s Shop, the historic meeting place for Rock teams down the years when playing away from home.
ONLINE CLUB SHOP OPEN – check out the newest ‘official’ Austin Stacks Club Merchandise – only available to order on this link (free delivery on any orders over €50) see www.oneills.com.
CLUB LOTTO: Monday Night’s (14th June) Jackpot, worth €2,150, was not won. The numbers drawn were 4, 19, 20, 23. The €20 winners were Deirdre Power and Paddy Barry, both c/o The Club; Molly O’Shea, c/o Brendan O’Regan; Darra Donovan, c/o The Juveniles; and Tony & Josie Casey, c/o Richard Healy.
Next Monday’s Jackpot will be worth €2,200.
Continued thanks to the following businesses for selling our Club Lotto tickets – Kevin Barry’s Shop, Commane’s Book Shop, O’Flynn Interiors, Hussey’s, Princess St., Terry’s Butcher’s, Oakpark The Burger Shack, Monavally as well as Maguire’s Butchers and Kirby’s Brogue Inn and continued thanks to everyone who purchase tickets week in, week out.
Austin Stacks lotto tickets are now also available to purchase on line on the following link: https://play.clubforce.com/play_newa.asp?ll_id=529#Anchor Kirby’s Brogue Inn Maguire’s ButchersHussey’s P. Commane Books.
SYMPATHY: Sincere sympathy is offered to the families of the following who died recently: Joan Bais nee Moloney, Dromtacker; Margaret Humphries (nee Finn), Ashgrove Ballyvelly and formerly St. Brendan’s Park and Hertfordshire; Joan Daly, Ballybeg, Currow and formerly O’Sullivan’s Place, Boherbee; and Mary Howard (nee Egan), Leith East and formerly Derrymore Island.
