Senior Club Championship Rd 3 Dr. Crokes 1-13; Austin Stacks 0-11.
Our trip to Killarney on a fine Sunday afternoon (21st Aug) for this third and final round robin game of the Club Championship ended with a five points defeat and now puts us in a relegation play-off against Kenmare Shamrocks ( who ended bottom of Group A) to determine if we are to stay in next season’s competition.
We started well with three opening points on the board – all from play – inside the first seven minutes from Seán Quilter, David Mannix and team captain, Michael O’Donnell. A minute later Crokes opened their account and added three more to take the lead after 14 minutes. We equalized again a minute later from a Joe O’Connor point from play. That turned out to be the last time we were level in the game. Crokes added two more during the second quarter to give them a two points lead at half time (0-6 to 0-4).
That was still the difference between the teams at the end of the third quarter when both sides had chalked up a further four points each – ours coming from Shane O’Callaghan, Michael O’Gara and Jordan Kissane (just two minutes on the pitch at that stage) – all from play – and one from a David Mannix free. Then in the 47th minute Crokes got through for the only goal of the game to give them a five points lead and that was still the difference between the sides at the final whistle with both sides scoring three points each during the remaining quarter of the game. Two of our second half substitutes were of target from play – Cian Purcell and Conor Horan and the final score of the game coming from a David Mannix free.
Team: Wayne Guthrie, Colin Griffin, Barry Shanahan, Niall Fitzmaurice, Conor Jordan, Jack O’Shea, Adam Curran, Joe O’Connor (0-1), Michael O’Donnell (Capt) (0-1), Michael O’Gara (0-1), Shane O’Callaghan (0-1), Armin Heinrich, Seán Quilter (0-1), Gearóid Fitzgerald, David Mannix (0-3 – two frees).
Subs used: Jordan Kissane (38m) (0-1), Cian Purcell (38m) (0-1), Paul O’Sullivan (43m), Conor Horan 51m) (0-1), Eoghan Carroll (59m).
all photographs by Adrienne Mc Loughlin:
