U21’s Lose to the Blues

U21 Club Championship
Kerins O’Rahillys 1-8 Austin Stacks 0-10.

This quarter final game of the Co. Club Championship played at a damp Connolly Park on this Tuesday evening (23rd Aug) was really lost as a result of a very indifferent first half display, at the end of which we trailed by two points (1-3 to 0-4).  The sides were level on a point each after three minutes, ours coming from Fiachna Mangan after good work by wing back Ronan Shanahan, who had an outstanding game all through.

Rahillys got in for the only goal of the game in the 6^th minute. Shane Carroll pointed a free in the 17^th minute after the opposition were penalized for overcarrying. Then Rahillys added two more points and it would be no exaggeration to say that all their four scores in that first half came as a result of some sloppy play by us. We played poorly in the first 25 minutes but when David Mannix and Ciaran O’Connell pointed just before half time there was nothing in it at half time.

Ten minutes into the second half Rahillys had extended their lead with two more points from play.

After that we were getting more and more into the game. Wayne Gutherie and Ciaran O’Connell reduced the deficit in the 42^nd and 44the minutes only for Rahillys to point again two minutes later to leave them still ahead by three.

Then in the 48^th and 49^th minutes Shane Carroll from a free and Paul Barrett from play reduced the deficit to just one but within three more minutes the Strand Road side had cancelled out those to restore their three points lead.

However we never gave up and the pressure resulted in two more points by Shane Carroll (free) and David Mannix to leave that elusive point still between the sides.

There was a lengthy hold up following an injury to a Strand Road player (we are glad to hear that the injury to Barry John Walsh does not appear to be as bad as first feared) and the ref seemed to indicated that an extra seven minutes would be added, but he only played just short of five with our lads in full flight at that stage.

However we can have no excuses as the game was really lost in that first half.

Team: Barry Galvin, Shane Fitzgerald, Sean Purcell, Denis O’Neill, Ronan Shanahan, Barry Shanahan, Alan Crean, Wayne Gutherie (0-1), Fearghal MacNamara, Ciaran O’Connell (0-2), Fiachna Mangan (0-1), Paul Barrett (0-1), Thomas Moore, Shane Carroll (0-3 frees), David Mannix (0-2).

Subs: Shane Crowley (28m), Alan Duggan (53m).