PHOTOS: Wasteful Rockies Dumped Out Of Championship By Crokes

Posted by
Kerry ETB Surf new Insert

.

Gavin O’Connor on Austin Stacks exit from the Garveys Super Valu Kerry Senior Football County Championship at the hands of Dr Crokes yesterday…

Dr Crokes 1-11

Austin Stacks 1-10

WASTEFUL Rockies were left to rue a number of first half wides as they were dumped out of the championship by Dr Crokes in Fitzgerald Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

A Colm Cooper goal just 15 seconds into the match set the Killarney side on their way, with a dramatic late point from Eoin Brosnan needed to clinch victory after Austin Stacks bravely reduced a five point deficit at the beginning of the second half to lead by a point with five minutes left on the clock.

Continued below…

Colm Copper slips the ball into the net passed Austin Stacks goalkeeper, Darragh O'Brien. Photo by Dermot Crean.

Colm Copper slips the ball into the net past Austin Stacks goalkeeper, Darragh O’Brien. Photo by Dermot Crean.

INEC Walking Insert

.

Kieran Donaghy’s goal in the 43rd minute set up a grandstand finish, his switch from full-forward to midfield proving instrumental throughout the half.

Overall, the game failed to live up to its expectation, despite the exciting finish for the good crowd in Fitzgerald Stadium. Both sides lacked cohesion and would have given a better account of themselves had they had another few games under their belt, but that’s the luck  of the draw when it comes to championship football.

Continued below…

Kieran Donaghy lays off a pass. Photo by Dermot Crean.

Kieran Donaghy lays off a pass. Photo by Dermot Crean.

 

In the first half, the Rock made poor use of a strong breeze, with five players in total kicking six poor wides. Stacks went a goal down straight from the throw-in when Dáithí Casey split their defence to lay a pass off to Colm Cooper who doesn’t make a habit of missing from five yards out.

Kieran Donaghy was isolated in the full-forward line, closely marshaled by ex-Kerry teammate Eoin Brosnan. Pa McCarthy was deployed as a sweeper which restricted him from those surging runs we got so used to last year.

Continued below…

Brogue XMAS Insert

.

Stacks were missing four key players from 2014, the Shanahan brothers at the back, Wayne Guthrie, who was sidelined in favour of his brother Shane, and David Mannix who was missed most of all, with the Rockies lack of potency in the forward line.

The game lacked the fire that was expected. Dr Crokes were certainly looking the better side with some slick interchanges. Dáithí Casey was starring for the Killarney outfit, kicking two points in the first half. One of them was a peach from forty yards out on the right side to put Crokes five points in front with four minutes left in the half.

Shane O'Callaghan shoots at goal with Miike Maloney watching on. Photo by Dermot Crean.

Shane O’Callaghan shoots at goal with Miike Maloney watching on. Photo by Dermot Crean.

Cooper made it a six point game with  a free but Darragh O’Brien and a great score by Greg Horan clawed it back to four at the short whistle.

The second half began with two big switches; Wayne Guthrie came on for his brother Shane and Donaghy moved to midfield.

Austin Stacks began to eat into that four point lead when Darragh O’Brien threw over a score six minutes in the half. But it was Donaghy’s goal in the 43rd minute that really got the ball rolling.

Denis McElligott, who was arguably Stacks best performer, set-up Donaghy in a move all too familiar. McElligott managed to get past his marker along the end line and laid off a fist-pass across the square to the onrushing ‘Star’ who climbed high to palm the ball to the net.

Game on.

Kieran Donaghy, knocks in Austin Stacks goal. Photo by Dermot Crean.

Kieran Donaghy knocks in Austin Stacks goal. Photo by Dermot Crean.

Crokes replied with a free from Cooper, who was having a quiet afternoon by his standards, but the Rock came roaring back kicking the next four points one after another between the 18th and 25th minutes to pull them one point in front.

