St Thomas' ease past Sarsfields to reach Galway SHC final

St Thomas' remain on course for a fifth Galway SHC title in a row after they brushed aside the challenge of Sarsfields in the semi-final at Pearse Stadium in Salthill

KEY MAN: Galway's David Burke scored two points for St Thomas'. Pic: INPHO/Bryan Keane

St Thomas' 2-19 Sarsfields 0-15 

St Thomas' remain on course for a fifth Galway SHC title in a row after they brushed aside the challenge of Sarsfields in the semi-finals at Pearse Stadium in Salthill.

Captain Conor Cooney led the way for the champions with a haul of 0-10, five of them from play, as they advanced to their seventh county final in eleven years, having only reached their first ever decider in 2012.

They have never lost a final and the manner in which they overcame Sarsfields without ever hitting top gear will see them fancied to become only the third team to win five in a row in the county.

Sarsfields, having played with the strong wind, led by 0-12 to 0-9 at the end of a very competitive opening half.

The champions made a good start against the wind with Oisin Flannery and Conor Cooney hitting early scores and when Niall Morrissey got Sarsfields off the mark with a pointed free after four minutes, Flannery hit back shortly afterwards with his second.

John Cooney and Conor Cooney exchanged points before Sarsfield hit their best spell of the match, reeling off seven points without reply in a nine minute spell.

Darren Murphy hit two of those from opposite wings for Sarsfields, with Morrissey adding a couple of frees and Alex Connaire, Kevin Cooney with a goal chance which flew over, and Joseph Cooney finding the range.

Darragh Burke stemmed the flow after 20 minutes to cut the gap to 0-9 to 0-5 and then after Morrissey hit one from play, St Thomas' captain Conor Cooney hit one from a free and two in a row from play to reduce the gap to 0-10 to 0-8. Ian Fox and Conor Cooney exchanged points but Murphy put three between them at the break with his third point of the half in his first season at senior level.

Niall Morrissey and 2017 All-Ireland winning captain David Burke exchanged points after the restart before Burke then delivered a superb sideline which Victor Manso, on the field less than a minute, raced onto and while his initial effort was saved by Ciaran Dolan, he finished the rebound to the net.

Conor Cooney and Morrissey exchanged points to tie the match at 1-11 to 0-14 after 40 minutes but Sarsfields only managed one point after that, a good effort from Kevin Cooney, as the champions pulled away.

They were further boosted by the introduction of Galway player Shane Cooney, who suffered a cruciate injury back in March, and he slotted into the heart of their defence as they built up an unassailable lead with Eanna Burke wrapping it up in the closing stages with their second goal.

Scorers for St Thomas': C Cooney 0-10 (0-5f), V Manso 1-1, Eanna Burke 1-1, Oisin Flannery 0-3, David Burke 0-2, Darragh Burke 0-2.

Scorers for Sarsfields: N Morrissey 0-6 (0-5f), D Murphy 0-3, Kevin Cooney 0-2, Joseph Cooney 0-1f, A Connaire 0-1, I Fox 0-1, John Cooney 0-1.

St Thomas: G Kelly; C Mahony, F Burke, J Headd; E Duggan, M Caulfield, C Burke; B Burke, David Burke; Darragh Burke, C Cooney, D McGlynn; E Burke, J Regan, O Flannery. 

Subs: V Manso for O'Regan (34), S Cooney for Caulfield (45), B Farrell for B Burke (55), B Finnerty for Darragh Burke (59).

Sarsfields: C Dolan; O Keane, K Hynes, D Morrissey; C Dillon, Joseph Cooney, N Quinn; N Morrissey, A Connaire; I Fox, John Cooney, Kenneth Cooney; D Murphy, Kevin Cooney, M O'Regan. 

Subs: J Lawless for Connaire (51), J Cosgrove for O'Regan (51), D Connaughton for Murphy (55).

Referee: Liam Gordon (Killimor).