Squad depth and composure under pressure ultimately decided this local derby which saw Stacks prevail by the minimum margin and edge two points clear in the race for the division 1 title.

The first ten minutes were all about the home side as they dominated the middle third and with Paddy Lane thriving on the plentiful supply of ball, Stacks had raced into a 3 point lead, 0-04 to 0-01 by the 12th minute, our only score coming from Conor Hayes following good play initiated by Gearóid Dillane and carried on by Gearóid Savage.

Gazza added another point in the 14th minute before we struck for the first of our 3 goals following some excellent play from Con and Darragh who found the marauding Daniel Bowler and his low drive was enough to give us the lead for the first time.

We had now gained a foothold in the middle as Con, Barry John and Tom Hoare began to exert their authority and despite Paddy Lane pulling the locals level, we regained the lead through a Tom Hoare pointed free before Darragh had the second of our goals when evading his marker and finding the net to leave us 2-03 to 0-05 ahead.

We stretched the lead through Darragh but Paddy Lane, again from distance, raised an orange flag to leave the half time score at 2-05 to 0-08.

Tomás Kennedy entered the fray for the second half with Stacks turning to Ronan Carroll for inspiration and the home side began to turn the tide, dominating the midfield battle as they won breaking balls showing real hunger and discipline in the middle third. Their ability to read the play, react quicker, and position themselves smartly gave them a foothold in key areas, especially during the second-half surge.

That surge yielded 5 unanswered points with our response being a Ben Hanafin point from play and we trailed by one as we entered the final 10 minutes.

Stacks once again looked to their bench and called in Paul O’Sullivan,  Niall Fitzmaurice  and Ben Murphy but our riposte was swift when Darragh, again slipped his marker and though his shot was saved, Padraig Griffin found the net to edge us in front by two with just 10 minutes remaining on the clock.

Ben Murphy then thundered into the game firing over two points but we never gave up and our persistence was rewarded when Conor Hayes struck for the equaliser on the 28th minute.

Ben Murphy again edged the home side into the lead, 0-17 to 3-07 but a black card offence on Tomás Kennedy gave us the opportunity from a two pointer free to claw back the lead - however the tricky wind saw the effort drift wide and though we had one final chance to share the spoils, it was not to be and Stacks just shaded the encounter showing enough grit, intelligence, and tactical awareness to get the job done.

Though we now sit two points adrift in clear second place, the final round is far from a formality. Stacks must travel to Killorglin, where the hosts are locked in a relegation dogfight and will be scrapping for survival, while we welcome already relegated Glenbeigh-Glencar to our home patch.

In a season where we’ve already surpassed our own expectations, there’s every chance that one final twist awaits. With momentum on our side and belief in the camp, this story isn’t finished yet.

Final Score: 

Austin Stacks 0-17 

KO’R              3-07

Team: Rob O’Connor, Darragh McElligott, Donagh Buckley, Jake Foley, Gearóid Dillane ( 0-01), Ryan Carroll, Daniel Bowler ( 1-0), Tom Hoare ( 0-01), BJ Keane, Ben Hanafin ( 0-01), Con Barrett, Padraig Griffin ( 1-0), Gearóid Savage ( 0-02), Darragh O’Connor ( 1-01), Conor Hayes ( 0-02). 

Subs used: Tomás Kennedy, Keelan Crowe.