Munster Intermediate Club Football Championship Semi Final
Sunday November 24th 2024
Kilshannig v Austin Stacks
Venue; Kilshanning, Glantane Cork.
Throw in 1-00pm
Match Report By Tommy Naughton
Austin Stacks are into the Munster Intermediate Championship Final after they overcame the challenge of Kilshannig in their on back yard on Sunday afternoon.
In what was a very physical encounter the home side did well to keep tabs with the Stacks early on but an early second half blitz ended the encounter with stacks for the second championship game in a row finishing with ten different scorers.
The game was only sixty seconds old when Kilshannig were reduced to 14 men after Bill Curtin was shown a straight red for a striking offence on Greg Horan. Man of the Match Jack O’Shea opened the scoring for the Stacks in the fourth minute but this was cancelled out two minutes later when Darragh O’Sullivan kicked over a close range free. The home side then went ahead bringing a huge roar from the home support however this lead lasted only thirty seconds as Joey Nagle kicked over after a good patient build up by the Stacks. Cian Purcell put the Rockies ahead with the pass of the day setting up the score by Joe O’Connor.
Just before the half way mark in the first half the teams were level at 14 men each as Paul O’Sullivan was shown a straight red. Maybe it was the loud protest from the home crowd that swayed the referee for a tackle that in truth would normally only justify a yellow card at most. From the resulting free by Darragh O’Sullivan the teams were level again. Maybe it was the fact that Stacks felt hard done by over the dismissal of Paul O’Sullivan but it seemed to spur them into life as they kicked the next three scores in as many minutes. Paddy Lane was first to score before points were added to by Joe O’Connor and Daniel Kirby.
Eanna O’Hanlon scored Kilshannig’s first point from play in the 20th minute but Stacks regained their three point lead through a great scored from Michael O’Donnell. Dylan Casey made it double scores in the twenty fourth minute before Eanna O’Hanlon kicked over a free to leave it finely balanced at the break.
Half Time: Kilshannig 0-05 Austin Stacks 0-08
Kilshanning would surly have spoken before the game about avoiding an early blitz and they did that, however they weren’t prepared for the early second half blitz that saw Stacks score 1-03 without replay in an eight minutes spell in the early stages of the half.
Cian Purcell kicked his scored from play just three minutes after the restart which was followed quickly by two frees from Paddy Lane and Donagh McKivergan. The in the eleventh minute of the second half came the moment that was to put Stacks well and truly in the driving seat. After a number of quick interchanging hand passes Paddy Lane received the ball before side stepping his marker and firing the ball high into the roof of the net to the huge delight of the large number of rocky supporters in attendance.
Stacks were now 1-12 to 0-05 ahead and in truth the final twenty minutes of this encounter petered out with both sides missing scorable chances. Kilshanning were reduced to 13 after Killian O’Hanlon picked up a second yellow card with six minutes remaining and when Colm O’Shea had to leave the pitch injured the home side would finish with 12 as all their substitutes had been used. Austin Stacks Jordan Kissane kicked over a free before in the 29th minute of the second half Eanna O’Hanlon got the home sides only score of the half when he converted a free.
Full Time; Kilshannig 0-06 Austin Stacks 1-12
Austin Stacks will take on Tipperary side Aherlow in the Final on Saturday December 7th with the time and venue to be decided by the Munster Council.
KILSHANNIG: Gavin Creedon, Conor Murphy, Eoghan Burke, Bill Curtin, Shane O’Connell, Colm O’Shea, Eoin Healy, Eanna O’Hanlon (0-04, 1 f, 1m), Killian O’Hanlon, Shane Murphy, Ciaran O’Sullivan, Alan O’Connell, Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Tom Cunningham, Darragh O’Sullivan (0-02, 1f).
Subs: Kieran Twomey for Diarmuid O’Sullivan (half-time); Michael Twomey for Eoin Healy (43 mins), Conor McMahon for Alan O’Connell (43 mins); Cillian O’Connell for Ciaran O’ Sullivan (52 mins), Dermot Twomey for Darragh O’Sullivan (55 mins).
AUSTIN STACKS: Michael Tansley, Colin Griffin, Dylan Casey (0-01), Joey Nagle (0-01), Armin Heinrich, Jack O’Shea (0-01), Paul O’Sullivan; Michael O’Donnell (0-01), Joe O’Connor (0-01), Fiachna Mangan, Greg Horan, Daniel Kirby (0-01), Donagh McKivergan (0-01, 1f), Cian Purcell (0-02), Paddy Lane (1-02, 1f).
Subs: Darragh O’Brien for Donah McKivergan (40 mins), Ronan Shanahan for Dylan Casey (47 mins), Jordan Kissane (0-01, 1f) for Paddy Lane (47 mins); Conor Horan for Fiachna Mangan (55 mins), Eoghan Carroll for Daniel Kirby (55 mins).
Referee: D. O’Mahoney (Tipperary).
Gallery Images by Adrienne McLoughlin
