Match Report by Tommy Naughton
Tralee/St Brendans Championship Quarter Final
Friday 15th November 2024
Austin Stacks v John Mitchels
Venue; Connolly Park
Throw in; 8-00pm
Friday night lights at Connolly Park as Austin Stacks hosted John Mitchels in the Tralee/St Brendans Championship Quarter Final. Stacks lined out with a completely different fifteen from that which started the Intermediate Club Championship final just six days previous.
Austin Stacks opened the scoring in the third minute when Brendan O’Sullivan kicked over after some good build up work involving Sean Quilter and Darragh O’Brien but this lead only last sixty seconds with Mitchels coring from play. Cian Purcell restore the home sides lead with a long range score from the left wing. In the next ten minutes the visitors went from a single point down to going three points up as they registered 1-01 without reply.
Stacks response was excellent with them scoring 1-05 in the final ten minutes of the first have while also stopping their opponents from adding to their scoreline. the first score from this purple patch came from a free which was kicked over by Sean Quilter on the twenty minute mark. Joran Kissane and Cian Purcell kicked back to back points in the space of 30 seconds to have the teams level after twenty two minutes. In the twenty seventh minute Stacks raised the green flag when a Mitchels kickout was caught by Sean Quilter who kicked from 45 yards out lobbing the back peddling keeper.Adam Curran kicked over for the Stacks before John Mitchels could have gotten their second goal of the game when they were through one on one with Ben Quilter where Ben made a fantastic save and the loose ball was recovered by the tracking Brendan O’Sullivan. Their was still time for one more score which was a marvelous kick from the left sideline by Ronan Shanahan.
Half Time; Austin Stacks 1-07 John Mitcles 1-02
The second half was brilliantly controlled by the home side as it seemed that every time the visitors score the stacks responded immediately. Mitchels opened the scoring with a point from a free which was cancelled out by another long range score from Cian Dillane. Mitchels against pulled a point back from play but again it was canceled out this time from a free by Sean Quilter. Again Mitchels were next to score and again Stacks responded this time it was Darragh O’Brien kicking over to leave the score at 1-10 to 1-05 after 40 mins.
The game went through a very scrappy period at this stage with both sides giving up to many turnovers without creating much in return. John Mitchels brought the gap down to three points by the 52nd minute but it was the stacks who finished the stronger. A free from Darragh O’Brien followed by a second point from Jordan Kissane had the half time gap of five points restored. The final score of the game came from the boot of Conor Myers.
Full Time; Austin Stacks 1-13 John Mitcles 1-07
Austin Stacks will have a home semi final against Kerins O’Rahillys in the coming weeks with the date and time to be confirmed.
Austin Stacks; Ben Quilter, Colm Browne, Barry Shanahan, Ronan Shanahan (0-01), Luke Casey, Adam Curran (0-01), Eoghan Carroll, Brendan O’Sullivan (0-01), David Fitzmaurice, Jordan Kissane (0-02), Cian Dillane (0-01), Cian Purcell (0-02), Sean Quilter (1-02, 2f), Darragh O’Brien (0-02, 1f), Geraoid Fitzgerald. Subs Used; Conor Myers (0-01), Wayne Guthrie, Jack Murphy, Noah Townsend, Sean og Brosnan.
Referee; Mike Hennessey (Ballyduff)
