Three red cards as Kilshannig lose fiery Munster semi at home to Austin Stacks
Kilshannig's Ciarán O'Sullivan breaks between Joe O'Connor and Michael O'Donnell of Austin Stacks during their AIB Munster Club Intermediate football championship semi-final match at Glantane, Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan
Disappointment for Kilshannig after they fell to defeat against Austin Stacks of Kerry in the AIB Munster Club IFC semi-final at a blustery Glantane on Sunday afternoon.
The North Cork team unfortunately came up against a better and slicker outfit, but in saying that, had Denis Reen's troops taken advantage of their periods of dominance in the first half, it could have been a different story.
They failed to score for 29 minutes in the second half despite having the wind advantage. The Cork PIFC winners just lacked that cutting edge. They had just two scorers compared to Austin Stacks who had 10.
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There were two red cards, one on either team, in the first quarter. Austin Stacks did get their scores easier, as their class shone in the second half.
In front of a huge crowd, Kilshannig certainly didn’t leave themselves down on their own patch but ultimately it came down to quality. Austin Stacks are an excellent team, they only won the Kerry SFC title three years ago.
Kilshannig got off to the worst possible start when they lost key defender Bill Curtin to a straight red card after just two minutes following an altercation with Greg Horan.
The home side showed huge character. Despite conceding the first score through a Jack O’Shea point, Kilshannig, playing against the wind, replied with two points on the trot. A Darragh O’Sullivan free and an Éanna O’Hanlon mark.
Austin Stacks did reply with two quick white flags to nudge ahead again, 0-3 to 0-2 after 14 minutes.
A minute later, it was 14 players against 14 players when Paul O’Sullivan of Austin Stacks picked up a straight red card following an off the ball incident.
Kilshannig then levelled courtesy of a Darragh free but the men from Kerry rattled off four of the next five points to lead 0-7 to 0-4 with eight minutes to the break.
Kilshannig needed to get a grip but Shane Murphy then received a black card for a pull down after 22 minutes.
Dylan Casey extended his side's advantage before both teams had brilliant goal chances. Daniel Kirby smacked his shot off the crossbar until Darragh O’Sullivan skewed his effort wide for Kilshannig.
Another Éanna O’Hanlon mark left just three points in it at the break, 0-8 to 0-5.
Wind assisted Kilshannig started slowly at the start of the new half, conceding three white flags on the bounce in the opening ten minutes of the second half as their opposition were just that more efficient.
The Tralee side more or less put the game to bed after 42 minutes when Paddy Lane finished brilliantly into the roof of the Kilshannig net, 1-11 to 0-5.
The game petered out in the final 10 minutes as Kilshannig struggled to get on the scoreboard with missed chances. The home side were reduced to 13 players after 54 minutes when Killian O’Hanlon picked up a second yellow card resulting in a red card followed by a Colm O’Shea injury with Kilshannig already after using their five subs, down to 12 players for the closing stages.
Austin Stacks sub Jordan Kissane landed a free until Kilshannig got their first and only score of the second half after 59 minutes when Éanna O’Hanlon converted a close-in free. Austin Stacks were easy winners in the end.
E O’Hanlon 0-4 (0-2 m, 0-1 f), Darragh O’Sullivan 0-2 f.
P Lane 1-2 (0-1 f), C Purcell 0-2, D Casey, J Nagle, J O’Shea, M O’Donnell, J Kissane (f), J O’Connor, D McKivergan (f), D Kirby 0-1 each.
G Creedon; C Murphy, E Burke, B Curtin; S O’Connell, C O’Shea (c), E Healy; E O’Hanlon, K O’Hanlon; S Murphy, C O’Sullivan, A O’Connell; Diarmuid O’Sullivan, T Cunningham, Darragh O’Sullivan.
K Twomey for Diarmuid O’Sullivan (h-t), M Twomey for E Healy, C McMahon for A O’Connell (both 42), C O’Connell for C O’Sullivan (52), D Twomey for Darragh O’Sullivan (55).
M Tansley; C Griffin, D Casey, J Nagle; A Heinrich, J O’Shea, P O’Sullivan; M O’Donnell, J O’Connor; F Mangan, G Horan (c), D Kirby; D McKivergan, C Purcell, P Lane.
D O’Brien for D McKivergan (40), R Shanahan for D Casey, J Kissane for P Lane (both 46), E Carroll for D Kirby, C Horan for F Mangan (both 55).
Derek O’Mahoney (Tipperary).
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