Keanes SuperValu Minor County Championship Final
Monday 9th September 2024
Austin Stacks v St Kieran’s
Austin Stacks Park Tralee
Match Report By Tommy Naughton
Sport can really be so cruel at times. St Kieran’s were crowned Minor County Champions after a dramatic finish when Stacks who were two points down had a forty five that Gavin Casey floated into crowded goal mouth where Ronan Carroll caught and shot towards goal only to see his effort blocked on the line. As the ball rebounded out, Ben Murphy reacted the quickest inside the six yard box and as he was just about to connect with the ball referee began to blow for full time which meant the resulting goal was disallowed.
Major questions and confusion followed; Yes the at least 4 minutes of injury time that was announced had elapsed, Yes the ref had just about blown his whistle milliseconds before Ben Murphy connected with the ball but was their a need to do so? Could or should he have waited for the play to finish out with the ball going dead, or the ball being cleared out of the penalty area or St Kieran’s gaining possession which would have taken the spotlight from the match official who had an good game up to this stage. This kind of controversy isn’t the way anyone wants to see any game finish especially a county final.
The game itself started slowly with both sides finding it hard to get to grips with the big occasion. The opening score of the game after eight minutes came from a Ryan O’Driscoll free after Ben Murphy was taken down while on one of his trade mark runs through an oppositions defence. Jack Diggin double the Rockies lead soon after with a great long range point and Stacks were three points up on the twelve minute mark when Gavin Casey slotted over a 45. St Kieran’s then rattled off three points from play in as many minutes to tie the game up after seventeen minutes with two points coming from Michael Horam and one from Conor Cahill.
Stacks regained their three point lead by the 23rd minute with two more frees from Ryan O’Driscoll and one from play from Cormac Bastible . Michael Horan and Killian Dennehy pointed for St Kieran’s but it was the Stacks who finished the half the stronger with three quick points coming from play. First it was Ronan Carroll who split the uprights and then two from Ryan O’Driscoll to leave the Stacks four points up at the break.
Half Time; Austin Stacks 0-09 St Kieran’s 0-05
Stacks couldn’t have asked for a worse restart to the match with Kieran’s registering 1-01 in the opening minutes to cancel out the four point lead thanks to a point from Michael Horan and a goal from Jack Joy. The Stacks reaction was excellent and they were back in front from a Cormac Bastible point and the lead was double when Ryan O’Driscoll popped over another free. Cormac Bastible and Michael Horan exchanged points before St Kieran’s and Jack Joy struck for a second goal with 15 minutes left to put St Kieran’s in front for the first time and a lead they would never give up.
Gerard Costelloe, Gearoid Coughlan and Killian Dennehy put St Kieran five points ahead as the game seemed to be slipping away from the Stacks but you can never write off this group of players. With six minutes remaining Ben Murphy was on hand to set up Cormac Bastible and he made no mistake when given the opportunity to find the back of the net and it was game on again.
Michael Horan pointed again for his sixth of the night from play before another converted free from Ryan O’Driscoll to bring his total to eight had the gap down to two points as we headed into injury time and the drama that followed.
Full Time; Austin Stacks 1-13 St Kieran’s 2-12
Disappointment for this young bunch of Rockies but they can keep their heads held high as they gave their all against a strong divisional side. The players and management should be really proud of what they have achieved this year and lets not forget they are the Kerry GAA County Club Champions for 2024.
AUSTIN STACKS: Oliver Lata, Eoin Mangan, Max Maszorak, Aodhán Horgan, Fionán Ryan, Gavin Casey 0-1 (‘45’), Darragh Lyons, Alex Tuohy, Ben Murphy; Rory Lynch, Ronan Carroll 0-1, Ben Litchfield, Jack Diggin 0-1, Ryan O’Driscoll 0-8 (5f), Cormac Bastible 1-2.
Subs: Adam Johnston for Jack Diggin (40), Leon Sweeney for Ben Litchfield (46), Jayden Moriarty for Rory Lynch (50),
ST KIERAN’S: Micheál Hickey, Rory O’Connor, Eoghan Joy, Ryan Walsh Murphy, David Healy, Eoin Moriarty, Cormac Walsh; Killian Dennehy 0-2 (2f), Mairtín McKivergan, Joe Bell, Gearoid Coughlan 0-1, Ruairí Brosnan, Conor Cahill 0-1, Jack Joy 2-1, Michael Horan 0-6.
Subs: Gerard Costello 0-1 for Joe Bell (ht), Ciaran O’Connell for Conor Cahill (49), Padraig Reidy for Rory O’Connor (52), Noah Fitzgerald for David Healy (58).
Referee; Evan Horan (Glenflesk)
Match Images by Adam Kowalczyk
