Minor Co. League Div. 1 Semi Final
Austin Stacks 2-9 Dingle 0-14
With the lead changing hands on no less than seven different occasions during the game this humdinger of a Co. League semi final went right down to the wire, and with 60 minutes on the clock, in Connolly Park on this Bank Holiday Monday evening (6th May), it looked as if it might have to go to extra time but up stepped Conor Jordan to score a brilliant winner, with his equalizing point, seven minutes earlier, even more spectacular. But this was by no means a one man show as all seventeen who played did so with great determination and no little skill.
After Dingle went ahead inside the 3rd minute it was Greg Horan who opened our account in the 7th minute with a pointed free following a foul on Kyle Fitzgibbon. Dingle went ahead again two minutes later but in the 11th minute came the first of our two goals and if we will see a better one all season then we have something to look forward to. A beautiful ball by Conor Jordan was well won near the side line by Eamon McAllen and Eamon jinked his way goalwards through a plethora of defenders to crash the ball to the net. Five minutes later Sean Ryan put us three ahead when he pointed after good work by Ciarán Flanagan.
But Dingle weren’t League semi finalists for nothing, and in the space of three minutes had leveled matters with two pointed frees and one from play.
Between then and half time both sides added two each – ours coming from Eamon McAllen and a free by Kyle Fitzgibbon after a foul on Eamon, to leave the sides level at the break (1-4 to 0-7). We were unlucky to lose our influential keeper, Brian Horgan who picked up a foot injury just before half time. We all wish Brian a speedy recovery. Corner back Colin Griffin lined out in goals for the second half and didn’t put a foot wrong for the next 30 minutes. Dingle had the advantage of the strong breeze in this half and were two points clear at the end of the third quarter (0-11 to 1-6). Our two points in that quarter were both from play by Sean Ryan and Michael O’Donnell.
But, as in the first half, when the chips were down we responded again when a great move, with Greg Horan and Seán Ryan prominent, saw 16 year old Michael O’Donnell grab the ball close in and steer it past the keeper for our second goal. But still Dingle weren’t finished and with two quick points were back in the lead again. Then James O’Connor equalized only for Dingle to go one up again a minute later. Our defence was superb all through but they really excelled in the closing ten minutes, holding Dingle scoreless, while Conor Jordan became the hero of the hour with those two late winning points.
So, for the second year in a row, it’s on to a Co. League final with (as we write) next Friday (10th May) being mentioned as a possibility.
Team: Brian Horgan, Dylan Hartentt, Eoghan McKivergan, Colin Griffin, Barry Walsh, Conor Jordan (0-2), Joseph O’Kelly, Greg Horan (Capt) (0-1 free), Michael O’Donnell (1-1), Shane Greensmyth, Sean Ryan (0-2), James O’Connor (0-1), Eamon McAllen (1-1), Ciarán Flanagan, Kyle Fitzgibbon (0-1 free).
Subs: Sean Dukes (ht), James Galvin (43m).