Senior Co. League Div 2: Austin Stacks 2-11; Listowel Emmets 1-7.
The final score-line did not really do justice to the performance of the visiting team in this round 9 Co. League game played in a damp Connolly Park on this Saturday evening (14th July). After a low-scoring first half Emmets went in at half time a point to the good (0-5 to 0-4). They were totally in command in the opening quarter, leading by three points to no score after 12 minutes.
It took us almost 17 minutes to register our first score – a pointed free by Darragh O’Brien. Darragh added another five minutes later before centre back, Ciarán O’Reilly got our first score from play in the 23rd minute. Emmets added two more points from frees with Darragh O’Brien adding one from play before the end of the half.
We had a far better start to the second half with Ferdia O’Brien at the end of a good move from the throw-in to score the first goal of the game and put us in the lead for the first time. But Listowel continued to compete and with two minutes of normal remaining there was still only four points between the sides. However a Joseph O’Connor goal finally put the game out of reach of the Listowel boys despite they adding a consolation goal deep in added time.
Joseph O’Connor, and Dylan Casey were making their first Co. League starts at Senior level and both played exceptionally well with Dylan also getting on the score sheet – putting over our last score of the game in the 62nd minute – coming up from his right full back position to do so. It was also Michael Slattery’s first Co. League game at Senior level – coming on as a second half substitute and he was very much involved in that good second half performance when we outscored the opposition by 2-7 to 1-2.
Team: Robbie Murphy, Dylan Casey (0-1), Barry Walsh, Denis Costello, Pa McCarthy, Ciarán O’Reilly (0-1), Ciarán O’Connell, Shane Guthrie (Capt), Greg Horan, Wayne Guthrie, Darragh O’Brien (0-6 – three frees), Joseph O’Connor (1-0), Ferdia O’Brien (1-1), Michael Collins (0-1), Fergal Ryan.
Subs used: Michael Slattery (ht), Shane Carroll (46m) (0-1), John Dennis (58), Gearóid Fitzgerald (58m).
Arguably, our two toughest matches are to come, against the two form teams of the campaign – Na Gaeil and Castleisland Desmonds. We are away to Na Gaeil in a fortnight’s time in what will be an historic one – our very first meeting at Senior level in the 48th season of the Co. League. The final round robin game will be at home to Castleisland Desmonds – a game which has been provisionally fixed for the w/e of 19th August