Stacks were completely on top in midfield during this period winning every Crokes kick out, as the Killarney side coughed up free after free under the pressure.

The Rockie old guard were rolling back the years. Two frees from Darragh Long and a point from Donaghy drew the game level before Mikey Collins linked up with Long to put the side ahead for the first time in the match with five minutes remaining.

But Crokes showed their nerve, dominating the closing exchanges and kicking the final two scores to earn the win.

It looked like it was heading to extra-time when Alan O’Sullivan made it all square, but with time up, the old warhorse Brosnan clinched victory with a superb shot from 45 yards out.

With that strike the back to back dream ended for Stacks while Dr Crokes move on to face Rathmore in the quarter-final.

More photos below…

Scorers

Dr Crokes: Colm Cooper 1-3 (3f), Jordan Kiely 0-3, Daithi Casey 0-2, Alan O’Sullivan, Brian Looney, Eoin Brosnan 0-1 each

Austin Stacks: Kieran Donaghy 1-1, Darragh O’Brien 0-3 (2f), Darragh Long 0-2 (2f), Greg Horan, Shane Carroll, Fiachna Mangan, Mikey Collins 0-1 each

Teams 

Dr Crokes: Alan Kelly, John Payne, Mike Moloney, Gavin White, Fionn Fitzgerald, Eoin Brosnan, David O’Leary, Ambrose O’Donovan, Johnny Buckley, Alan O’Sullivan, Brian Looney, Daithi Casey, Jordan Kiely, Colm Cooper, Chris Brady

Subs

22. Gavin O’Shea for Casey (blood, 34), D Casey for O’Shea (blood reverse, 38)
15. Jamie Doolan for Brady (42)
4. Cillian Fitzgerald for Moloney (44)
22. Gavin O’Shea for Looney (44)
18. Mike Milner for O’Donovan (50)
19. Tony Brosnan for Kiely (54)

Austin Stacks: Darragh O’Brien, Barry Walsh, Ferghal McNamara, Jack Morgan, Pa McCarthy, Conor Jordan, Ciaran O’Connell, Shane Guthrie, Greg Horan, Denis McElligott, Shane Carroll, Fiachna Mangan, Shane O’Callaghan, Kieran Donaghy
Darragh O’Brien

Subs:

19. Shane Ryan for Jordan (HT)
18. Wayne Guthrie for S Guthrie (HT)
25. Jack O’Shea for Morgan (40)
17. Darragh Long for O’Brien (42)
22. Mikey Collins for Horan (50)

Fiachna Mangan fires a ball toward goal. Photo by Dermot Crean.

Fiachna Mangan fires a ball toward goal. Photo by Dermot Crean.

Shane Carroll, gets on the ball. Photo by Dermot Crean.

Shane Carroll, gets on the ball. Photo by Dermot Crean.

Shane O'Callagha puts pressure on Fionn Fitzgerald . Photo by Dermot Crean.

Shane O’Callaghan puts pressure on Fionn Fitzgerald . Photo by Dermot Crean.

Austin Stacks in the huddle before the match. Photo by Dermot Crean.

Austin Stacks in the huddle before the match. Photo by Dermot Crean.

Austin Stacks manager, Stephen Stack issues an order. Photo by Dermot Crean.

Austin Stacks manager Stephen Stack issues an order. Photo by Dermot Crean.

Kieran Donaghy goes down for a ball closely watched by Gavin White. Photo by Dermot Crean.

Kieran Donaghy goes down for a ball closely watched by Gavin White. Photo by Dermot Crean.

Shane O'Callaghan goes passed Mike Moloney. Photo by Dermot Crean.

Shane O’Callaghan goes past Mike Moloney. Photo by Dermot Crean.

Shane Guthrie and Johnny Buckley contest a kick out. Photo by Dermot Crean.

Shane Guthrie and Johnny Buckley contest a kick out. Photo by Dermot Crean.

Comments are closed.

image