SENIOR FOOTBALL: Austin Stacks 0-12; Castleisland Desmonds 0-5.
Our Seniors chalked up their third Co. League win of the season in this round 8 game played in a scorching hot Sunday afternoon (4th June) in Connolly Park. The sides were level with four points each at half time – three of ours from placed balls – Conor Myers (2) and goalkeeper, Ben Quilter – and one from play by Jordan Kissane.
We had an outstanding second half scoring a further eight points – five of them from play. While it was a great team performance there were some brilliant individual displays also. Early during the second half, for example, Jack Murphy made a brilliant run up-field to put Jordan Kissane (Man of the Match) through for a brilliant point.
Brendan O’Sullivan, making his first appearance of the season, was no sooner on the pitch as a sub mid-way through the second half when he scored two super points.
Donnacha Sayers, making his Senior team debut, also impressed and all this in the sweltering summer heat. It was also good to see Gearóid Fitzgerald making his first appearance of the season. There were great displays also by the likes of Dylan Casey, Armin Heinrich and Joey Nagle who have been out of the lime light recently because of their Kerry involvement.
While it was a well-deserved win it still leaves us in a precarious position on the League table – 3rd from bottom, So it goes without saying that we need to win our remaining three rounds away to Milltown/Castlemaine on this coming week-end, at home to Kilcummin (w/e 25th June) and away to Gneeveguilla (w/e 9th July).
Team: Ben Quilter (0-1), Niall Fitzmaurice, Joey Nagle, Jack O’Shea, Paul O’Sullivan (Capt) (0-1), Dylan Casey (0-1), Jack Murphy, Michael O’Gara (0-1), Armin Heinrich, Cillian Litchfield, Jordan Kissane (0-3 – one free), Eoghan Carroll, Donnacha Sayers, Shane Carroll, Conor Myers (0-3 – two frees).
Subs used: Brendan O’Sullivan (44m) (0-2), Gearóid Fitzgerald (52m), Luke Casey (55m), Noah Townsend (58m).
CONGRATULATIONS and best wishes to Club Footballer, Barry Shanahan and his new bride Linda Pototzki who were married in Portugal last Saturday (3rd June). Some great photos coming through of the event. Barry, of course, is just one of 10 Club players to have captained a SF Co. Championship winning team, that one in 2014.
B FOOTBALL: Austin Stacks 2-6; Rathmore 0-11.
This Division 5 Shield game played in Connolly Park on a glorious Friday evening (2nd June) ended with a brilliant one point victory by our lads after a devastating fourth quarter display. Rathmore dominated the opening three quarters. They led by four points to nil at the end of the first quarter. They led at half time by seven points to two. At the end of the third quarter they led by six points (0-11 to 1-2) – our goal coming in the 36th minute from Damien Hogan.
But in the final quarter we held the opposition scoreless while we added a goal and four points ourselves (1-3 coming from Damien Hogan and the other point scored by Gearóid Sheehan.
So on any other day Damien would easily be the Man of the Match. But not on this occasion. The MOTM Award went deservedly to goalkeeper, Michael Tansley, who was making his B Team debut. Michael made at least six outstanding saves during the course of the game (three in both halves).
Team: Michael Tansley, Ruairí O’Connell, John Murphy (Capt), Seán Moynihan, Andrew Morrissey, Luke Chester, Evan Foley, Ciarán O’Connell, Gearóid Sheehan (0-1), Dean Rusk (0-1), Daniel O’Rourke, David Courtney, Joe Looby, Damien Hogan (2-4 – three pointed frees),
Sub used: Billy Stack (33m).
THE C TEAM: Our C Team have one more round to play in this season’s Co. League against Laune Rangers and it goes ahead in Connolly Park on the weekend after next w/e 18th June). To date in this four round League we have lost two games against Fossa and Rathmore and received a walk-over from Kerins O’Rahillys in round 3.
THE D TEAM: Our D team have still just one game played in this five round competition to date (a brilliant win against Scartaglin by 5-14 to 1-1 in round 2) Our 5th and final round game is away to Clounmacon on w/e 18th June. No details have yet come to hand about our postponed games against Duagh and Beaufort.
MINOR FOOTBALL: What a great win by the Kerry Minors in the Munster Final played in Austin Stack Park on last Friday evening (2nd June). Congrats to the whole squad, including our own six players on the panel – Ben Murphy (Man of the Match), Daniel Kirby, Paddy Lane, Ronan Carroll, Ryan O’Driscoll and Seán Óg Brosnan, and our own Wayne Quillinan, the Team Manager.
This was a milestone victory for Kerry – winning their 50th Munster title since their very first one away back in 1931. And what a coincidence – that 1931 team was also laced with six Rock players – players who went on the become house-hold names thereafter – Brendan Reidy, Frank O’Neill, John Paul Doyle, Jimmy Gawksie Gorman, Tim O’Sullivan and Eddie Barrett.
CLUB CARDS: Our Card sessions continue in the Clubhouse on Mondays and Thursdays with the starting time of 9pm sharp. All at the Cards send their condolences to one of our regular Card Player, Monica Cournane, on the recent death of her sister (Dora O’Brien (nee Fitzgerald), Castlegregory.
CLUB LOTTO: This week’s (5th June) Jackpot worth €4,050 was not won. The winning numbers were 2, 4, 19, 22. The €20 winners were Michael Collins, Kevin Cotter and Malachy Nagle, all c/o The Club; Francis Quirke, c/o Richard Healy; and Paudie Landers, c/o Carmel O’Neill.
Next week’s Jackpot will be worth €4,100.
Continued thanks to the following businesses for selling our Lotto tickets on a weekly basis – Kevin Barry’s Shop, Commanes Bookshop (PC Books), O’Flynns Interiors, Hussey’s, Princes St., The Burger Shack, Monavalley and Kirby’s Brogue Inn. And continued thanks to everyone who purchase tickets week-in week-out.
SYMPATHY: Sincere sympathy is offered to the families of the following who died recently; Anne Lynch (nee Quinn), Ballyard and formerly Salford (UK); Liam Lynch, St. Brendan’s Park and formerly Railway Tce.; Sophie O’Mahoney (nee Lydon), Tobar Naofa and formerly James Street; Arthur Townsend, Tralee (grandfather of current Club Footballers Noah and Donnagh); Sharon O’Shea (nee McCarthy), Lohercannon and formerly Portlaw (Waterford) and Eileen Revington (nee O’Connor), Oakpark and formerly Castlegregory.