ST. THOMAS’ 2-12
TURLOUGHMORE 1-13
A six-in-a-row of Galway senior hurling championship wins successfully accomplished after another close-fought final against Turloughmore last Sunday, St. Thomas’ focus turns to the national stage, with an All-Ireland semi-final to prepare for in mid-December against the Munster champions.
They will surely savour their latest final success in Salthill, in which Éanna Burke’s brace of poacher’s goals were the ultimate difference between the sides. Great sides are capable of moments that set them apart, and both of Burke’s goals were sprinkled with rare class.
Conor Cooney had a hand in both, somehow getting a handpass to Damien Finnerty while almost on the deck, and his high ball fell in front of the square in the 13th minute where Burke controlled the sliotar into the space in front of him and then whipped a shot off the ground into the top corner.
This score capped an enterprising opening spell for the champions, with Shane Cooney and Fintan Burke in ominously dominant form at the back. From six behind, though, Turloughmore rallied well with Seán O’Hanlon their most potent threat and had their own purple patch in the minutes before half time to leave only one between the sides at the interval.
When O’Hanlon nudged Turloughmore ahead by 0-10 to 1-6 early in the second period, the signs were good for the underdogs, but in no time at all St. Thomas’ had regained the initiative as Oisín Flannery’s well-timed block led to a point which gave Kenneth Burke’s side back the lead and they would not trail again.
Éanna Burke hit two majestic points which helped open up a three-point lead late on, with goalkeeper Gerald Kelly once again proving his worth with a vital save from Conor Walsh deep into injury time.
With the experienced due of Bernard and David Burke now in the thick of the action, St. Thomas’ worked the ball downfield, where Conor Cooney impudently robbed Dara Whelan of possession and passed inside to Éanna Burke, who finished to the roof of the net with aplomb.
This made Daithí Burke’s goal from a close range free, the first goal St. Thomas’ have conceded in a final since their first title in 2012, little more than a consolation. Victor Manso, Darragh Burke, and Shane Cooney all contributed vital scores for the winners as Conor Cooney became the first captain to lift the Tom Callanan cup six times.
ST THOMAS’: G Kelly; C Mahony, F Burke, D Sherry; J Headd, S Cooney (0-2 ), C Burke; J Regan, D Finnerty; E Duggan, C Cooney (0-3, 2fs ), Darragh Burke (0-2 ); V Manso (0-2 ), E Burke (2-2 ), O Flannery (0-1 ). Subs: D McGlynn for Manso (50 ), David Burke for Duggan (55 ), B Burke for Darragh Burke (59 ), C Headd for C Burke (60 ), E Brady for J Headd (66 ).
TURLOUGHMORE: D Walsh; M Murphy, D Whelan, R Burke; V Doyle, D Burke (1-0f ), D Loftus; S Linnane, T Quirke; S O’Hanlon (0-3 ), J Holland (0-1 ), C Whelan (0-1 ); C Walsh (0-7, 6fs ), B Phelan, M Tarpey (0-1 ). Subs: S Loftus for Phelan (46 ), B Connolly for Tarpey (57 ), C Shaughnessy for Quirke (63 ), M Morris for Doyle (64 ).
REFEREE:
Liam Gordon.
