Loughrea finally scratch the itch with victory over Cappataggle in Galway final
Loughrea celebrate with the cup at Kenny Park. Pic: ©INPHO/Evan Logan
An 18-year itch scratched, a bridesmaids' tag discarded. Loughrea are back on the summit of Galway hurling but it sure was a wrestle.
Although they brought a 100% championship record to a packed Kenny Park in Athenry, it was never going to be convincing. Not with the weight of final defeats – five since 2007 – or the burden of expectation placed on a team that like everyone else had been living in St Thomas’ shadow up until this year’s semi-finals.
It was no shot to nothing for Cappataggle either. In their first ever senior final, they didn’t know when they will be back in another. The account they gave of themselves was a good one even if their second-half shooting was questionable.
In a fraught encounter, neither team played to their potential but you could give them a pass when so much was at stake. Close to 20 scoring opportunities went abegging for Cappataggle and Loughrea’s desperation to win frees in the final quarter exposed their own frailties.
The game hinged on two second-half moments, the first in the fifth minute of the half when Loughrea goalkeeper Gearóid Loughnane kept out Liam Collin’s penalty strike. Oran Finn appeared to overstep but referee Brian Keon deemed he had been fouled as he made his way to the Loughrea goal.
Loughrea’s sight of James Skehill’s goal was unclear up until the 57th minute when Anthony Burns found the corner of the Cappataggle net. The excellent Cappataggle full-back James Garvey and Skehill appeared to have snuffed out the danger presented by Joe Mooney but Burns was on hand to squeeze a shot into the goal.
The score put Loughrea five up and still there were moments in additional time when it didn’t appear enough. Niall Collins landed three points, one from open play, in that period to bring Cappataggle to within two points and Loughrea’s pessimists may have felt they were going to be foiled from ending their run of five consecutive final losses.
The tension in the crowd translated onto the field but Loughrea clutched their lead to their chests and saved it. “You know, a slip or a bounce of a ball, you know, and the game could go the other way,” said victorious manager Tommy Kelly. “We deserve this one though. I'm not sending this one back. We deserve this one. We've out-hurled everybody this year that we've played. I'm just thrilled with the lads and fair play to them.”
In a relatively low-scoring affair, Loughnane’s denial was pivotal and Loughrea appreciated the let-off, going as far as five points ahead in the 40th minute. The Collins Niall and Liam brought Cappataggle back into it only for Burns to cap his three earlier points with a goal.
Loughrea had been the stronger side in the opening 10 minutes. They manufactured the first four points, all of them coming inside the first seven minutes and a couple from their half-back line, as Cappataggle were guilty of some wayward shooting.
A Jarlath Mannion goal attempt was put out by Loughrea netminder Loughnane in the eighth minute. However, Niall Collins sent over the resultant 65 and Cappataggle were up and running.
Over the next seven minutes, they more than matched Loughrea’s early rally to go 0-5 to 0-4 up. David Malone sent over back-to-back points and Liam Collins equalised in the 13th minute before referee Brian Coen spotted an off-the-ball foul by Johnny Coen and Niall Collins had an easy free to send over.
An exquisite point from an acute angle by Neil Keary brought Loughrea but they required another leveller from Anthony Burns in the 23rd minute following a beautiful Mannion point.
Loughrea went ahead when Tiernan Killeen punished a foul on the roving Shane O’Brien but it was their turn to be hauled back on two occasions before Loughrea finished the half with a flourish.
Winning primary ball, Loughrea’s physical edge was demonstrated as they reeled off three scores in a row in additional time go in 0-11 to 0-8 ahead. Burns, with his third point, Ian Hanrahan and Tiernan Killeen launching from distance were the scorers.
From there to the finish, their lead was retained but it never felt unassailable. It couldn’t be when so much was riding on the day.
For Kelly, a member of the panel who won their last senior championship 18 years ago, he couldn’t go without paying tribute to those who didn’t see action. “I was a sub in 06. I would have loved to have been on the field of play, but I didn't realise maybe until a couple of years later how important of a role you make as a panel member and whatever.
“And without our panel this year, there were guys there that played in the start of the first round of the championship and got no game time today. But they're unbelievable young lads and they're coming and coming and coming and I have no doubt that we'll be knocking around for another few years after this one.”
The Leinster champions will meet Loughrea in an All-Ireland semi-final 10 days before Christmas. But in “The Town”, it will feel like it’s already arrived.
A. Burns (1-3); T. Killeen (0-4, 3 frees); J. Morgan (1 free, 1 65) (0-3); I. Hanrahan (0-2); S. O’Brien, Caimin Killeen, N. Keary (0-1 each).
N. Collins (0-8, 5 frees, 2 65s); L. Collins (0-4); D. Malone (0-3); J. Mannion (0-1).
G. Loughnane; P. Hoban, J. Coen, K. Hanrahan; S. O’Brien, S. Morgan, B. Keary; I. Hanrahan (c), S. Sweeney; C. Killeen, T. Killeen, J. Mooney; A. Burns, Darren Shaughnessy, N. Keary.
Cullen Killeen for S. Sweeney (inj 11); J. Ryan for N. Keary (39); Dylan Shaughnessy for Darren Shaughnessy (52); T. Hoban for C. Killeen (58).
J. Skehill; D. Campbell, J. Garvey, L. Hession; L. Coughlan, M. Garvey, D. Dolan; E. Garvey, Oisín Finn; R. Garvey, N. Collins, Oran Finn (c); L. Collins, D. Malone, J. Mannion.
C. Bowes for Oran Finn (40); J. Egan for R. Garvey (46).
B. Keon (Tommy Larkins).
