St Thomas’ get defence of their title back on track

St Thomas 0-19

Padraig Pearses 1-11

Six scores in eight minutes during the third quarter gave St Thomas the platform to secure their first win in this year’s senior hurling championship and get their title defence back on track.

After falling to Turloughmore in their first game, John Burke’s team responded to a Cyril Donnellan goal just before half-time to regain the initiative and held out in the closing stages as Padraig Pearses chased late goals.

Pearses were unlucky not to beat Portumna on the first day, conceding a late Damien Hayes goal but proved their worth coming back from behind to take the lead before finsihing all square, but the Gurteen/Ballymacward outfit now sit bottom of Group Two in the Senior A section ahead of further encounters with Gort, Sarsfields and Turloughmore.

The momentum seemed to shift for Paul Feeney’s men just before half-time when Donnellan broke clear to force the sliothar to the net and another white flag from the recently returned Galway senior had Padraig Pearses 1-5 to 0-7 up at half-time.

St Thomas’ started without Conor Cooney, whose calf muscle injury from before the National League Final against Tipperary ruled him out, but this allowed Darragh and Eanna Burke to excel as they were the standout performers over the hour.

Eanna Burke levelled in the opening minute after the break before his brother Darragh made it 0-9 to 1-5. Thomas Flannery’s free brought the teams back on par on 35 minutes before St Thomas’ started their run that proved defining.

Their captain, James Regan, made an impact with two scores in 60 seconds; Eanna Burke added a brace to bring his tally to five; goalkeeper Patrick Skehill landed a long-range effort between the posts; and Galway captain, David Burke, profited from a poor puck out to slot the ball over the bar.

St Thomas led by 0-15 to 1-6 and looked set to avoid their 2016 feat of losing their opening two assignments, but Padraig Pearses rallied in the final quarter and tested the credentials of the current holders.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.