Burke thrilled with focus of his players

STEPHEN GLENNON

ST. Thomas’ manager John Burke has praised his team for the focus and discipline they showed in their All-Ireland senior club final victory over Kilcormac/Killoughey of Offaly at Croke Park on St. Patrick’s Day.

Having gone two substantial periods between the two halves without being awarded a single free by Cork referee John Sexton, Burke agreed his players could have got frustrated and lost their discipline. That they did not, he said, was a testament to their focus.

“I felt there were a couple of occasions when we might have got a free but, look it, I have said it to the lads before, it is not in our power and there is nothing we can do about it,” he noted. “All we can do about it is focus on the ball, and then the next ball, and keep at it.

“However, I did feel on a couple of occasions we could have got a free or two. At one stage, we had only got one free and I didn’t know what was going on. I suppose, it is over and done with now but I did notice it (the free count against) during the game.”

In the first half, it took 15 minutes before St. Thomas’ were awarded their first free – although the count had levelled out somewhat at 5-6 against them by half-time – while it would be almost 18 minutes into the second period when they secured their next free. The free count in the second half was eight-four against them. Quite often, most teams would get frustrated by such a statistic.

“We have worked a lot on that though for the last while because, you have to keep discipline and you have to keep focused on the job, and forget about everything else that you don’t have power over. There is no point worrying about it,” said Burke.

“Once they didn’t get sucked in or get vexed with the referee and started giving out, it meant they had kept their focus on the match. And that was proven in the end because we got the scores to win the game.”

Burke, however, did have some measure of sympathy for Kilcormac/Killoughey who, in addition to losing their full-forward Daniel Currams to injury the previous week, had also to contend with the sending offs of both midfielders, Damien Kilmartin and Killian Leonard, late in the game.

The St. Thomas’ boss acknowledged Leonard’s red card on 51 minutes was particularly harsh. “It was soft. I know it was right in front of me – and I was a bit annoyed when I saw it – but he couldn’t hold back. He went in to knock the ball away and Darragh (Burke) just got the ball in his hand at the time and he hit him. It was one of those things the referees are pulling for now. Once it is a strike, you’re gone.”

While he didn’t have a clear view of the second yellow card leading to Kilmartin’s sending off – it was arguably the first yellow that did the damage – Burke believed the dismissal of a second player took the wind out of Kilcormac/Killoughey’s sails. “Conor then popped over a couple of points and that was it.”

Meanwhile, Burke has also paid tribute to former Galway star and full-forward Richard Murray, who not alone netted a crucial goal in the first half but struck over two consecutive points to secure parity for his side when the game could have slipped away from them.

“He stood up and when that ball came in, he won it and put it over the bar. He said, ‘look it, give me the ball’ and that is the way he is. He stood up today and was counted. Richie, though, is a Superman. He has a lot done for us and he is worth his weight in gold for these young guys in here.

For more, read this week's Galway City Tribune.