St Thomas’ primed for big collision with Tipp champs

COUNTY champions St. Thomas’ contest their fourth All-Ireland senior club hurling semi-final in eight years when they face Tipperary and Munster title holders Borrisoleigh in what has all the making of a thriller at the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick on Sunday (4pm).

In winning back-to-back titles, St. Thomas’ cemented their place as one of Galway’s greatest club sides, although given the level of ambition in the club, they also would now dearly love to add to the All-Ireland crown they won on St. Patrick’s Day in 2013.

While Ballyhale Shamrocks, who brushed aside St. Thomas’ in last year’s All-Ireland club decider, remain overwhelming 1/4 favourites with the bookmakers, St. Thomas ’— a 6/1 shot — would feel they did not put their best foot forward in the 2019 decider.

The effects of that harrowing defeat manifested themselves in the opening round of the Galway senior hurling championship three weeks later when they lost 1-17 to 0-14 to Liam Mellows. Yet, they duly recovered to defeat Tommy Larkins in the second round, a result which restored some confidence as they headed into the summer break.

From there on in, Kevin Lally’s charges went undefeated. They accounted for Castlegar and Portumna and drew with Turloughmore in their remaining group games before seeing off Tommy Larkins and a previously unbeaten Turloughmore in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively.

For the second year running, they once again faced Liam Mellows in the county decider and, although the City outfit had St. Thomas’ on the ropes in the early stages, the champions came good in the second period as Eanna Burke scored a crucial goal in their 1-13 to 0-14 victory. It was a hugely satisfying victory for the St. Thomas’ set-up, no more so than for manager Kevin Lally.

“With us winning back-to-back county championships, the confidence is high among the group. I suppose, the carrot dangling in front of us now is to get back to an All-Ireland club final and, after Paddy’s Day, that would be hugely satisfying,” he says.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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