Rock captain Tommy Bloomer has spoken of his pride in a group of players who ran themselves to a standstill in pursuit of a dream.
But the Theatre of Dreams was to become a House of Horrors once again for one of Tyrone’s smallest clubs.
For a second time, they came up short in an All-Ireland Club Junior Football Championship final at Croke Park, but the manner of this defeat was more difficult to take.
Back in 2008, the players froze on the big occasion, but this time around, they contributed magnificently to a wonderful championship decider, only to lose out in the dramatic closing stages in controversial circumstances.
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Two key players were sent off late on after picking up second cards, and with just 12 players left on the field, the Ulster champions were unable to halt a Glenbeigh-Glencar charge for the line, led by Kerry star Darran O’Sullivan.
“Just everything went against us, but we battled hard, but it just wasn’t to be,” said Bloomer.
“It’s disappointing, I’m sure it was a great game for the neutral, but we’re bitterly disappointed. We had that game, and then we were out of it and then we got back into it. But fair play to the Kerry team, they’re strong.”
Bloomer was one of a handful of survivors from the 2008 side, and he has been unable to forget the disappointment of a day when a team filled with hope just couldn’t get going in the All-Ireland final.
Even in defeat, he derived some satisfaction from the quality of the team’s display last Sunday.
“We didn’t freeze this time. I thought the first half we played very well, and then the second half didn’t go for us, nothing went for us, we didn’t win breaking ball, we got the black card, we got the sending offs.
An early O’Sullivan goal, netted after just two minutes, meant that Rock were chasing the game almost throughout, but they fought back to go ahead in the second half.
It was the sort of start to the game that they had been determined to avoid.
“All week we were saying we can’t let this team score goals. If you look at their record, that’s what they’ve been doing all along, scoring goals.
“And we got a killer punch right at the start. But we dealt with it and we rode out the storm.”
After recovering from that major setback, the St Patrick’s played some delightful football, shot spectacular scores, and got themselves into a winning position.
“There was times when it looked as if we were going to win the game.
“We just couldn’t get enough ball up to Conor (McCreesh), because Conor was destroying the number three, and it was working.
“But it was very hard out around the middle to win ball, they were a very strong, physical team.”
Bloomer is confident that the players will quickly put the devastation behind them, begin the job of preparing for a return to Intermediate football back in Tyrone, and consolidate in the higher grade.
“We’re very much disappointed, but now the aim is to take a few weeks off and get back at the Intermediate football, and hopefully stay up there. In a few weeks we’ll be over it.”
