Gort give it everything but Shefflin stands a man apart

Inside Track with John McIntyre

Gort may have harboured some regrets over how a couple of previous All-Ireland Club hurling campaigns ended, but they have no need to beat themselves up after last Saturday’s championship semi-final in Tullamore. In simple terms, the better and classier team carried the day.

For sure, the Galway title holders were typically feisty and gave it their best shot at O’Connor Park, but they came up against a superior force in a star-studded Ballyhale Shamrocks outfit who remained on course for a record breaking sixth All-Ireland title in front of a disappointing crowd of little more than 2,500.

The Kilkenny men hadn’t looked anything exceptional in only getting the better of Offaly’s Kilcormac/Killoughey after extra time in the Leinster final last December, but they stepped up measurably on that form last Saturday and, overall, Gort weren’t able to cope despite enjoying some strong passages and a decent enough start.

Normally, you wouldn’t expect a 36-year-old to have such a big influence in such a competitive environment, but Henry Shefflin is no ordinary hurling soldier. The sport’s most successful individual of all-time started on the forty and reminded all and sundry about his greatness in a man of the match display. Shefflin drifted around the half-forward line for much of the hour from where he conducted the Ballyhale attacking orchestra.

Apart from landing five points from play, Shefflin was the critical link in many other scores for Shamrocks whose forwards in general had the beating of the Gort backs. The ten-times All-Ireland winner may have nothing left to prove, but great sportspeople tend to possess extraordinary competitive instincts and no one should doubt Shefflin’s will to win after this hard fought club semi-final.

Gort always knew Saturday’s clash would stretch them in more ways than one. They certainly fronted up to Ballyhale physically – opposition full forward Colin Fennelly experienced plenty of hardship – but they shot some careless wides at times and also tended to carry the ball into traffic. Gort fought an honourable battle but the gulf in standard between the teams was reflected in them trailing by 2-17 to 1-11 with only eight minutes remaining.

To their credit, Gort never threw in the towel and they had the last four points of the match from the impressive Richie Cummins, Michael Mullins, Greg Lally and substitute Shane Walsh, but the horse had bolted and Ballyhale were never in the slightest danger of being overhauled as they set up a St. Patrick’s Day showdown with Kilmallock – the first Limerick club to reach the final in over 20 years.

Gerry Spellman’s charges needed a good start to shake up their vastly more experienced rivals and they got it too when Cummins finished from close range after the battling Paul Killilea had made the initial incision in the Ballyhale defence. With Cummins, the lively Gerard O’Donoghue and Greg Lally, a rousing long range effort, tacking on points, Gort led by 1-3 to 0-4 after nine minutes and were really carrying the fight to the strong pre-match favourites.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.