Sars get mighty fright from Conway-inspired Lixnaw
The win pits his side against Cork champions Newtownshandrum, a club he helped steer to provincial and All-Ireland club honours two years ago. He now has the unenviable job of planning their downfall ahead of their semi-final clash in a fortnight's time at a Cork venue.
But it wouldn't have taken a whole lot more for Kerry champions Lixnaw to have caused one of the biggest upsets in this championship since its inception 41 years ago.
The result looked to be going along familiar lines when Sars stormed into a 2-5 to 0-1 lead after 15 minutes, but Lixnaw then threw caution to the wind and had a right go. With Michael Conway magnificent - he scored all but a point of his side's tally - the Kerry champions were just two points adrift midway through the second half and missed a couple of chances to at least be on level terms, before eventually falling short by just four points.
For Thurles Sars it was a wake-up call if they have any notions of winning this year's Munster championship
"We got out of jail out there today," said coach Ger Cunningham, "But with respect to Lixnaw, we were in a no-win situation going into the game we were expected to win comfortably. This was always going to be a very hard match for us because what we did three weeks ago by winning the Tipperary title was huge.
"No one in the town has really come to terms with that achievement. The club was waiting 31 years, and after being beaten in four finals in a row, the victory was all the more incredible. They were a very tired team going into today's game and it was almost impossible to rise them up for it.
"It looked to me at least that they completely under-estimated the opposition. On another day we could have been beaten. All credit to Lixnaw they never gave up despite falling 10 points behind in the first half, and they made it extremely hard for us.
"Looking ahead to the semi-final, it's probably coming a bit too soon for me personally. It's only about 11 months since I was in Newtown's corner. I never envisaged when I was leaving that I would be taking a team back to play them so soon."
The sides were level at 0-1 apiece after five minutes before the 400-odd spectators got a glimpse of the potential of Lixnaw's Michael Conway, who pulled first time on Pat O'Connell's through ball only to be denied a goal by Sars' keeper Patrick McCormack, who made a great save.
From that let-off the home side began to take a grip, and with Wayne Cully and Eddie Enright hurling strongly, the scores began to flow. Lar Corbett belted home a goal from Cully's long delivery. Ger O'Grady smacked home another 30 seconds later and it looked as if the flood gates had opened.
However Lixnaw weren't quite ready to roll over, and after Michael Conway pointed three frees in a row, he threw the issue wide open by belting home a goal from a 20-metre free. Sars hadn't scored since the 17th minute and were grateful for the half-time whistle, taking a 2-6 to 1-5 lead to the dressing room.
Conway kicked home his second goal a minute after the resumption and Lixnaw were so much in control that a glamour semi-final clash of Thurles and Newtown looked unlikely, particularly when Sars' Johnny Enright drove a penalty off the crossbar and the rebound wide.
Kerry senior footballers Eamon Fitzmaurice and Paul Galvin showed just how comfortable they were with a hurley in their hands as they chased and harassed Sars all over the field, and after the home side had edged five points in front, Conway again threw the cat among the pigeons with his third goal, from another 20-metre free, which left just two points between the sides at the end of the third quarter.
Clearly unhappy, the Sars selectors introduced four fresh faces, and a succession of well taken points followed. Sarsfields were grateful for the final whistle, particularly after Michael Conway's three points from frees late in the game.
Lixnaw coach Johnny Conway, father of Michael, was lavish in his praise of his team. "No one gave us a pup's chance in hell coming up here today of beating Thurles Sarsfields," he said, "We had nothing to lose and decided to have a cut off it.
"We hurled with great determination, missed a couple of scores that may well have won it for us, but at least we have restored some pride back in Kerry hurling, and hopefully it can be taken on from here now."
: Thurles: L. Corbett 1-2; J. Enright 0-5 (0-3 frees); G. O'Grady 1-1; W. Cully 0-2 (0-1 free); S. Ryan, S. Mason, R. Ruth, J. Corbett, P. Burke 0-1 each. Lixnaw: M. Conway 3-7 (2-5 frees); P. Galvin 0-1.
: P. McCormack; L. Shanahan, G. Mernagh, T. Connolly; L. Lawlor, B. Carroll, E. Enright; J. Corbett, W. Cully; G. O'Grady, S. Ryan, J. Enright; R. Ruth, L. Corbett, S. Mason.
: S. Lillis for Connolly; P. Burke for Ryan; P. Lawlor for Mason; A. Dundon for Ruth; D. O'Dwyer for O'Grady.
: E. Thornton; E. Dowling, M. McCarthy, P. Corridan; P. Lyons, T. McKenna, C. Allen; E. Fitzmaurice, J. Griffin; P. Galvin, E. Galvin, F. Fitzmaurice; P. O'Connell, N. Conway, C. Fitzmaurice.
: T. Brosnan for Lyons; R. Thornton for C. Fitzmaurice.
: P. O'Connor (Limerick).
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