SENIOR FOOTBALL Austin Stacks 1-13; Mid Kerry 2-10.
Both sides rode their luck in the closing stages of this Co. Final played at a drizzly and squally Austin Stack Park on Sunday afternoon (26th Oct).
The last score of the game came in the 55th minute – the equalizer for Mid Kerry – and then both sides had opportunities to win the game in the remaining almost nine minutes.
Most neutrals at the game however deemed the result a fair one and most who witnessed the game claim it to be one of the most entertaining and best Co. Finals in recent times.
From the throw-in Wayne Guthrie moved the ball quickly to Conor Jordan and he found Shane Carroll who pointed into the strong wind after just 24 seconds.
Mid Kerry’s opener came over a minute later and then in the 6th minute came the 1st of their two goals.
But we responded well from this and in a five minute spell (8th to 13th) were back in the lead after putting over four good points, the first from wing back, Pa McCarthy, a pointed free by Shane Carroll after a foul on Mikey Collins, and then two by Daniel Bohan who was having a blinder at this stage.
Shane Carroll converted two more frees to be followed by a beauty from play by David Mannix from an acute angle, but in between Mid Kerry had added two to their tally to leave them two adrift after 21 minutes.
A minute later Shane Carroll lobbed a high free into the square which Kieran Donaghy fielded superbly. His first attempt was saved but he steered his follow-up to the net to put us five clear.
However, between then and half time, Mid Kerry responded with two more to leave us with a three points lead at the break (1-8 to 1-5).
It took us 24 seconds in the first half to score our opener. At the start of the second half we went ten better when Star won the throw in and fed Pa McCarthy who put over his second of the game after just 14 seconds.
Mid Kerry added two in quick succession and then in the 39th minute Shane Carroll restored our three points half time lead when he converted his 4th free following good work by Greg Horan and Mikey Collins.
But then, inside two minutes, Mid Kerry secured a rather fortuitous second goal to level the game for the 4th time. Half way through the half they went ahead from a pointed free but within a minute Mikey Collins had leveled matters again with one of the points of the game.
We then went two up with brilliant points by Shane O’Callaghan and Kieran Donaghy but within minutes Mid Kerry were back on level terms by the 55th minute and with the weather deteriorating and a number of misses by both sides, as already mentioned, the game ended in a draw.
This was our 4th draw in Co. Finals – the other 3 were in 1932, 1975 (against Mid Kerry) and 1994. And we won all three replays. – hopefully a good omen for next Sunday’s replay, which will be held in Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney, at 2.45pm.
Team: Darragh O’Brien, Fearghal MacNamara, Barry Shanahan (Capt), Ronan Shanahan, Pa McCarthy (0-2), Conor Jordan, Greg Horan, Wayne Guthrie, William Kirby, Michael Collins (0-1), Shane Carroll (0-5 – 4 frees), Daniel Bohan (0-2), David Mannix (0-1), Kieran Donaghy (1-1), Shane O’Callaghan (0-1).
Subs used: Darragh O’Brien (45m), Fiachna Mangan (57m), Denis McElligott (61m).
CONGRATULATIONS to Kieran Donaghy on winning his 3rd All Star last week to add to the two he won in 2006 and 2008. Congrats also to the four other Kerry winners – Paul Murphy, Peter Crowley, David Moran and James O’Donoghue. James was also named as Footballer of the Year.
HURLING: Austin Stacks 3-9; St. Pats (East Kerry) 0-3.
Our Hurlers got the weekend off to a winning start with a comfortable win in the final of the South Kerry JH Championship played in dry, blustery conditions at Lewis Road last Saturday evening (25th Oct).
Scores were at a premium in the opening quarter and any Martians that might have dropped in could be excused for thinking they were looking at a soccor scoreboard as the score after 15 minutes was 2 goals to nil in our favour.
The first of these came in the first minute when Paul Daly’s dropping shot landed in the net. Paul was involved again in our second goal after 15 minutes when he found Peter Doyle who netted.
Two minutes later a brilliant side-line cut by John McCarthy was put over the bar by Ronan Gilsenan.
This was followed immediately by St. Pats first and only point of the half, while in the closing ten minutes of the half we really put the game to bed, scoring a further 1-5. Paul Daly (2 – one from a free), Joe Brennan, John Mac and Peter Doyle were the point scorers, with the goal coming in the last minute of the half – a beautiful effort after Breandán Caball combined with Paul and his lobbing shot was touched over-head to the net by Bella. This left us ahead at the break by 3-6 to 0-1.
With all the hard work done in the opening thirty minutes we eased off somewhat in the second half adding just three more points in this period to two for the opposition. Our second half scorers were Aaron Barry, Shane Fitzgerald and team captain, Paul Daly.
The win is what we wanted but the manner of the win and the display in achieving it will have team mentors, Mark Power and Ger Scollard probably more than the win itself.
Danny Maguire, still recovering from the shoulder injury picked up during the summer, was soundness personified in goals. Anything that came Andrew Morrissey’s way was fielded and cleared brilliantly as was the case with Seán King and Kevin O’Leary.
The half line of Paudie Bradley, Peter O’Regan and Shane Fitzgerald also defended brilliantly and launched attack after attack, especially in that first half. A feature of the display was the number of excellent block-downs during the game and this explains to a large extent the paucity of scores by the opposition.
In the centre Joe Brennan and Breandán Caball made continuous darting runs and were there to support the defence when required.
All our 12 scores, bar one, came from play with all six forwards on top of their game.
And all five subs who were introduced during the second half were as good as the starting 15.
Well done again on a great win – the team’s third title of the season so far, to add to the other two already won earlier in the year, the Novice Championship and the League – all in the South Kerry Division.
Team: Danny Maguire, Andrew Morrissey, Seán King, Kevin O’Leary, Paudie Bradley, Peter O’Regan, Shane Fitzgerald (0-1), Joe Brennab (0-1), Aaron Barry (0-1), Paul Daly (Capt (1-3 – 1 free), Ronan Gilsenan (0-1), Peter Doyle (2-1), John McCarthy (0-1), Thomas Meehan.
Subs: John Bradley (45m), Pádraig Lynch (49m), Ross Long (49m), Eddie Barry (49m), Tadhg Meehan (53m).
Our next outing will be the County League semi final, against Kenmare which is due to go ahead in Connolly Park on Saturday week (8th Nov) at 3pm.
BINGO: continues on this and every Saturday night comncing at 8.30pm.
CLUBHOUSE: As always the Clubhouse is available for all types of Parties. Phone Ian from 7pm at 066 7126942 for bookings.
CARDS: The 45 Card Sessions continue in the Clubhouse every Monday and Thursday nights at 9.30pm.
LOTTO: Last Monday’s (20th Oct) Jackpot worth €5,000 was not won. The numbers drawn were 12, 18, 27, 32.
The €20 Prizes went to Keith Harrington, c/o The Bingo; Noreen Power, c/o The Ladies; Jimmy Cotter, c/o The Cards; Luke McNecee, c/o Carmel Quilter; and John Moriarty, c/o Charlie Healy.
SYMPATHY: Sincere sympathy is offered to the families of the following who died during the past week –
Kitty McKivergan (nee Brennan), Monalee and late of Rock Street (mother of former Club players, Martin and Caitriona and grandmother of current players Eoghan, Donnagh and Maeve McKivergan and Luke and Makayla Chester)
Margaret Sayers (nee Cronin), Connolly Park (mother of former Club footballer, Denis and grandmother of current Juvenile player, Donncadh)
Marie Gibney (nee Phelan), Ballinorig Estate and late of Dingle and Rathfarnham
Ronald Cameron Coleman, Woodlands .
