Austin Stacks 1-15 Newcastlewest 0-8
Paul Brennan reports from Tralee
AUSTIN STACKS WILL play Cork champions St Finbarrโs in next monthโs Munster Club Senior Football Championship final after easing past Newcastlewest in Tralee, with Brendan OโSullivanโs 42nd-minute goal breaking whatever faint resistance the Limerick champions could still offer.
Stacks were in control from the very start once Sean Quilter pointed them into the lead from a third-minute free. By the water break they were five ahead, with OโSullivanโs point in the ninth minute the pick of the five.
Newcastlewestโs first score arrived courtesy of an Eoin Hurley free in the 24th minute, but Stacks were relentless in their efficiency, and scores from Donaghy (from play and a mark) and two converted frees from OโBrien had Stacks in the ascendancy at half-time, leading 0-9 to 0-1.
The Limerick champions had offered plenty of positives in that first half, defending reasonably well and curtailing Donaghy for the most part, but some sloppy tackling conceded too many frees which OโBrien was always going to punish
It was up front, however, where Newcastlewest really fell down. Too often an inside forward was too isolated, and when they did get ball in hand, or venture inside the Stacks 45, they found themselves with few options and less space.
Credit for much of that to Stacks, whose defending was excellent โ collectively and individually. As they have been all season, they defended in numbers and with great discipline, forcing the visitors into low percentage shots when they could eventually find a sliver of time and space.
OโBrien hit two early scores after half-time to stretch Stacksโ lead, but then the Limerick men enjoyed their best period. Shane Stack had a sniff of a goal but was fouled in the build-up and Hurley converted the free. Mike McMahon then converted a mark, sub Diarmaid Kelly scored from play, and then their county man, Iain Corbett, fired over from distance to make it 0-11 to 0-5.
It gave the sizeable travelling support something to cheer about but their excitement and hope was short-lived. Greg Horan whipped over a good point just before Joe OโConnorโs surging run fed Sean Quilter near the end line, and his inviting cross was tapped to the net by Brendan OโSullivan to make it 1-12 to 0-5.
OโSullivan followed up with a point to put Stacks 11 ahead at the water break, and it was elementary thereafter.
Newcastlewest managed three consolation scores after that but Stacks were home and hosed.
Scorers for Austin Stacks: Darragh OโBrien 0-8 (5f); Brendan OโSullivan 1-2; Kieran Donaghy 0-2 (1m); Greg Horan, Sean Quilter (f) and Shane OโCallaghan 0-1 each.
Scorers for Newcastlewest: Eoin Hurley 0-3 (3f); Diarmaid Kelly 0-2; Cian Sheehan, Iain Corbett and Mike McMahon (f) 0-1 each.
Austin Stacks
- 1. Wayne Guthrie
- 2. Colin Griffin
- 3. Dylan Casey
- 4. Jack OโShea
- 5. Paul OโSullivan
- 6. Conor Jordan
- 17. Barry Shanahan
- 8. Joseph OโConnor
- 9. Greg Horan
- 10. Michael OโGara
- 11. Fiachna Mangan
- 12. Brendan OโSullivan
- 19. Sean Quilter
- 14. Kieran Donaghy
- 15. Darragh OโBrien
Subs:
- 21. Armin Heinrich for J OโShea (42)
- 13. Shane OโCallaghan for F Mangan (43)
- 18. Michael OโDonnell for K Donaghy (51)
- 23. Jack Morgan for P OโSullivan (53)
- 25. David Fitzmaurice for M OโGara (54)
Newcastlewest
- 1. Andrew Ruddle
- 2. Michael OโKeeffe
- 3. Darren Carmody
- 4. Brian OโSullivan
- 5. Eoin Murphy
- 6. James Kelly
- 7. Steven Brosnan
- 8. Cian Sheehan
- 9. Iain Corbett
- 18. AJ OโConnor
- 11. Shane Stack
- 12. Brian Hurley
- 13. Bryan Nix
- 14. Mike McMahon
- 15. Eoin Hurley
Subs:
- 17. Diarmaid Kelly for B Hurley (29)
- 10. Sean Murphy for S Brosnan (ht)
- 30. Thomas Quilligan for S Stack (39)
- 20. Lee Woulfe for J Kelly (46)
- 19. Donnchadh Woods for M McMahon (52)
Referee: Sean Lonergan (Tipperary)
Itโs Brechin city,not man city?they probably only have 2 keepers on the payroll
Brings a new meaning to the old football saying โthe goalie went the wrong wayโ :-)
Could have happened to anyone.
#bestleagueintheworld
And loses 2-1 to boot the poor lad.
He should of been dropped for being such a moron
The irony!!
The irony!
Sounds like something I would do :P
I think the keeper going the wrong way is possibly the best gag I have ever heard