Jubilant scenes as St. ThomasÕ tops in replay

Date Published: 21-Feb-2013

ST. Thomas’ are on the brink of creating a little piece of history by becoming the first Galway club to win an All-Ireland senior title at the first time of asking. That may have explained why their semi-final replay victory over reigning champions Loughgiel was taking time to sink in.

The jubilant scenes which the St. Thomas’ supporters greeted the final whistle at the end of a second titanic struggle against Antrim’s Loughgiel Shamrocks in the space of a week was understandable, but for the players they almost had to pinch themselves.

“Just being out on the field with the supporters, it hasn’t sunk in yet really,” exclaimed St. Thomas’ captain Robert Murray immediately after the 0-15 to 0-7 win. “I had to ask a few people ‘has it really happened?’ In the next month, though, it will sink in and we will drag our feet back down to earth.

“We have one more game to play in this championship and we are really going to put up a fight. We really want this. This was our first time winning a county championship and we are now into an All-Ireland. We put the All-Ireland champions to the pin of their collar in the first match and, really, we put in another great performance in the replay. Obviously, we can smell blood now. We want to win this one (All-Ireland) and we will go all out to do it as well.”

Certainly, St. Thomas’, who only conceded one point from play over the 60 minutes in Clones last Saturday, took on board many of the lessons from their 1-25 to 3-19 draw (after extra-time) against Loughgiel Shamrocks first day out – no more so than the high cost of conceding three goals to the Ulster champions.

“I think the goals drew the game the last day for Loughgiel,” said Murray. “We were kind of disappointed in ourselves for letting in three goals and we knew if we kept a clean sheet in the replay we would have a great chance. It would leave Loughgiel to long-range shooting.”

He acknowledged this was something they made a conscious effort to address in the run-up to the replay, noting it was important they, once again, became “touch-tight” defenders. “Also, at this level, you really have to show a bit of grit and determination and that is what will win the game for you – the hooks and the blocks.

“I think the backs showed it today; they were fantastic. There were some goal chances there, especially in the first half. Cathal Burke flicked a ball away that was destined for the roof of the net. That is the kind of thing you need to see. There is a bit of luck but it also about sheer heart and determination. These lads wanted it today. They really wanted it. We knew we almost left it behind us the last day and that we still had a great chance of getting to the All-Ireland final.”

While lauding his team’s defensive efforts in not conceding a goal, St. Thomas’ manager John Burke was acutely aware of the goal opportunities that were conjured up by Loughgiel Shamrocks, especially in a frantic opening eight minutes.

“We were probably lucky,” said Burke. “We will have to look at it again but they did open us up three times. Alright, Cathal got a block on one of them – he got a good flick on it – and the other two were shot wide but we were lucky. If a couple of those goals had gone in, then we would have been chasing the game. However, we never panicked.”

Up at the other end of the field, the St. Thomas’ forwards were showing the same level of composure. Although Conor Cooney, who had shot 12 points first day out, was double marked, the surrounding forwards, in particular man of the match Bernard Burke, stepped up to the plate.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.