Austin Stacks 1-13
Mid Kerry 2-10
KERRY WILL HAVE to wait another week for new county champions after Austin Stacks and Mid Kerry served up a thrilling draw in Tralee.
The issue of who will captain the Kerry team next year is also on ice for a week, but that will concern neither team for now, with both teams regretting late missed chances to snatch victory.
Gavan O’Grady shanked a 13-metre free in the 59th minute that would have nudged Mid Kerry in front, and then in the third minute of added time Shane Carroll’s 45-metre free for Stacks drifted just wide of the target.
It was a fitting finish to a day with several moments of high drama. The first goal arrived in the sixth minute after a long Mid Kerry free was punted in, gathered well by O’Grady and slipped to the Stacks net to put the divisional side 1-1 to 0-1 ahead.
An early fillip for Mid Kerry but Stacks’ response was swift and sharp. The next four points were theirs, including two excellent scores from Daniel Bohan, and by the 20th minute the Tralee club led by 0-8 to 1-3 and were purring.
Then the moment everyone in the capacity crowd anticipated. Kieran Donaghy rose above his marker, pulled down Shane Carroll’s long delivery, and slipped the ball past Michael Moriarty to put Stacks five clear.
Late points from Darran O’Sullivan and O’Grady left just three in it at the break, 1-8 to 1-5, but the initiative looked to be with Stacks.
Pa McCarthy pushed Stacks four clear seconds after the restart but two O’Grady frees kept Mid Kerry in touch.
Donaghy had a shot on goal blocked, Carroll converted a free and then Donnchadh Walsh, going for a point, underhit his shot and saw the ball dip over Darragh O’Brien into the Stacks net. It’s the sort of luck that can decide county finals.
That levelled the contest and O’Grady’s free put Mid Kerry 2-8 to 1-10 ahead with 15 minutes to play.
Stack wrestled back the initiative. Points from Mikey Collins, Shane Callaghan and Donaghy put them two in front, but again Mid Kerry responded with O’Grady nailing two more frees.
But when it mattered most the same man fluffed that late 13-metre free, and then Carroll did likewise for Stacks in injury time.
They go again next Sunday. Whether it’s in Tralee or Killarney yet it not clear.
Scorers for Austin Stacks: S Carroll 0-5, (4f), K Donaghy 1-1, D Bohan 0-2, P McCarthy 0-2, S Callaghan 0-1, D Mannix 0-1, M Collins 0-1
Scorers for Mid Kerry: G O’Grady 1-6 (0-4f), D Walsh 1-1, G Sayers 0-1, Darran O’Sullivan (0-1), J Long 0-1
Mid Kerry
1. Michael Moriarty (Beaufort)
2. Michael John O’Connor (Beaufort)
3. Fergal Griffin (Glenbeigh/Glencar)
4. Ger Hartnett (Beaufort)
5. Ronan Murphy (Beaufort)
6. Pa Kilkenny (Glenbeigh/Glencar)
7. Aaron Cahillane (Glenbeigh/Glencar)
8. Colin McGillycuddy (Glenbeigh/Glencar)
9. Tomas Ladden (keel)
10. Gary Sayers (Keel)
11. Darran O’Sullivan (Glenbeigh/Glencar)
12. Donnchadh Walsh (Cromane)
13. Gavan O’Grady (Glenbeigh/Glencar)
14. James Long (Keel)
15. Kieran Courtney (Glenbeigh/Glencar)
Subs: 17. Jeremiah Hoare (Glenbeigh/Glencar) for MJ O’Connor (16), 21. Liam Carey (Beaufort) for J Long, 23. Sean O’Sullivan (Cromane) for K Courtney (41), 18. Danny O’Sullivan (Glenbeigh/Glencar) for A Cahillane (53).
Austin Stacks
1. Darragh O’Brien
2. Ferghal MacNamara
3. Barry Shanahan
4. Ronan Shanahan
5. Pa McCarthy
6. Greg Horan
7. Conor Jordan
8. Wayne Guthrie
9. William Kirby
10. Shane O’Callaghan
11. Shane Carroll
17. Daniel Bohan
13. David Mannix
14. Kieran Donaghy
15. Michael Collins
Subs: Darragh O’Brien for W Kirby (46), 12. Fiachna Mangan for D Bohan (58), 21. Denis McElligott for G Horan (61)
Referee: Eddie Walsh (Rathmore)