Hard work earns rewards for Kilcormac/Killoughey manager

KILCORMAC/KILLOUGHEY were determined that they weren't going to be outworked by Shinrone in this year's final, having lost to them in last year's decider, according to manager Shane Hand.

They could hardly have expected to win as comfortably as they did and the manager said he expected a far tighter contest.

“It was a dream come true,” he said. “We set the whole game to come in here today and be focused and work our socks off. We have the hurlers but without hard work we won't achieve anything. In last year's final Shinrone absolutely outworked us and blew us out of the water so we were very conscious coming in today that we were going to outwork Shinrone. We knew if we could outwork them, win the dirty ball and turnover ball we had the hurlers to punish them but the workrate today was just phenomenal,” Shane said.

Straight from the throw Kilcormac/Killoughey took the game to Shinrone, scoring five points in the first six minutes and they carried on the momentum from there.

“We were conscious of getting a good start but when we went out we weren't talking about getting the first five points, we were talking about getting the first hook, the first block, the first turnover, set the tone that way and the workrate was just incredible. When I looked up after 15 minutes I actually couldn't believe it, I was nearly afraid to look at the scoreboard, but the lads were motoring well but they were so tuned coming in today and for the last couple of weeks.

“I have to give a mention to Tony Gleeson the hurling coach. He coached the Kilcormac school to the last two All-Irelands, I knew him fairly well from that. We brought him in six or eight weeks ago and he made an absolute huge difference to the lads. It's a long year from January 8th when we started training but he came in six or eight weeks ago and freshened the whole thing up and he was a massive help in our hurling there today,” Shane said.

He agreed that is was great to produce the kind of performance we witnessed on Sunday on county final day

“Absolutely. We hurled well at stages during the year. We hurled great for half an hour against Birr, we hurled great for half an hour against Rynagh's but thank God today we started and just kept the foot on the pedal. You can only dream about scoring like that in a county final. We were thinking this was going to be a one score game today and that's why we were so motivated at the start. We just set the tempo from the start. Everything is based on hard work, we have the talent, we know that but it's no good without the hard work.

While it was a huge team performance some of the veterans like Conor Mahon and James Gorman both produced big performances.

“They are great lads, they are around a long time and they are managing. James was injured for a few years and he came back and played a bit of Senior B last year and then he came on in the final but the stuff that James Gorman does to mind himself at his age when he is carrying a lot of injuries and things like that, the way he minds himself. It is grand saying you have all these young lads coming but you have to get the right blend of experience and youth and I think we managed that today,” he said.

Kilcormac/Killoughey now have a Leinster Club campaign to look forward to but Shane said he hadn't given any thought to that yet.

“I didn't know until last night when someone mentioned to me that we are playing the Wexford champions. I didn't even know that, I'm not going to even think about it. We're going to enjoy the next few days, get back into the pitch at the end of the week but we will do our best to represent our great county of Offaly.”

Shane had indicated prior to the final that this might be his last year as manager but after his team produced such a wonderful performance he was asked if that might entice you to stay?

“I definitely haven't given that any thought. I'm here at the minute and probably a bit shellshocked as well. I'm more relieved that anything. It is a tough job, it takes up a lot of your time. You would be in the field three or four nights a week, but you are on the phone the other two or three nights to physios or whatever, it takes up a lot of time and I'm not even going to give that a minute's thought tonight,” he said.