Match report by Tim Slattery
Stacks twenty two year wait is over following a hard fought victory over St Brendans.
Stacks played with the wind in the first half and Jordan Kissane opened the scoring with a pointed free in the 3rd minute and Odhran Ferris did likewise within a minute.
Damien Hogan blasted to the net with a bullet of a shot in the 8th minute after good work by Paddy Lane and Sean Og Brosnan and St Brendan’s replied with a Tomas Kennedy point.
Paddy Lane had two points from play and sandwiched in between Darragh O’Sullivan replied from play.
Midway through the half Gary O’Riordan had a point from play only for Jordan Kissane to reply from a free to make it a three point game.
Stacks hit 1-1 without reply in the next five minutes courtesy of a Paddy Lane free and a Daniel Kirby goal after Conor Horan’s initial shot was parried by the goalkeeper Sean Brosnan.
Earnan Ferris from play and Jordan Kissane from a free traded points after twenty four minutes.
Stacks finished the stronger coming up to half time and added points from play from the boot of Conor Horan from a Jordan Kissane pass and Daniel Kirby after good work by Ben Murphy.
Half Time Austin Stacks 2-8 St Brendan’s 0-5
Ben Murphy from play and a Paddy Lane free after Daniel Kirby was fouled made it a nine point game after 2 minutes of the second half.Hard to believe but Stacks would not score again in the game playing into a strong wind.
St Brendan’s had four unanswered points between the 3rd and 17th minutes coming from a Darragh O’Sullivan free,Ciaran White and Fionan Egan from play,and another Darragh O’Sullivan to make it a seven point game.
Then in the 19th minute St Brendans were awarded a penalty but Odhran Ferris shot was brilliantly saved by Ben Quilter going down to his left and from the resultant 45 was kicked wide.
We went another eleven minutes before St Brendan’s with a Darragh O’Sullivan free leaving six points between the sides.
The board went up with seven minutes of injury time to be played and in that time Darragh O’Sullivan pointed two more frees to end the match.
Pat O’Sullivan presented the James Coffey Cup to Stacks winning Captain Conor Horan to the delight of the Rocky Supporters.
Austin Stacks: Ben Quilter,Joey Nagle,Ruairi O’Connell,Luke Casey,Cian Dillane,Ben Murphy (0-1),Sean Og Brosnan,Cillian Litchfield,Conor Horan (0-1),Daniel Kirby (1-1),Jordan Kissane (0-3f),Shane Bastible,Paddy Lane (0-4,2f),Damien Hogan (1-0),Donnacha Sayers.
Subs Ronan Carroll for Shane Bastible,Fionnan Ryan for Damien Hogan,Padraig O’Halloran for Donnacha Sayers,James Fisher for Jordan Kissane,Sean Heaslip for Conor Horan.
Referee Maurice Murphy St Michaels/Foilmore.
Images by Adrienne McLoughlin
