Stack pays tribute to battling Loughmore

His side had just beaten Loughmore-Castleiney, qualified for a Munster semi-final meeting with Waterford champions Passage in two weeks, but Na Piarsaigh manager Sean Stack was more anxious to pay homage to the team they had just beaten, and to one player in particular.

“Loughmore are a serious outfit, they really are. They have great battling qualities and their run just before half-time really put us on the back foot. They scored 1-6, took over the puck-outs from both ends of the field. We didn’t get to grips with it in that period and we didn’t get to grips with it early in the second half either, not until David Breen moved out a bit and became a force around the middle of the field. Loughmore, you have to applaud them. They knew how to play against the wind and they knew how to pull frees. They were able to set it up for Noel McGrath who is an absolute genius of a hurler. He has a heart as big as gold and his performance there was outstanding. He fought back as far as the corner-back position, he fought away at centre-forward, he was free-taker and line-ball-taker par excellence. That’s what you come to Thurles to see, performances like that.”

None of it left the former Clare great, Stack, looking forward with any great assurance to that semi-final.