Tooreen aim to go one step further
AIB CLUB IHC SEMI-FINAL
TOOREEN V LIATROIM FONTENOYS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17
KINGSPAN BREFFNI PARK, CAVAN (1 p.m.)
HAVING been beaten three times at the All-Ireland club intermediate hurling championship semi-final stage, Tooreen are looking to go one step further when they face Down's Liatroim Fontenoys on Saturday (December 17).
Unless the weather forces the cancellation of the contest, the game will throw in at 1 p.m. in Kingspan Breffni Park, Cavan.
In their previous semi-finals, Tooreen have been beaten by Leinster (Ballyragget and Naas) and Munster (Fr. O’Neills) opposition, but manager Ray Larkin is cautioning against thoughts that it might be a less onerous task for his team this time out against an Ulster outfit.
Asked if playing the Ulster champions might be easier, for want of a better word, than the Munster or Leinster champions, as in previous years, he answered: “We're telling the lads that Liatroim are probably thinking they're in the softer end of the draw as well. They could have got Leinster or Munster as well.
“We've looked back at the last couple of games they've played. They're a big team, a serious outfit. Any team that can win the Ulster final has to be very decent. Not so long ago, Tynagh//Abbey/Duniry (Galway) got beaten by an Ulster team. Any of the teams left now are decent. Down are at a higher level than Mayo in the National League too, so that's what we're looking at and telling lads all week.”
Those previous semi-finals have given Tooreen plenty of experience at his level.
The first one against Kilkenny's Ballyragget, in January 2018, was a bit of a novelty, Ray concedes.
“It was the first time any Mayo team got into an All-Ireland semi-final. It probably was a bit of a novelty, but the second one (against Fr. O’Neills of Cork), we were a little bit better. Against Naas last year, they eventually won it out but they (Naas) were a serious outfit – you could see that this year with what they did against Ballyhale in the Leinster senior semi-final.
“That's the standard we're at. Naas only beat us by five points. I think we're getting better each year. We're improving, and getting that one step extra is what we're looking for now.”
Again, though, Tooreen are not taking Saturday's opposition for granted. “We looked at their Ulster final and we got their club final in Down as well. All round they're a decent outfit. They're good. They'll be hard beat.”
In a very impressive run to this stage, Tooreen were at their brilliant best when the pressure came on against Killimor in the Connacht final. They lost Shane Boland and Kenny Feeney to recurring injuries in the first 20 minutes (the duo’s participation on Saturday is still doubtful), conceded a goal somewhat against the run of play, recovered to lead at the break, and then were behind again with just minutes of normal time remaining. To turn it around and win by 0-22 to 1-15 in the end was some achievement. It's the mark of a team that fights to the bitter end.
“Looking back at the Connacht final, we're really happy with the way the lads dug in,” says Ray. “Killimor got a goal inside the first 20 minutes and we hit back and got the next five points after that. And it was the same in the second half. With six minutes to go we were a point down and thinking, 'Is this the one that's going to get away?' But the lads dug in deep and got the next five scores.”
There's no doubting the character of the Tooreen lads. “They've been around a long time. They've been to Croke Park playing with their county so they're used to these high stake games, and they keep turning the cog.
“It all comes down to the lads really. They never panic, even when they're four or five points down.
“We're blessed this year too with great subs to come in. We've mixed it up a small bit. There's no airs or graces among them. They know themselves it's a 22-man game.”
What would it mean to finally get over the semi-final stage and reach Croke Park for an All-Ireland final? “These lads have played in Croke Park before so it's not just about getting to Croke Park or being there and enjoying the facilities and the pitch,” says Ray. “These boys have played several times in Croke Park so it's not going to be that new to them. For us, to get the Tooreen win is the main thing.”
Win or lose on Saturday, the manager points out that this has been a remarkable few years for the east Mayo club. “We'll look back in years to come and realise what this bunch of players have done. For a small club from Mayo to be where we are is phenomenal.”
The next step for Tooreen is the All-Ireland final, but first they must negotiate a way past the not-inconsequential Down and Ulster champions Liatroim Fontenoys on Saturday. You have to think they're well capable of doing so.