Gort stun St Thomas' in Galway SHC Preliminary quarter final
Of all the ways to bow out of the senior hurling championship, a one-point defeat to your fiercest rivals must rank among the most painful. That was the fate suffered by St Thomas’ on Saturday as underdogs Gort edged a gripping SHC preliminary quarter-final at Kenny Park, Athenry 0-22 to 2-15.
There is rarely much quarter asked or given when these two great rivals collide and this latest chapter was no exception. It developed into a teak-tough championship battle, with scores at a premium, every possession hard earned, and precious little separating the sides as they fought to keep their respective seasons alive.
Gort opened with points from Aiden Helebert and Paddy Commins but spent much of the contest chasing St Thomas’ thereafter. They briefly regained the lead early in the second half, only to find themselves playing catch-up again before Greg Lally pounced on a breaking ball and fired over in the 57th minute to restore parity and set up a tense finale.
In the closing stages, Helebert and St Thomas’ Éanna Burke traded points as the tension mounted before the decisive moment arrived three minutes into injury-time.
A late challenge on man of the match Greg Lally presented Gort with one final opportunity and Helebert held his nerve from the resulting placed ball, splitting the posts to send Gort through and bring St Thomas’ championship campaign to a dramatic end.
That match-winning score took Helebert’s total to 11 points, nine from placed balls, but his scores were not the only crucial contributions. Wing-back Nathan Gill helped himself to three points, as did the experienced Greg Lally and Paddy Commins in the wing forward positions. Dylan Murphy tallied also two points.
It was a real ‘guts and glory’ performance for Andy Coen’s outfit, who found themselves 1-5 to 0-2 in arrears after just nine minutes, despite Gort’s bright opening with the first two points of the contest.
St Thomas’ first score arrived on three minutes through Darragh Burke and, over the ensuing minutes, Conor Coooney (two frees) and the classy Eanna Burke (2) added further efforts before Cooney dispatched a close-range free after Eanna Burke was fouled in the ninth minute.
Instead of capitulating, Gort rallied, outscoring St Thomas’ by four points to one midway through the half. Helebert (three frees) and Dylan Murphy all landed efforts to restore confidence, with Conor Cooney offering the only riposte for St Thomas’ in this period.
As the game gained momentum, both sides exchanged scores in the closing stages of the opening period, Mark Caulfield, Eanna Burke and Damien McGlynn trading points with Commons, Gill, Lally and Murphy to leave St Thomas’ 1-9 to 0-10 ahead at the break.
Post the interval, Conor Cooney converted a free within 30 seconds following a foul on Fintan Burke, but Gort subsequently hit four unanswered points through Commons, Helebert (2) and Gill to see the victors take the lead on 42 minutes for only the second time.
When St Thomas’ struck for 1-1 on the three quarter-mark – Cooney with a free and Eanna Burke with the 44th minute goal from close range – it looked as if the favourites would take over.
Yet, as they did so often in this game, Gort recovered. Aiden Helebert converted two placed balls, 65 and free, before Lally, Helebert (free) and Gill traded points with Fintan Burke (2) and Darragh Burke to leave the minimum between them coming down the home stretch.
On 56 minutes, St Thomas had the opportunity of a third goal, but Eanna Burke was denied by Gort custodian Gavin Lally. The reprieve spurred on Gort, as Greg Lally then hit the equaliser before a Helebert free secured them the lead on 58 minutes.
A magnificent score from Eanna Burke levelled matters again on the stroke of full-time, but another Helebert free in the third minute of injury-time secured the winners the South Galway bragging rights and, more importantly, a tilt at Clarinbridge in the quarter-finals.
Gort: Gavin Lally; I. Neilan, J. Grealish, E. Cooley; N. Gill (0-3), B. O’Donovan, J. O’Donoghue; K. Higgins, E. Killeen; P. Commins (0-3), A. Helebert (0-11, 8f, 65), G. Lally (0-3); D. Murphy (0-2), J. Linnane, R. Cummins.
Subs: L. Walsh for Killeen (temp); L. Walsh for Killeen (60+1 mins.).
St Thomas’: G. Kelly; C. Headd, J. Headd, E. Duggan; C. Burke, S. Cooney, M. Caulfield (0-1); F. Burke (0-2), D. Finnerty; Darragh Burke (0-2), C. Cooney (1-5f), S. Fallon; E. Brady, E. Burke (1-4), D. McGlynn (0-1).
Subs: V. Manso for E. Burke (temp.); David Burke for Fallon (temp); P. O’Donnell for C. Headd (48 mins.); V. Manso for Brady (50 mins.).
Referee: Sean Byrne.