Feale Rangers 1-11
Austin Stacks 0-11
Maurice Brosnan reports from Austin Stack Park
FOR THE FIRST time in nine years, the north Kerry division are in the final four of the county championship. Feale Rangers did it in style too, seeing off reigning champions Austin Stacks in extra-time.
It was a calm and dry evening in Tralee with the main stand packed out. John James Buckley’s outfit came into the clash with confidence after three wins saw them finish top of group 4. Despite plenty of frustration, their spirit never faltered and the victory was deserved in the end.
The defending champions were without a host of big players including Kerry captain Joe O’Connor, Brendan O’Sullivan and Dylan Casey, but Shane O’Callaghan and captain Michael O’Donnell were excellent, while Kieran Donaghy had a mixed impact in the closing exchanges.
Kerry hurling star Barry Mahony was magnificent throughout and made his intentions clear from the off, taking on Conor Horan in the first minute with a piercing run. It took a yellow-card foul to stop him.
Fellow half-forward Shane Stack kicked the first point of the day shortly after with a curling effort from the top of the D.
Stacks’ first four ventures forward resulted in a turnover and a counterattack. Shane O’Callaghan spent much of the opening half as their sole forward and it was his right-booted effort that got the Tralee side off the mark.
Feale Rangers enjoyed plenty of possession but failed to make it count, kicking five first-half wides and dropping one effort short.
At the other end, O’Donnell kicked the score of the half while O’Callaghan stayed sharp after a David Mannix shot dropped short to tap over.
Austin Stacks goalkeeper Wayne Guthrie ventured forward routinely and the biggest roar of the first half came when the North Kerry side forced a turnover and burst forward with the number one scrambling back. A well-timed Jack O’Shea foul stopped the attack and Martin Stack scored the resulting free to reduce the gap to one.
A minute later, Guthrie kicked a free from the 45 to leave their lead at two before the break.
St. Senan’s Rory Mahony was introduced at half-time and immediately made a difference. His score was followed by a boomer from his brother Barry and it was all level heading into the final quarter.
With 15 minutes left, Stacks were yet to hit a second-half score. Quillinan turned to his bench and summed Kieran Donaghy. The Rockies on the terrace roared, O’Donnell slotted a score and Stacks started to swing back.
Stack and O’Donnell exchanged scores before Mahony again summed magic in response. There was a contentious score late on when a Sean Quilter effort was punched out by goalkeeper Cathal Keane. Donaghy was booked for his protestations but the score was eventually given.
Still, Feale Rangers refused to yield. Their drive forward ended in a Mahony free and the sides were level.
As the board for five additional minutes was raised, Feale Rangers pushed in front. Darragh Lynch came off the bench to slot one over but Stacks secured the kick-out and worked it forward for Greg Horan to equalise.
A late Kieran Donaghy wide drew wild ironic cheers. The floodlights switched on and the quarter-final headed for extra time.
In a similar style to Rory Grugan’s goal of the championship for Donaghy-coached Armagh, Stacks won the throw-in and immediately kicked long to their veteran full forward. There wasn’t the same reward, however, as the ball broke and Feale Rangers won a free out.
That attack ended in a wide but they turned over the resulting kick-out and Rory Mahony landed a fine right-footed effort under pressure.
Then, cue fireworks. A prolonged Rory Mahony run looked like it had run out of road when his handpass found an untracked runner. Suddenly Feale Rangers had an overlap streaming in on goal. The handpass across to Lynch was perfect, the goal crucial.
Up went the green flag while the celebratory roar must surely have registered in Listowel.
Like the stubborn ageing heavyweight, Stacks rose from the canvas and rattled off the next two points. O’Callaghan’s goalbound effort hit the wood and fell kindly for Quilter. A long ball to Donaghy finally stuck and he laid off for Gearoid Fitzgerald.
Martin Stack responded with a quick double punch in the form of a free and point from play. He wheeled away with his fists clenched in jubilation.
Austin Stacks, down and out.
Scorers for Feale Rangers: Shane Stack 0-1, Martin Stack 0-5 (0-3f), Rory Mahony 0-2, Barry Mahony 0-3 (0-1f), Darragh Lynch 1-1
Scorers for Austin Stacks: Shane O’Callaghan 0-2, Conor Horan 0-1, Michael O’Donnell 0-3 (0-1f), Wayne Guthrie 0-1 (0-1f), Sean Quilter 0-3 (0-1f), Greg Horan 0-1, Gearoid Fitzgerald 0-1
Feale Rangers:
1. Cathal Keane (Listowel Emmets)
2. Donnacha Maher (Duagh) 3. Eddie Browne (Listowel Emmets) 4. Aaron Connor (Duagh)
5. Conor O’Keeffe (Finuge) 6. Ger McCarthy (Listowel Emmets) 7. Niall Collins (Listowel Emmets)
8. Bryan Sweeney (Listowel Emmets – captain) 9. Cillian Trant (St. Senan’s)
10. Thomas Scanlon (Duagh) 11. Barry Mahony (St. Senan’s) 12. Shane Stack (Moyvane)
13. David Keane (Listowel Emmets) 14. Martin Stack (Moyvane) 15. Sean Keane (Listowel Emmets)
Subs
20. Rory Mahony (St. Senan’s) for Keane (half-time)
18. Jamie McVeigh for Scanlon (50)
26. David Weir for Keane (55)
21. Darragh Lynch for Stack (58)
17. Seanan O’Caoimh for McCarthy (60)
25. Ciaran Pierse for O Keeffe (80)
Austin Stacks:
1. Wayne Guthrie
2. Colin Griffin 3. Jack O’Shea 22. Ronan Shanahan
5. Greg Horan 6. Conor Jordan 7. Paul O’Sullivan
8. Michael O’Donnell (captain) 9. Barry Shanahan
10. Armin Heinrich 11. Michael O’Gara 13. Conor Horan
13. Shane O’Callaghan 19. Adam Curran 15. David Mannix
Subs
17. Sean Quilter for Horan (42)
23. Fiachra Mangan for Shanahan (45)
14. Kieran Donaghy for Mannix (45)
4. Barry Walsh for O’Shea (65)
20. Eoghan Carroll for O’Gara (70)
18. Gearoid Fitzgerald for O’Sullivan (70)
25. Ciaran Pierse for 5 Conor O Keeffe (80)
I wish him the best of luck. St. Kilda is playing the Melbourne Demons, my team. He will have his hands full with the Dees forward line.
Great achievement. There has been a reduction in the Irish activity in the AFL this season. Basically only Touhy and McKenna. Would love if O’Connor could get more game time with Geelong and O’Riordan getting a start with Sydney.
A footballer from Kilkenny!!!! Wonder of wonders!!!
@Micheal S. O’ Ceilleachair: the dubs best footballer has Kilkenny blood in him
Well done to Joyce and that’s one less Kilkenny assassin that Galway have to worry about in the future
@Finnster: and Joyce a good Galway name!!!!!!
Great to see someone make it in professional sports. Well done
Fair play to him & the best of luck!!!
Some loss to the Kilkenny footballers though ……cough!!!
Paddy McCartin at half forward, sounds like a buck from Leitrim or Cavan.
@Enda Reynolds: whereas Maverick Weller is definitely one of them Wellers from Moate