Gort need to rediscover fire of county final display

Date Published: {J}

IT’S hard to get a handle on Saturday’s All-Ireland Club hurling semi-final at the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick. Even the bookmakers have flip-flopped on their big match odds – Gort were the original favourites with Paddy Powers, but now Coolderry have taken over that mantle. Frankly, it’s a game which could go either way.

Of course, Ireland’s leading bookmaker is also reflecting the fact that the majority of punters have been rowing in behind the Offaly champions, most likely as a result of evidence from the respective clubs’ challenge matches over the past few weeks. Coolderry’s form has been, reportedly, somewhat more convincing, but I have long since reached the stage of placing little store in these type of encounters.

Still, the extent of Gort’s struggles in their opening challenge match last month in preparation for Saturday’s semi-final was worrying. They were more or less wiped off the field by Galway with neutrals observers concerned about the county champions’ lack of sharpness and fluency, together with fitness concerns over a number of players. Granted, Gort weren’t at full strength, but their lethargic display left their followers concerned.

On the other hand, the fact that Gort were so far off the pace gave both the management and players a wake-up call in plenty of time for their showdown with Coolderry. They have improved for subsequent outings against Dublin, UCD and Clare, while injury concerns over full back Mark McMahon appear to be abating. The fact the game is going ahead in Limerick should also be of some assistance to them, especially in terms of support from the terraces.

Though Gort were defeated county finalists in 2008, not many neutrals anticipated that the South Galway men would end up capturing the senior title for the first time in 28 years last November. Despite three teams coming out of their group, Andy Coen and company had failed to reach the knock-out stages in 2010 and were also edged out by Craughwell in the opening round of last year’s championship.

But they have been on an upward curve ever since, ending up topping their group after subsequently recording convincing victories over Loughrea, Beagh and Kinvara. The tide was turning and though the weather was lousy for the club’s quarter-final and semi-final meetings against Loughrea and St. Thomas’ respectively, you’d nearly always fancy Mattie Murphy’s squad to come out on top in those type of battles where natural toughness is a key asset.

Understandably, however, Gort were still outsiders for their county final collision with Clarinbridge, the reigning All-Ireland Club champions, at Pearse Stadium, but they were very quick out of the blocks that day – five points clear after 13 minutes – and their aggressive hurling rattled the title holders. The ‘Bridge did improve gradually and when substitute Billy Lane’s opportunist goal drew them level in the second-half, quickly followed by the lead score from Sean Forde, you’d have been inclined to think that Gort had shot their bolt.

The momentum was firmly with Clarinbridge now, but the dismissal of Eoin Forde didn’t help them in the final ten minutes and the challengers were not wilting in terms of effort or courage. Man of the Match Aidan Harte drew them level before two late pointed frees from Coen, their experienced captain, and Harte enabled Gort to end a title famine stretching back to 1983. There was no fluke about it either as they carried the fight to Clarinbridge from the off and, on the day, were also the hungrier team.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.