Gort champs delighted to have proven critics wrong in acid test

WARROR wing-forward Paul Killilea believes Gort have silenced the doubters and proven they’re a top-team after beating the best, Portumna, on the biggest day on the local sporting calendar.

In 2011, Gort overcame Galway and All-Ireland champions, Clarinbridge, to win their first senior title since 1983. But the merit of that title was – rightly or wrong – frowned upon by many because Gort had avoided Portumna in their march to glory.

“I don’t think we got the credit that year for beating All-Ireland and county champions. A lot of people said you have to beat Portumna to be acknowledged as true champions and thankfully today we got over the line, and we are true champions,” he said.

Another motivation, revealed Killilea, was last year, when Gort crashed out of the championship early. “Team – team was what got us over the line today. Work ethic and team. We’ve a big panel there, we’re like a family. We’ve gone to the cinema together more times this year, just trying to stay together. I’m sick going to the cinema with five or six lads – it doesn’t look good five or six lads going the cinema together but you just have to do it!

“Coming up short last year, we just had to do it. We felt we didn’t do ourselves justice last year. We won one in 2011. We maybe got ahead of ourselves and thought, you know, we’ll win another one. The following year we lost a replay by a point in atrocious conditions. And last year we drew one, lost one by a point and then were knocked out early. That was a major kick in the backside for us, and that was in the back of our heads this year . . . I think our work ethic was key today.

“They’re a superb team. Look at what Portumna have done representing us outside the county. They’re a fabulous team. I just think we were hungry today. We got knocked out of championship early last year, and we were just hungry for road. Last October we were running around the pitch on our own (without management) trying to get things going again. We’ve a phenomenal effort put in. I think it was just all about the work ethic,” he said.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.