2024: Austin Stacks V Ballymacelligott Tralee/St Brendan’s League Round 1

Round 1
11th February in Connolly Park.

Austin Stacks 0-8  V Ballymacelligott 1-6.

Thanks to the Tralee/St Brendan’s Board, club players were allowed to play their first competitive game of the 2024 season on Sunday. Ballymac saw two of last year’s minors don the senior jersey for the first time: Cathal White and Shane Gilroy. Both players played with distinction and we wish them both years of success in the Blue and Gold.

Connolly Park was the venue and it was a nice crisp bright day for football. It took both teams a good ten minutes to settle into the game. The first score came from play from Ballymac’s Darragh Broderick. Two points followed from Stacks, leaving the score 0-2 to 0-1 after fifteen minutes of play.

Darragh Broderick scored a point from a free. Stacks replied with another point from Shane O’Callaghan.  22 minutes into the game Cathal Dunne replaced Sean Rice, who was injured. Vinnie Horan scored a point from play and just before half time Cathal White was injured and was replaced by Skye Lynch.

The Half Time Score: Austin Stacks 0-3 Ballymac 0-3.

Once the game recommenced Stacks fired over three points without reply. The score after ten minutes was 0-6 to 0-3.

In the 11th minute, Adam Sheehy intercepted a ball in the Ballymac back-line and passed it to Darragh Sweeney who cleared it up the field to Michael Herlihy and gave a great pass to Darragh Regan. Darragh made no mistake and hit the back of the net.
Another point from Adam Sheehy, following great defensive work,  by Tadhg Brick saw Ballymac in the lead and more importantly, defending well and gelling together as a team. Eoin Creedon, who had played with his usual sharp defensive work, had to leave the field as he got an injury.

Stacks added a point before Ballymac scored two more points: one from play from Skye Lynch and a free from Vinnie Horan. The game’s last point came from the home side’s Greg Horan.

The final score: Austin Stacks 0-8 Ballymacelligott 1-06.

Overall this was a very positive performance from our team. Shane Gilroy and Cathal White slotted well into the team.  It is good to see players who joined the panel in recent years growing in confidence: Eoin Creedon, Sean Rice, Skye Lynch, Darragh Sweeney, and Adam Sheehy.

Team and scorers: Christy Leen, Eoin Creedon, Brian Cassidy, Darragh Sweeney, Cathal White, Tadhg Brick, Shane Gilroy, Darragh Broderick, Brian Lonergan, Sean Rice, Vinnie Horan, Michael Herlihy, Darragh Regan, Adam Sheehy and Barry Lyons.
Substitutes used: Cathal White, Daire Keane, Skye Lynch, and Cathal Dunne.

Austin Stacks: Ben Quilter, Colin Griffin, Barry Walsh, Niall Fitzmaurice, Luke Casey, Adam Collins, Eoghan Carroll, Greg Horan, Cillian Oatfield, Darag McGivergan, Fiachra Mangan, Conor Horan, Johanthan Kissane, Shane O’Callaghan and David Mannix.

On Sunday next, we play Churchill in Round 2 in Churchill.