Austin Stacks 1-16

Rathmore 1-9

Paul Brennan reports from Fitzgerald Stadium

AUSTIN STACKS ARE back in the Kerry senior county final – four years after they last won the senior title, and 12 months after they won the county intermediate championship.

Stacks struggled somewhat in the first half against a well organised and energetic Rathmore team – looking to reach a first county SFC final in the club’s history – but the Tralee side were much more composed and direct and accurate in the second half, with Joe O’Connor’s 53rd minute goal securing the win.

Playing with a stiff breeze in the first half, Stacks knew they needed to build up a decent lead at the break, but with the scored deadlocked 0-4 apiece after 28 minutes Rathmore were in a better place.

It was all a bit too laboured by Stacks up to then, but knowing they needed to harness the wind advantage, Paddy Lane fired over from two-point land in the 28th minute to make it 0-6 to 0-4, and then after some patient play after the hooter, Joe O’Connor raised an orange flag to send Stacks to the break 0-8 to 0-4 in front.

It seemed the minimum Stacks needed at half time, but their cause was helped when Kerry defender Paul Murphy didn’t reappear for the second half.

Joe O’Connor and Jordan Kissane extended Stacks lead to six, but Kerry goalkeeper Shane Ryan – playing at centre-forward – kept Rathmore in contention with a converted two-point free. Fionn Murphy’s point cut the gap to three, 0-10 to 0-7, but Stacks got to grips in the final quarter and drove on for a comfortable win in the end.

After Lane scored a trio of points, Stacks sub Ronan Carroll then made it 0-15 to 0-9, and three minutes later O’Connor’s smashed in his goal to make it 1-15 to 1-9.

Rathmore sub John Moynihan hit back with a goal within a minute to make it a six-point but Ben Murphy, a fairly peripheral figure up to then, had the final word with Stacks final point.

Scorers for Austin Stacks: P Lane 0-6 (1 tp, 1f), J O’Connor 1-4 (1 tp), A Heinrich 0-2 (tp), J Kissane 0-2, R Carroll 0-1, B Murphy 0-1

Scorers for Rathmore: S Ryan 0-4 (1 tpf, 1 ‘45’), J Moynihan 1-1, C Collins 0-1 (f), M Reen 0-1, M Ryan 0-1, F Murphy 0-1

AUSTIN STACKS: Michael Tansley, Colin Griffin, Luke Casey, Niall Fitzmaurice, Eoghan Carroll, Armin Heinrich (0-1), Ronan Shanahan, Joe O’Connor, Ben Murphy, Michael O’Donnell, Conor Horan, Daniel Kirby, Paddy Lane (0-6, 2f), Cian Purcell, Jordan Kissane

Subs: Joey Nagle for N Fitzmaurice (37), Greg Horan for C Horan (43), Ronan Carroll 0-1 for J Kissane (47), Jack O’Shea for L Casey (52), Colm Browne for M O’Donnell (57)

RATHMORE: William Casey, Cian Dineen, Dan Murphy, Fionn Holohan, Alan Dineen, Paul Murphy, Fionn Murphy, Andrew Moynihan, Cathal Ryan, Brian Friel, Shane Ryan, Brendan O’Keeffe, Mark Reen, Ciarán Collins, Mark Ryan.

Subs: Darragh Rahilly for P Murphy (ht), John Moynihan 1-1 for M Reen (45), Cian O’Connor for A Dineen (52), Pádraig Moynihan for M Ryan (57)

Referee: Brendan Griffin (Clounmacon)