SENIOR FOOTBALL: Rathmore 1-11; Austin Stacks 1-6.
Conditions were perfect in Connolly Park for our opening round (quarter final stage) of the Club Championship on this Saturday evening (30th April).
We couldn’t have got off to a better start. William Kirby won a free from the throw in. He delivered to Shane O’Callaghan who fielded beautifully. He passed to Star who returned to Shane, who blasted to the net after just seventeen seconds.Rathmore pointed from a free two minutes later and then in the 4th minute Shane was unlucky not to have goaled again.
The visitors pointed another free a minute later and equalised from play in the 10th minute.
In the 11th minute Graham O’Connell took a quick free to Shane O’Callaghan, who pointed.
Two minutes later came the score of the game. Mikey Collins lobbed in a high free which was again fielded beautifully by Shane O’Callaghan, who turned and pointed in the one movement an exact replica of Tadhgie Lyne’s opening point in the 1955 All Ireland Final (see that 1955 video and judge for yourself).
The first non Shane O’Callagahn point came in the 17th minute. Wayne Gutherie won possession from a kick out, found Fiachna Mangan who placed Mikey Collins who pointed.
Between then and half time both sides score a point each, ours coming in the 29th minute when Star placed Pogga McCannon who slotted over.
This left us ahead by 1-4 to 0-4 at the break.
The second half doesn’t bear talking about. We scored just two points, one from play by that man Shane O’Callaghan in the 42nd minute and the second from a Darragh Long free in the 56th minute.
Rathmore scored 1-7 in that second half.
Team: Martin Moriarty, Pa McCarthy, David Leonard, Denis O’Neill, Fearghal MacNamara, Barry Shanahan (Capt), Daniel Bohan, Wayne Gutherie, William Kirby, Michael Collins (0-1), Fiachna Mangan, Padraig McCannon (0-1), Graham O’Connell, Kieran Donaghy, Shane O’Callaghan (1-3).
Subs: Paul Barrett (38m), Darragh Long (43m) (0-1 free), David Clifford (46m), Shane Carroll (46m).
It’s back to Co. League duty next. We have a home game against Kerins O’Rahillys in round 4 on the weekend after next (w/e of 14th May).