2009 defeat driving Sars on, says Maher

PADRAIC MAHER admits his Thurles Sarsfields side are still driven by the disappointment of last year’s Munster club exit to Newtownshandrum.

Maher was man of the match in Sunday’s semi-final win over Kilmallock as the Tipperary SHC champions go in search of their first provincial crown.

He revealed: “We didn’t do ourselves justice in this competition last year – Newtownshandrum beat us by a point in the semi-final and we thought we should have got over them. We knew it was going to be tough to come out of Tipperary again, and it was, but we got through that thankfully. We are in a Munster final now for the first time. We’ll give it a good rattle. There is just one more match to go before we can relax and try and enjoy the rest of the year.”

Thurles expected a stern test from the Limerick champions, and that is what transpired.

Maher agreed: “It was tough, coming to their backyard with the crowd so intimidating. We knew there would only be a few points in it. We won by five in the end but it was tough throughout – I’m just delighted we got through.

“They’re a fine hurling side but any team you meet at this stage of the championship is going to be able to hurl. Kilmallock threw everything at us but we just pulled away at the end.”

Facing Thurles Sars in that final will be Waterford champions De La Salle, winners of this title at their first attempt just two years ago, when they also won their first Waterford SHC title.

Thurles goalkeeper and captain Patrick McCormack is only too aware of the new challenge now facing Sars, if they are to realise their ambition.

“Even though they were underdogs against Sars of Cork, I half-fancied them to come through. They have that winning track record, they have several experienced county players in the likes of Stephen Brenner in goal, Brian Phelan, Kevin Moran, and of course John Mullane up front. But they also have several players from the De La Salle college team that won the Harty Cup and the All-Ireland. They beat Thurles CBS along the way so we’d know those lads well too. They’re all serious hurlers.”

Thurles Sars of course have their own stars up front in hurler-of-the-year Lar Corbett and his fellow county star Pa Bourke, along with youngsters Denis Maher, Aidan McCormack and goal-scoring hero of Sunday, Michael O’Brien.

But those directly in front of Patrick have also been doing the business. “The two that stand out are the obvious ones, Padraic Maher and Michael Cahill from the county team, but the other lads are all doing a great job as well and they work well as a unit. De La Salle, we know, have a very good half-forward line and a dangerous full-forward line, so they’re going to have to be at the top of their game again to keep them out. But our defence has been going well all year, hopefully they can keep that going.”