Co. League Final Austin Stacks 4-9 Rathmore 3-10
On Tuesday the U14 Division 2 Final took place between ourselves & Rathmore in Killarney Legion. This was to be our third County Final in a row at this age & while this time it was Division 2, it would be just as hard as the others with the powerful Rathmore awaiting us. In Round 1 of the County League we had been defeated in Rathmore by 3-14 to 6pts so we knew what kind of performance we would have to deliver.
Having witnessed the heroics by our seniors in Connolly Park on Saturday night these younger Rockies drove straight into the Rathmore defenders from the off. Leon Shalemba pointed first before the ‘on fire’ Conor Myers rattled the net for the first of his hat trick. Another Leon score, this time a well finished goal had the Rathmore players rattled, seven points down in ten minutes. Our midfield pairing of Sean Quilter & Padraic Linnane were mopping up everything & with Daniel O Rourke spraying passes all over the pitch the Rathmore back six dropped deeper in defence.
Two more Conor Myers points with a Daniel O Rourke beauty in between had us well incharge before the boys in red registered their first point of the game. Once again the ball winning of Liam Nolan was creating chance after chance but some wayward kicking & bad luck (a Sean Quilter thunderbolt off the butt of the post) should have had us a lot further ahead before Liam Nolan pointed & Conor netted for the second time. Twelve points to the good with four minutes to the short whistle when Rathmore pointed again then goaled almost immediately to close the gap. It could have been worse but for a David Oba save to stop a certain goal. Disappointing to concede so close to halftime but still in control of the game.
Whatever the Rathmore coaches had in the water worked wonders as they came out of the traps like boys possessed. A point followed by two quick goals had us on the rack. The game was now completely turned on its head where our backs had little to do in the first thirty minutes, they were now under constant pressure from the physically stronger Rathmore team. Three more unanswered points now had us behind by three & unable to feed the inside forward line. The defending was now bodies on the line stuff with Luke Chester’s mid air flick away stopping a certain goal, Danny Draghici somehow keeping himself between the fulforward & the goals turning him away time & again & David Burke, Eoghan Carroll, Craig Teahan & Dara Barry Walsh making last gasp blocks. Credit Dara who had been unwell all week but was superb in dealing with Rathmore’s main man David Dineen.
At last we weathered the Rathmore storm & a 30m free from the boot of Sean Quilter ten minutes from time followed by a Conor Myers free steadied the nerves for the final minutes. Once again the game changed with the Rockies now on top & two points apiece, ours from the accurate boot of Conor Myers had us behind by the smallest of margins. Constant pressure on the Rathmore goal eventually paid off after two or three near misses a lovely move involving Daniel, Padraic & Leon saw Conor Myers shimmy past two defenders to goal to put us back in the lead for the final two minutes. Rathmore threw the’ kitchen sink’ at us but wonderful defending kept them scoreless in the final moments until that final whistle which sparked wild celebrations with players & parents alike. The faces in the team picture tell their own story of what this win meant to the lads, enjoy!
TEAM: David Oba, Craig Teahan, Dara Barry Walsh, David Burke, Danny Draghici, Padraic Linnane, Eoghan Carroll, Leon Shalemba, Sean Quilter (capt) Cian Purcell, Daniel O Rourke, Adam Curran, Conor Myers, Liam Nolan, Luke Chester, Joe Bastible, Tom O Farrell, Jordan Barry, James Fernane, Greg Scanlon.