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FITNESS CLASSES: The Individual Pod Fitness Training sessions continues in the Clubhouse every Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7pm to 8pm. All are welcome. Contact Diane at 087 7940531 for further information.
SENIOR FOOTBALL: Dingle 2-10; Austin Stacks 2-12.
When these sides met in the opening game of the season just 15 weeks ago (the first round of the Co. League) the result was a low-scoring draw (0-9 to 1-6) in Connolly Park. Dingle went on a few weeks later to win the League outright, their second in the 50 year history of the competition.
On last Sunday afternoon (26th Sept) in Páirc an Aghasaigh eight minutes into the second half it looked as if they would continue with that winning streak. At that stage they had a lead of eight points (2-9 to 1-4).
But for the remainder of the game we held them to just one more point, and that from a free, while we put on a towering display adding a further goal and eight points to come away with a two points win.
The sides were level on two points each after the opening seven minutes – both of ours coming from play by Michael O’Donnell and Ronan Shanahan. But Dingle took complete control for the remainder of the half, adding 1-6 to their tally while holding us to just two more points – a second Michael O’Donnell point from play and a pointed free by Seán Quilter after a foul on Shane O’Callaghan. The home side led by 1-8 to 0-4 at half time.
Both sides had a goal each in the opening minutes of the second half – ours coming from a well-taken Sean Quilter penalty after a foul on Joseph O’Connor. And then came that towering display which we referred to earlier.
Our goal was the first to come in the 39thminute by Shane O’Callaghan with our eight points coming from five different players – three more from Sean Quilter (one from a free), two more from play by Michael O’Donnell and one each by Joseph O’Connor, Shane O’Callaghan and a Darragh O’Brien free.
It was good to see Barry Shanahan back in action again – making a first start since the Crokes game in early July but not so good to see his brother Ronan pick up an injury just four minutes into the second after having a whale of a game up to then. Greg Horan also picked up a slight injury during that second half and we wish both Ronan and Greg a speedy recovery,
Team: Wayne Guthrie, Barry Walsh, Barry Shanahan, Jack O’Shea, Dylan Casey (Capt), Conor Jordan, Ronan Shanahan (0-1), Joseph O’Connor (0-1), Michael O’Gara, Greg Horan, Shane O’Callaghan (1-1), Fiachna Mangan, Seán Quilter (1-4 – penalty goal, two frees), Michael O’Donnell (0-4), Brendan O’Sullivan.
Subs used: Adam Curran (34m), Darragh O’Brien (43m) (0-1 free), Armin Heinrich (46m), Colin Griffin (56m).
With both sides having already qualified for the semi finals the win means a home game for us in our semi final and with all four teams in Group 2 on equal points our opponents could be any of those four teams (Crokes, Kenmare, Templenoe, Spa). Those two round 3 games in Group 2 will be played on next Sunday (3rd Oct) at 2.30pm – Dr. Crokes .v. Kenmare Sham at Lewis Rd. and Spa .v. Templenoe at Spa (Killarney).
In the meantime we have drawn the current champions, East Kerry in the opening game of this season’s Co. Championship due to take placeo n the 30th/31st October.
MINOR FOOTBALL: Dr. Crokes 2-4 (10); Austin Stacks 8-11 (35).
What a turn-around in one week. Last Saturday week we suffered a heavy defeat in the opening round of the Co. Championship. On last Saturday our boys proved that last week was a once off as many in the Club knew it was and put on a stunning performance in Lewis Road to keep our chances of progressing in this year’s competition very much alive with a 25 points winning margin against the home side.
We meant business from the very start with Damien Hogan pointing a free inside the first minute after Caden O’Mahony was fouled with goal written all over it. A minute later Paddy Lane scored our first from play and all our remaining scores thereafter, bar one more point, came from play. In the 3rd minute the home side went ahead with a goal but this was the one time they had a lead in the game.
For the remainder of the half they added just three more points while we added 3 goals and seven points. Two of those goals came from Caden O’Mahony with the third coming from Damien Hogan and Caden also scored three of those seven points with the other four coming from Damien (2), Paddy Lane and Cillian Litchfield. This left us ahead by 3-9 to 1-3 at half time.
