PHOTOS/REPORT: Stacks Make Light Work Of St Michaels/Foilmore In Relegation Play-off

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Gavin O’Connor was in Killarney for the Senior Football County Championship Relegation Play-off Round 2, while Adrienne McLoughlin took some action photos…

Austin Stacks 0-15

St Micheals Foilmore 1-2

Denis McElligott going forward. Photo by Adrienne McLoughlin

AUSTIN Stacks senior status is safe for another week as they cruised past St Michael’s/Foilmore by nine points in Killarney yesterday.

They will now face Laune Rangers in the final round of relegation play-offs to secure senior football next year. This match saw St Michaels/Foilmore relegated to intermediate level after seven years in the senior grade.

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It was cruise control for most of the game for Stacks, the only minor scare coming when a Foilmore goal from Padraig King on 16 minutes in the second half pulled the scores back to within five.

The Rock answered back by running riot, hitting six points, one after another inside five minutes, following the goal to put the match totally beyond doubt.

David Mannix hit six points in a match that had an air of inevitability about it almost from the start, with Stacks the far classier side going forward.

In the first half, Mannix was the one to get on the scoreboard when he hit two frees inside the first seven minutes.

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St Micheal’s/Foilmore were working hard getting bodies back to deny Stacks a real foothold. It was the 14th minute before The Rock scored again, an exquisite Shane O’Callaghan point from 30 yards  out on the left was a ray of light in a dull affair.

O’Callaghan would go on to hit an almost carbon copy 10 minutes later, followed by a fine free from Mannix, 30 yards out on the right hand side.

Those moments of quality were what set the teams apart. St Michael’s/Foilmore would have to wait 32 minutes before they registered a score, a free from Darren O’Sullivan, saving their blushes at the break, the scores 0-6 to 0-1.

David Mannix attempts to connect with Shane O’Callaghan during yesterday’s game. Adrienne McLoughlin

The second half started with, quite naturally, a point from Mannix. What followed was a 15 minute scoreless barren spell in the match when neither side troubled the goals too much.

That was broken on the 16th minute by a point from Greg Horan who got two points overall.

The Stacks reply to the Foilmore goal was the only period in the match where some quality football was played. Ultimately when Stacks had to up their game, they responded.

Now the two most successful teams in Kerry football will fight to remain a senior club. Date and time as yet to be decided.

Sean Ryan in action yesterday. Photo by Adrienne McLoughlin

Scroll below for more action photos…

Scorers

Austin Stacks: David Mannix 0-7(5f), Shane O’Callaghan 0-3, Wayne Guthrie 0-1 (45), Denis McElligott 0-2, Pa McCarthy 0-1, Greg Horan 0-1

St Michael’s/Foilmore:  Padraig King 1-0, Darren O’Sullivan 0-1(1f), DJ Moran 0-1

Austin Stacks: Darragh O’Brien, Barry Walsh, Barry Shanahan, Conor Jordan, Denis McElligott, Fearghal MacNamara, Shane Guthrie, Wayne Guthrie,  Shane Carroll,  Greg Horan, Shane O’Callaghan, Mikey Collins, David Mannix, Kieran Donaghy,  Fiachna Mangan

Substitutes

St Michaels/Foilmore: Jason O’Shea, Colin Grandfield, Brian Smith, Adrian O’Connell, Kevin Griffin, Dj Moran, Alan Smith, Mark Griffin, Mark McCarthy, Padraig King, Damien Kelly, Darren O’Sullivan, Bernard Kelly, Matthew O’Sullivan, Sean O’Sullivan

Barry Walsh in full flight. Photo by Adrienne McLoughlin

Kieran Donaghy in action yesterday. Photo by Adrienne McLoughlin

Greg Horan defending yesterday. Photo by Adrienne McLoughlin