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Darragh O’Brien finishes off his goal. Photo by Adrienne Mc Loughlin
County League Division 1 Final Play-off
Austin Stacks 1-12
Killarney Legion 0-7
AUSTIN STACKS will defend their league title after they won their Division 1 play-off against Legion in Fitzgerald Stadium on Sunday.
An impressive final ten minutes which saw Stacks score 1-4 without reply sets up a repeat of the 2014 County League decider (played in May 2015) against old foe Dr Crokes, to be scheduled sometime in the year.
Legion were without star man James O’Donoghue who is undergoing shoulder surgery today in Dublin.
Continued below…
Stacks opened the scoring in the first minute with a point from a David Mannix free after a foul on Shane Callaghan.
Kieran Donaghy increased the lead by two points, which was cancelled out by two pointed frees from Legion’s Jamie O’Sullivan.
Fiachna Mangan and Jonathan Lyne exchanged points, then Stacks knocked over three unanswered scores from Fiachna Mangan, Sean Carroll and David Mannix to leave the scores 0-6 to 0-3 in favour of Stacks at the break.
Legion scored first in the second half with a David O’Sullivan point, Carroll replied for the Rock, that score was then followed by points from the Killarney side by Lyne and Jamie O’Sullivan.
Stacks increased the lead with points from D Mannix and F Mangan. Legion’s final score of the game came from a pointed free by O’Sullivan with 12 left on the clock.
Perhaps showing tiredness brought about by an extended championship campaign, Legion began to crumble on the home stretch.
The Rock seized the initiative by firing over a volley of scores from Callaghan, Darragh O’Brien and Carroll with another point coming from, substitute, Darragh O’Brien.
The final nail in Legion’s coffin came when O’Brien finished off a great move with an unstoppable shot rifled to the back of the net and sealed a five point victory.
In a repeat of last year’s final, Stacks will meet Dr Crokes in the final, to be scheduled sometime in the new year.
2015 isn’t over yet for the Rock. They play Laune Rangers in the final round of the dreaded senior championship relegation play-off in Lewis Road, this Saturday at 1.45pm.
Scorers: Darragh O’Brien 1-1, Fiachna Mangan 0-3, David Mannix 0-3 (2f) Kieran Donaghy 0-1, Shane Carroll 0-2, Shane O’Callaghan 0-2 (1f)
Austin Stacks: Darragh O’Brien, Barry Walsh, Barry Shanahan, Jack O’Shea, Denis McElligott, Fearghal McNamara Capt, Ciaran O’Connell, Wayne Guthrie, Kieran Donaghy, Fiachna Mangan, Shane Carroll, Pa McCarthy, David Mannix, Shane O’Callaghan, Greg Horan.
Substitutes: Conor Jordan, Mikey Collins, Sean Ryan, Darragh O’Brien
Match and team information from the Austin Stacks’ GAA Notes
PHOTOS BELOW COURTESY OF ADRIENNE MCLOUGHLIN
Austin Stacks, Greg Horan, closes down a Legion man. Photo by Adrienne Mc Loughlin.
Greg Horan, lays off a pass. Photo by Adrienne Mc Loughlin.
Wayne Guthrie puts a tackle in on Legion’s Jonathan Lyne. Photo by Adrienne Mc Loughlin.
Action from Austin Stacks v Legion in the Division 1 County Final Play-off. Photo by Adrienne Mc Loughlin.
Kieran Donaghy on the move. Photo by Adrienne Mc Loughlin.
Pa McCarthy puts pressure on a Legion man. Photo by Adrienne Mc Loughlin.
David Mannix attempts to get ball off the sod. Photo by Adrienne Mc Loughlin.