We improved our goal-fest in the second half, adding five more, with second half substitute Josh Lynch scoring two and the other three coming from Damien Hogan, Caden O’Mahony and Paddy Lane. Our two points came at the start and end of the half – Cillian Litchfield and Josh Lynch on target,
But this was a real team performance with all 20 playing superbly throughout the hour as we always knew they could.
Team: Michael Tansley, Jack Doyle, Cian Dillane, Donnacha Horgan, Daniel Kirby, Colm Browne, Luke Casey, Cillian Litchfield (0-2), Enda Cahill (Capt), Caden O’Mahony (3-3), Paddy Lane (1-2), Jack Hannon, Sean Moynihan, Damien Hogan (2-3 –two frees), Darragh Moriarty.
Subs used: Josh Lynch (37m) (2-1), Pádraig O’Halloran (38m), Mark Carmody (45m), Jamie Horgan (50m), Thomas Derege (52m).
We now play West Kerry at a neutral venue (not yet confirmed as we write) on next Saturday evening (3nd Oct) in the third and final round of the Group stage and a win is a must here to give us a chance to go through to the quarter final knock-out stage.
SEPTEMBER IN THE PAST (22/09 to 30/09). On the field of play the C Team won its first Barrett Cup Final defeating Scartaglin in a low-scoring replay (0-8 to 0-6) in Castleisland– all our eight scores coming from play. Team/Panel: John Browne, Pat Dowling, Noel Power, Eddie Dowling, Johnny Conway (Capt), Johnny Barrett, Frankie Smyth, Timmy Sheehan (0-1), Caoilte O’Connor, Aidan Mangan (0-1), Colm McLoughlin, Tommy Ryan (0-1), Frankie Ryan (0-2), Tony O’Keeffe (0-2), John O’Brien (0-1). Subs: Michael Godley, Denis Bracker O’Regan. Rest of Panel: Frank Hogan, John Galvin, Maurice McNamara, Gerard Hill, Charlie McMahon, Eamon O’Brien, Terry McSweeney, David O’Lehan, Paul Lucey.
Many individual happenings took place on the field of play during the last days of September in the past – this random selection in year order. In 1963 Henry McKinney won his 2nd All Irl MF medal; in 1969 John O’Keeffe won his first All Irl SF medal; in 1975 there were four Rock men on Kerry’s All Ireland SF winning team – the first since 1932 – the afore-mentioned Johnno, Ger Power, Ger O’Keeffe and Mikey Sheehy. And three years later (1978) Mikey hit the headlines again with that famous ‘Paddy Cullen’ goal to put Kerry on the way to that All Ireland win over Dublin (5-11 to 0-9).
ONLINE CLUB SHOP: A reminder that our Club shop is open 24/7. 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 We would also like to introduce the new Austin Stacks Ganzee Club Clothing Collection, available in Mens/Unisex, Womens & kids check out all the style ranges in hoodies, t-shirts and sweatshirts on www.ganzee.ie/austin-stacks-gaa-clubs/
CARDS: A reminder that, with restrictions (especially social distancing) being eased as and from 22nd October, our Card sessions are coming back on the first available night – the October Bank Holiday Monday (25th October) provided, of course, that there will be no further mishaps in the meantime. We hope to remain with our sessions on Mondays and Thursdays but we may have the start the sessions earlier than what our usual starting time of 9.30pm. More details later.
CLUB LOTTO: Monday Night’s (27th Sept) Jackpot, worth €2,900, was not won. The numbers drawn were 2, 9, 17, 31. The €20 winners were Paudie Healy and Richie Conway, both c/o The Club; Brendan O’Neill, c/o Carmel O’Neill; Tony Casey, c/o The Burger Shack and Aileen Galvin, c/o PC Books.
Next Monday’s Jackpot will be worth €2,950.
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 Butchers Hussey’s P. Commane Books.
SYMPATHY: Sincere sympathy is offered to the families of the following who died recently: Margaret Mary Connolly (nee Fitzpatrick), Rahoonane and formerly Ballyduff; Donie Sheahan, Killarney, one of the outstanding GAA men of his generation with Dr. Crokes, East Kerry and Kerry GAA; Maurice Wrenn, Railway House, Basin View; Paddy Prendergast, Ballinorig and formerly Ballintubber (one of the great Mayo footballers of the early 1950s); and Daniel (Danny) Carroll, Balloonagh Estate, father of former Club footballers, John and Danny and grandfather of current footballers, Shane, Daniel and Eoghan.
