The odds may be stacked against them, but Turloughmore will have more than just this year’s Galway senior hurling championship title to play for when they try to stop St Thomas’ from matching their own record of six title wins in a row.
When they clash in Pearse Stadium on Sunday, who would possibly back against St Thomas’ - a team that has never lost a senior county final in seven appearances? Records are there to be broken, though, and having taken out one of the favourites in Loughrea in the semi-finals, Turloughmore look to be hitting their stride at just the right time.
When these two clubs met in the 2020 decider in Kenny Park, there was nothing between them for the vast majority of a tense encounter before late points by Eanna Burke and Brendan Farrell proved decisive scores in a 1-14 to 0-15 win for St Thomas’.
Since then the clubs have met twice in the group stages, with Turloughmore winning the 2022 encounter and St Thomas’ coming out on top earlier this year when the sides clashed in Duggan Park in early September.
Conor Cooney has been an ever-present rock as captain of this St Thomas’ team, contributing 2-37 in his seven final appearances to date, the goals very much important moments in close encounters. Seven of the side that won their first medals in 2012 are still involved, with the return of David Burke potentially to the starting line-up hard to underestimate.
St Thomas’ ooze class and experience on every line of the field and have the resolve required to come out the right side of intensely close matches, having incredibly won their last four finals by an average of just two points.
Turloughmore, too, have plenty of players with county final experience, having been involved in the 2020 decider when Daithí Burke’s leg injury could be pointed to as a significant factor in their defeat. For others such as Cillian and Dara Whelan, Sean O’Hanlon, Tom Quirke, Matthew Tarpey, and Brendan Phelan, this will be all new, but those who have come through the Turloughmore underage structure are well used to winning finals.
Turloughmore’s plan should be a simple one, to keep the game as tight as possible and finish strongly, nothing less will be enough. They have strength in depth and may be able to utilise Sean Loftus off the bench, while Kevin Hussey and Mikey Morris could also be involved after missing the semi-final. They will throw everything they have at St Thomas’, whether it is enough will be intriguing to witness.
Elsewhere at the weekend, Duggan Park in Ballinasloe will host a fascinating double header on Saturday afternoon with both the senior B final replay and intermediate final down for decision. Ahascragh/Fohenagh and Mullagh played out an extremely exciting draw two weeks ago and a repeat could well be on the cards.
That game is followed by the intermediate decider between Tynagh-Abbey/Duniry and Ballinderreen, with Mattie Kenny’s Tynagh side heavily favoured to gain promotion back to the senior ranks at the first attempt.
