.
Gavin O’Connor watched Austin Stacks win the Castleisland Mart Kerry Senior Club Championship against Dr Crokes on Saturday…
Austin Stacks 2-12 (18)
Dr. Crokes 1-14 (17)
The Austin Stacks team celebrate. Photo by Gavin O’Connor
AUSTIN Stacks secured a Senior Club Championship title for the first time since 2003 after a pulsating encounter against Dr Crokes in Fitzgerald Stadium on Saturday evening.
In the final 15 minutes, The Rock outscored their opponents by five points to two to secure a one point victory.
For 45 minutes, Dr Crokes played with 14 men after Ambrose O’Donovan received his marching orders early on.
On two occasions at the end of the first half and half way through the second, the Crokes lead was stretched out to four points but the Rock showed that battling spirit that has been a hallmark of their game in recent years, to seize the initiative.
Goals came from from Shane O’Callaghan and Fearghal Mac Namara for Stacks while it was Gavin White who netted for the Killarney side.
Continued below…
Dr Crokes number 8 Ambrose O’Donovan (hidden) receives a red card from referee Brendan Griffin. Photo by Dermot Crean
.
The second Rock goal by MacNamara was crucial – coming in 39th minute four minutes after White scored Crokes’s only three pointer of the day.
From then on, Stacks were the dominant side whose victory was forged by stand out performances from the evergreen Daniel Bohan and 2015 Kerry minor star Jack Morgan who picked up the man of the match award.
Crucially for Crokes, Colm Cooper was off-form. He only kicked one point from play and did not stamp his authority on the game they way one would expect.
Colm Cooper picks out a man. Photo by Dermot Crean
Shane O’Callaghan’s goal after 11 minutes came from a long ball in by David Mannix, who found ‘Calla’ around the square and he palmed the ball neatly to the net. It put Stacks 1-1 to 0-2 ahead.
In the first half, Kieran Donaghy, was deployed around the centre midfield but after shipping six points on the trot between the 13th and 25th minute, that had Stacks trailing by 1-1 to 0-8.
Johnny Buckley is tackled by Kieran Donaghy and Shane O’Callaghan. Photo by Dermot Crean
The switch was made to put Donaghy in full-forward and it instantly paid dividends when he showed he was well able to shoot from range pegging a point back. The Star would score a further two points from around the 30 metre mark.
David Mannix added a point from play and another from Donaghy left the sides going in with Crokes 1-4 to 0-8 ahead at the break, The Rock doing well to only trail by one.
The first ten minutes of the second half were fast and furious, exchanging 1-7 apiece in that period.
Shane O’Callaghan’s patted ball loops over the head of Dr Crokes’ Shane Murphy for Austin Stacks first goal. Photo by Dermot Crean
The Crokes goal by Gavin White on 35 minutes came from a neat bit of play involving Luke Quinn and the scorer around the square.
But it was in the closing 15 minute stretch where Stacks won this game, one of the highlights coming when Daniel Bohan made a spectacular catch on his own 21 metre line that was one for the ages.
Conor Jordan tackles Mike Milner. Photo by Dermot Crean
In the final minutes, the Crokes were wasteful kicking four wides. Stacks, on the other hand, were more clinical and tirelessly worked for victory bringing another piece of silverware to Connolly Park.
Next up for Stacks is the county championship against Kenmare District, while Dr Crokes will face Kerins O’Rahilly’s, who might see the Killarney side are beatable.
Fiachna Mangan on the attack chased by Brian Looney. Photo by Dermot Crean
Scroll down for more action shots…
David Mannix goes past Gavin White. Photo by Dermot Crean
Scorers
Austin Stacks: David Mannix (0-4, 3f), Kieran Donaghy (0-3), Shane O’Callaghan (1-0), Fearghal Mac Namara (1-0), Daniel Bohan (0-2), Shane Guthrie (0-1) Pa McCarthy (0-1) and Michael O’Donnell (0-1)
Dr Crokes: Gavin White (1-0), Kieran O’Leary (0-3), Dathi Casey (0-2), Johnny Buckley (0-2), Colm Cooper (0-2, 1f), Shane Murphy (0-2, 1f, 1’45), Ambrose O’Donovan (0-1), Tony Brosnan (0-1), Jamie Doolan (0-1)
Kieran Donaghy attempts to block Johnny Buckley’s shot. Photo by Dermot Crean
Austin Stacks
Darragh O’Brien
Ronan Shanahan
Conor Jordan
Fearghal Mac Namara
Pa McCarthy (0-1)
Jack O’Shea
Jack Morgan
Kieran Donaghy (0-3)
Shane Guthrie (0-1)
Fiachna Mangan
Shane O’Callaghan (1-0)
Daniel Bohan (0-2)
David Mannix (1-4, 3f)
David O’Sullivan
Michael O’Donnell (0-1)
Subs
John Dennis (for Ronan Shanahan, black card, 14 mins), Wayne Guthrie (for Shane Guthrie, 41 mins), Mikey Collins (for Fiachna Mangan, 45mins)
Dr. Crokes:
Shane Murphy (0-2, 1f, 1’45)
David O’Leary
Michael Moloney
Fionn Fitzgerald
Gavin White (0-1)
Alan O’Sullivan
Mike Milner
Ambrose O’Donovan (0-1)
Johnny Buckley (0-1)
Daithi Casey (0-2, 1f)
Gavin O’Shea (1-0)
Brian Looney
Colm Cooper (0-2, 1f)
Kieran O’Leary (0-2)
Tony Brosnan (0-1)
Subs
Luke Quinn (for Gavin O’Shea, 37 mins), Bryan O’Shea (for Mike Milner, 45 mins), Jamie Doolan 0-1 (for Tony Brosnan, 52 mins), Michéal Burns (for Brian Looney, 56 mins)
Referee: Brendan Griffin (Clounmacon)
Mike Milner looks to find a teammate. Photo by Dermot Crean
Jack O’Shea in possession for Austin Stacks. Photo by Dermot Crean
Fionn Fitzgerald lets fly. Photo by Dermot Crean
Midfield action from the game. Photo by Dermot Crean
Very exciting game in Killarney on Saturday evening in the Kerry senior club final between Crokes and Stacks, who won by a single point. A suberb team performance by our irrepressible Rock team. The sight of Kieran Donaghy charging up field from the Crokes goalmouth to contest a throw up on the Stacks 13m line – and winning the possession – was wondeful to behold and absolutely inspirational. Captain Fantastic. Congrats to Stacks team and mentors. C’mon The Rock!