Kerry SFC: Comfortable win sees Austin Stacks safely into last four

They scored all six points in the first quarter and didn't look back

Austin Stacks' Kieran Donaghy under pressure from South Kerry's Rob Wharton. Picture: Don MacMonagle

Austin Stacks 0-14 South Kerry 0-6

A powerful start was the key to Austin Stacks booking their Kerry SFC semi-final place as they overcame South Kerry in this ultimately disappointing last eight clash in Fitzgerald Stadium this afternoon.

They scored all six points in the first quarter with South Kerry taking until the 13th minute to even launch an attack at the Stacks posts. Former South Kerry player Paul O’Sullivan had a stormer against his old side as Darragh O’Brien was in a rich vein of scoring form for the victors on the day.

South Kerry actually needed the aid of a linesman to get on the board in the 16th minute when Jack Daly’s initial effort at a point had been ruled wide by the umpires. Two Eanna O’Connor frees gave them an outside chance at half-time in trailing by 0-9 to 0-3 but they had lost Graham O’Sullivan to injury during the first period.

The district side did have a good start to the second period in cutting the gap to 0-10 to 0-6 after a point from substitute Killian Young in the 41st minute. Indeed their goalkeeper Padraig O’Sullivan had made two important interceptions to stop the Tralee side getting in for goal as Shane O’Callaghan and Jack O’Shea could have wrapped the match up a lot earlier for Stacks.

South Kerry lost influential midfielder Robert Wharton to a second yellow card as they played for a period with 13 players following a black card for Niall O’Shea in the 39th minute. Stacks settled though in O’Brien finishing with 0-8 as Kieran Donaghy played the entire match with great composure and calmness for his side throughout.

The final quarter of proceedings was disappointing as the game petered out to its inevitable conclusion.

Scorers for Austin Stacks: D O’Brien (0-8, 6f), K Donaghy (0-2, 1m), S O’Callaghan, M O’Gara, A Heinrich and S Quilter (f) (0-1 each).

Scorers for South Kerry: E O’Connor (0-3, 3f), J Daly, D Donohoe and K Young (0-1 each).

AUSTIN STACKS: W Guthrie; C Griffin, D Casey, J O’Shea; P O’Sullivan, C Jordan, R Shanahan; J O’Connor, G Horan; M O’Gara, F Mangan, A Heinrich; D O’Brien, K Donaghy, S O’Callaghan.

Subs: B O’Sullivan for A Heinrich (ht), M O’Donnell for S O’Callaghan and S Quilter for D O’Brien (both 50), A Curran for D Casey (52) and B Shanahan for P O’Sullivan (54).

SOUTH KERRY: P O’Sullivan (Skellig Rangers); B Sugrue (Renard), F Clifford (Waterville), S O’Connor (Dromid Pearses); G O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses), M Griffin (St Michaels/Foilmore), R O’Shea (Skellig Rangers); R Wharton (Renard), J Daly (St Marys); T Sugrue (Tuosist), E O’Connor (St Michaels/Foilmore), A Walsh (St Marys); N O’Shea (Dromid Pearses), D O’Sullivan (Skellig Rangers), D Donohoe (Dromid Pearses).

Subs: O Clifford (Waterville) for G O’Sullivan (15), M O’Sullivan (St Michaels/Foilmore) for D O’Sullivan (ht), K Young (Renard) for A Walsh (37), M O’Leary (Renard) for B Sugrue (50) and Diarmuid Keating (Skellig Rangers) for T Sugrue (52).

Referee: Jonathon Griffin (Glenbeigh/Glencar).