AIB All-Ireland club senior hurling championship semi-final

ST THOMAS’ (GALWAY) 1-23 BALLYGUNNER (WATERFORD) 2-20

St Thomas’ win 4-2 on penalties

By Paul Keane at Laois Hire O’Moore Park

When this barn burner of an AIB All-Ireland club SHC semi-final tie went to penalties, you'd have forgiven St Thomas' for figuring they were somehow cursed with misfortune.

Sure, the Galway club claimed a national title at the end of its maiden campaign a decade ago but it's largely been frustration at the semi-final stage since.

And on several occasions in Portlaoise it seemed like the six-in-a-row Galway champions were going to slip to their fourth consecutive All-Ireland semi-final loss.

Take the 83rd minute, for example, the third minute of stoppage time at the end of extra-time, when Eanna Burke hit what appeared to be the winner for them, only for Ballygunner's Billy O'Keeffe to subsequently land a Hail Mary point from the right wing 20 or so seconds later, levelling the game and forcing the penalty shoot-out.

Far from being deflated, St Thomas' redoubled their efforts and ultimately came out on top, securing a final clash with O'Loughlin Gaels or Cushendall on the weekend of January 20/21. Successful penalty conversions from placed ball expert Conor Cooney, who top scored on the evening with 0-14, Darragh Burke, Eanna Burke and Evan Duggan added up to a truly memorable win.

As for Ballygunner, it's desolation for a side that looked so assured while cruising to a 10th consecutive Waterford title and a record third Munster success. Dessie Hutchinson, who missed one of the penalties, finished with 1-4 for Ballygunner, as did Patrick Fitzgerald, but they were powerless to avoid a fourth semi-final defeat from the five that the club has contested.

Interestingly, Darragh O'Sullivan and his management team chose not to make any substitutions until the second-half of extra-time as they relied heavily on their starting lineup.

As for the St Thomas’ lineup, it included one David Burke, the ultra experienced midfielder and 2017 All-Ireland winning Galway captain who was finally back in the team following a cruciate knee ligament injury suffered last March. Burke wore number 19, got on the scoresheet and lasted the duration of a game that stretched to well over 90 minutes in total.

Buoyed also by a vocal travelling support, St Thomas’ were at it from the word go and had the sliotar in the net within 90 seconds.

James Regan grabbed that early goal, Oisin Flannery’s precise pass from the right leaving him with only the ‘keeper to beat from close range.

Ballygunner hit back with goals from Fitzgerald and Hutchinson in the fifth and ninth minutes.

Both goals were beauties, Fitzgerald tearing through the centre of the St Thomas’ defence for the first Gunners goal and Hutchinson blasting to the bottom corner soon after from about 20 metres.

Suddenly, the favourites were back in control with a 2-1 to 1-2 lead but while Hutchinson finished the half with 1-2 and Fitzgerald showed his vast ability again with a killer pass to Paddy Leavey for a point, the Munster champions found moments of inspiration thin in the ground.

St Thomas’, in comparison, came roaring into the game in the second quarter and reeled off five points in a row at one stage, to roars of approval from their blue and red clad fanbase.

The westerners were playing with a stiff wind admittedly and goalkeeper Gerald Kelly pointed a 23rd minute free from inside his own 45.

David Burke nailed a long-range score too as St Thomas’ reached the interval with a deserved 1-10 to 2-5 lead.

By that stage, the match-ups were well established. Hutchinson was closely tracked by St Thomas’ corner-back Cian Mahony while Fintan Burke, Man of the Match in the Galway final, kept tabs on Ballygunner full-forward Kevin Mahony who’d netted twice in Munster. Eanna Burke, scorer of 2-2 in the Galway final, switched between the full-forward and centre-forward positions.

The concern from a St Thomas’ perspective was that a two-point half-time lead may not be enough considering the elements.

And so it proved. Ballygunner took full advantage of the breeze after the restart. They sniped five points in a row between the 33rd and 41st minutes and should have had a goal during that period as Tadhg Foley’s seemingly simple pass to an unmarked Kevin Mahony was badly overhit.

Still, Ballygunner had snatched vital momentum and when they took the lead in the 38th minute with a Pauric Mahony point from play, they were in a strong position.

They were two points ahead at the three quarter stage following a Fitzgerald point, 2-11 to 1-12, but this one always looked like it might go the distance.

Five times in the closing quarter the sides were level as Cooney capitalised on undisciplined defending with a series of St Thomas’ points from frees, including the 67th minute equaliser, 1-18 to 2-15.

Ballygunner looked to have finally cracked the south Galway men when they struck the first three points of extra-time.

But the 2013 All-Ireland winners simply wouldn’t yield and ended up a point ahead themselves at the death.

Eanna Burke thought he’d won it for them with an 82nd minute point but Billy O’Keeffe popped up with a Ballygunner bombshell in the form of a levelling score – forcing penalties.

St Thomas’ scorers: Conor Cooney 0-14 (0-13f), James Regan 1-1, Eanna Burke 0-3, Gerald Kelly 0-1 (0-1f), Oisin Flannery 0-1, David Burke 0-1, Darragh Burke 0-1, Evan Duggan 0-1.

Ballygunner scorers: Patrick Fitzgerald 1-4, Dessie Hutchinson 1-4, Pauric Mahony 0-7 (0-6f), Paddy Leavey 0-1, Peter Hogan 0-1, Stephen O’Keeffe 0-1, Conor Sheahan 0-1, Billy O’Keeffe 0-1.

St Thomas’: Gerald Kelly; Cian Mahony, Fintan Burke, David Sherry; John Headd, Shane Cooney, Cathal Burke; Damien Finnerty, David Burke; Darragh Burke, Conor Cooney, Victor Manso; James Regan, Eanna Burke, Oisin Flannery. Subs: Evan Duggan for Sherry 53, Damien McGlynn for Manso 53, Bernard Burke for Darragh Burke 57, Evan Brady for Cathal Burke 62. Darragh Burke for Flannery e/t, Flannery for McGlynn 68, Cathal Burke for Headd h/t e/t, Sherry for Cathal Burke 72.

Ballygunner: Stephen O’Keeffe; Ian Kenny, Barry Coughlan, Tadhg Foley; Philip Mahony; Shane O’Sullivan, Paddy Leavey, Ronan Power; Conor Sheahan, Pauric Mahony; Peter Hogan, Mikey Mahony; Patrick Fitzgerald, Kevin Mahony, Dessie Hutchinson.

Subs: Harry Ruddle for Fitzgerald 75, Cormac Power for Hogan 75, Billy O’Keeffe for Sheahan 79.

Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick).