All Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship Semi Final
Austin Stacks 0-07 Ballinderry 0-11
Match Report By Tommy Naughton
Austin Stacks Intermediate journey ended on Saturday January 4th 2025 in Parnell Park against a Ballinderry side who tactically outsmarted the Rockies with an amazing turnaround in the final twenty-five minutes of their semi-final tie. Having led 4-2 at half time and having missed two great goal chances not many of the rocky supporters in attendance could have imagined they would be outscored by nine points to three in the second half.
Austin Stacks started brightly and after an opening period of possession Paddy Lane kicked over a close range free. Conor O’Neill leveled matters with a long-range effort before Charlei Crozier put the Derry men ahead with a free after eight minutes. Stacks were level after fifteen minutes when they broke from one side of the pitch quickly to the other and where corner back Joey Nagle fisted over. Two minutes later the Stacks were back in front when Full Back Dylan Casey kicked the first of his two scores. With twenty minutes gone, Stacks were reduced to fourteen men when Daniel Kirby received a black card for an off the ball incident. The Stacks managed this ten-minute period excellently and could have raised the white flag when Paddy Lane got inside his marker but kicked over to double the stacks lead. Minutes before half time stacks turned over Ballinderry and with a quick counter attack saw a four versus three situation but Greg Horan’s effort for a point hit the post and this ended the first half with the Rockies looking like they were in a great place.
Half Time: Austin Stacks 0-04 Ballinderry 0-11
Again, the Stacks started well and created a goal chance in the opening minute which again they failed to take advantage off. Daniel Kirby kicked over to put the Stacks three points up after eight minutes but it was here that the Ulster Champions took control off the game although they were three points behind at this stage. In the space of the next seven minutes Ballinderry kicked five unanswered points with two from Conor O’Neill and one each from
Darren Lawn, Gareth McLinless and Ryan Bell as Stacks struggled to find answers both on and off the pitch with the score now having Ballinderry ahead by 0-07 to 0-05. Dylan Casey kicked his second to reduce the gap to one with eleven minutes remaining. Ballinderry’s dominance was now showing as they easily added further points in the 53rd, 55th and 57th minutes from Daniel McKinless, Conor O’Neill and Ryan Bell to gain complete control with Stacks panicking in every area of the pitch where they ran into trouble and were getting turnover far too often. Daniel Kirby scored his second with two minutes remaining but the final score was to come from Ballinderry’s Daniel McKinless who showed great composure from a side who never looked like losing the game from the 40th minute onwards.
Full Time; Austin Stacks 0-07 Ballinderry 0-11
So, the journey for the 2024 season has come to an end for the Stacks who will now look to 2025 where they will once play in the Kerry Senior Division 1 football league and of course compete in the Kerry GAA Senior Football Club and County Championships.
Austin Stacks; Michael Tansley, Colin Griffin, Dylan Casey (0-02), Joey Nagle (0-01), Armin Heinrich, Jack O’Shea, Paul O’Sullivan, Michael O’Donnell, Ronan Shanahan, Fiachna Mangan, Greg Horan, Daniel Kirby (0-02), Shane O’Callaghan, Cian Purcell , Paddy Lane (0-02, 1f).
Subs; Eoghan Carroll for Shane O’Callaghan 39 mins, Luke Casey for Michael O’Donnell 47 mins, Darragh O’Brien for Fiachna Mangan 47 mins, Colm Browne for Paul O’Sullivan 50 mins, Jordan Kissane for Paddy Lane 55 mins.
Ballinderry: Ben McKinless; Ryan O’Neill, Oisín Duffin, Aron Mullan; Ruairí Forbes, Gareth McKinless, Eoin Devlin; Niall O’Donnell, Shea Coleman; Tiernan Rocks, Conor O’Neill, Shea McCann; Charlie Crozier, Ryan Bell, Darren Lawn.
Subs: Daniel McKinless for Coleman (34), Jack Bell for O’Donnell (41), Eoin McCracken for Mullan (60), Matt Quinn for Lawn (60).
Referee; Jerome Henry (Mayo)
