Cappataggle knock All-Ireland champions St Thomas' out of Galway SHC title race

STUN: Cappataggle stun St Thomas' knocking them out of the Galway SHC championship. Picture: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

Galway SHC semi-final: Cappataggle 1-15 St Thomas’ 0-15

All-Ireland champions St Thomas’ have been knocked out of the Galway SHC title race as Cappataggle came with a late surge to dramatically reach their first ever final.

St Thomas’, bidding for a record seventh Galway title in a row, seemed poised to advance to another final when they opened up a 0-14 to 0-11 lead with 13 minutes remaining and the wind behind them at Athenry.

But Cappataggle, beaten in four semi-finals in a row up to 2020, responded brilliantly to the challenge and outscored the champions by 1-4 to 0-1 in the closing stages.

St Thomas’ went down fighting. Victor Manso had a goal disallowed two minutes from the end and in the fourth minute of stoppage Eanna Burke’s shot came back off the butt of an upright in front of a huge crowd in Athenry.

Cappataggle led by double scores approaching half-time having played with the breeze but the champions got three of the last four points before the break to cut the gap to 0-9 to 0-7 at the interval.

Cappataggle made a great start, racing into a 0-3 to 0-0 lead after 12 minutes thanks to a couple of points from Niall Collins and one from distance from centre-back Michael Garvey.

Conor Cooney was off target with a couple of early frees while former Galway goalkeeper James Skehill produced a superb save for Cappataggle to deny Eanna Burke.

But St Thomas’ settled and points from centre-back Shane Cooney, Eanna Burke and Victor Manso cut the gap to 0-4 to 0-3 at the end of the opening quarter.

Ja Mannion and Niall Collins extended Cappataggle’s lead and after Conor Cooney pointed from play, Michael Garvey and Niall Collins both got their third points of the half to lead by 0-8 to 0-4 after 27 minutes.

The champions finished the half strongly. Conor Cooney and Darragh Dolan exchanged points but efforts from Eanna Burke and another Conor Cooney pointed free left just two between them at the interval.

St Thomas’ hit four points in as many minutes after the restart but just when it seemed they were about to pull away, Cappataggle hit back and after getting within a point Oisin Finn hit the key score when he blasted to the net after being set up by Liam Collins.

St Thomas’, who won 41 championship games during their six years on top in Galway, piled on the pressure in the dying moments but Cappataggle were not to be denied on this occasion.

Scorers for Cappataggle: N Collins 0-7 (0-6f, 0-1 ’65), M Garvey 0-4 (0-2f), Oisin Finn 1-0, J Mannion 0-1, L Collins 0-1, D Dolan 0-1, D Cronin 0-1.

Scorers for St Thomas’: C Cooney 0-6 (0-3f), E Burke 0-4, V Manso 0-2, S Cooney 0-1, C Burke 0-1, O Flannery 0-1.

CAPPATAGGLE: J Skehill; D Cronin, J Garvey, D Campbell; E Garvey, M Garvey, D Dolan; L Coughlan, Oisin Finn; N Collins, Oran Finn, D Malone; L Collins, R Garvey, J Mannion. Subs: C Bowes for Malone (43), C Delaney for Oisin Finn (56).

ST THOMAS': G Kelly; C Mahony, F Burke, C Burke; J Headd, S Cooney, E Duggan; D Finnerty, David Burke; Darragh Burke, C Cooney, V Manso; O Flannery, E Burke, D McGlynn. Subs: J Regan for Darragh Burke (53), D Farrell for Finnerty (59).

Referee: Liam Gordon (Killimor).