Kieran Donaghy seals penalty shoot-out victory to send Austin Stacks into Kerry SFC final
Kieran Donaghy of Austin Stacks celebrates with his daughter Lola Rose after the Kerry County Senior Football Championship Semi-Final match between Austin Stacks and St Brendan's at Austin Stack Park in Tralee, Kerry. Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile
It might have been slow to get going, but there was a crescendo of excitement by the finish as Wayne Guthrie’s save and Kieran Donaghy’s composed execution of Austin Stacks’ fifth penalty drove the Rockies into the Kerry County SFC final after an epic shoot-out victory over St Brendan’s.
In what turned out to be an absolute thriller at Austin Stack Park, the only player to miss from the spot was outstanding substitute Ivan Parker for the divisional side, and this was most unfortunate on the Churchill attacker, who had been an inspirational figure and appeared to have finally clinched victory with a stunning, opportunistic strike for goal in the final minute of extra-time (1-12 to 2-8).
However, there was more last-gasp drama in store for the enthralled spectators, when Stacks replacement Sean Quilter equalised with a pointed free, and almost won it at the death with another placed ball that rebounded agonisingly off the post to set the scene for the penalty drama to follow.
Austin Stacks had been the beneficiaries of two fortuitous goals which seemed to have decided the destiny of the contest in their favour. Firstly, the superb Darragh O’Brien’s mis-hit free was flicked on by substitute Michael O’Donnell, hitting the post before cannoning back off the St Brendan’s goalkeeper and into his own net (1-6 to 0-6).
However, inspired by Stefan Okunbor, Andrew Barry, and the magnificent Parker, St Brendan’s would not lie down, and three late scores, including a fantastic ’45 from the afore-mentioned netminder O’Brien, sent the game to extra-time, where Quilter’s attempted point dropped short in the 70th minute and, inexplicably, found its way to the back of the net (2-8 to 0-10).
Once more, St Brendan’s, despite losing talisman Diarmuid O’Connor at the throw-in for the second half after landing awkwardly, would not throw in the towel, and Parker’s bullet had them dreaming of a place in the final, before Stacks regrouped and, finally, got the job done in the shoot-out.
D O’Brien 0-6 (0-3 frees), S Quilter 1-2 (0-1 mark, 0-1 free), E O’Brien 1-0 (own goal), B O’Sullivan 0-1.
I Parker 1-5 (0-2 frees), S Okunbor, J Duggan (free), A Barry, D Goggin, E O’Brien (’45), T Kearns, D O’Callaghan 0-1 each.
W Guthrie; C Griffin, D Casey, J O’Shea; P O’Sullivan, C Jordan, R Shanahan; J O’Connor, G Horan; M O’Gara, B O’Sullivan, F Mangan; S O’Callaghan, K Donaghy, D O’Brien.
A Heinrich for Shanahan (half-time), M O’Donnell for O’Gara (42), S Quilter for O’Callaghan (47), B Shanahan for Mangan (54), A Curran for P O’Sullivan (55), O’Gara for Horan (61), B Walsh for O’Shea (66), N Fitzmaurice for Griffin (inj 71), Mangan for O’Brien (76).
E O’Brien (Churchill); T Wallace (Ardfert), S Okunbor (Na Gaeil), D Bourke (Na Gaeil); F Barry (Na Gaeil), A Barry (Na Gaeil), E O’Connor (Na Gaeil); D O’Connor (Na Gaeil), J Barry (Na Gaeil); L O’Donnell (Churchill), D Griffin (Ardfert), F Mackessy (Ardfert); D Goggin (Na Gaeil), A O’Donoghue (John Mitchels), J Duggan (John Mitchels).
I Parker (Churchill) for O’Donoghue (inj 28, blood), J Lenihan (Churchill) for D O’Connor (inj 33, blood), D O’Callaghan (St Pat’s) for O’Donnell (50), M Kelliher (John Mitchels) for Duggan (50), K Dwyer (St Pat’s) for Wallace (60), T Kearns (John Mitchels) for F Barry (60), T O hAinifein (Na Gaeil) for Griffin (60), M Walsh (John Mitchels) for Goggin (67), E Leen (Ardfert) for E O’Connor (75).
E Walsh (Rathmore).
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