AIB All-Ireland Club SHC semi-final: Dunloy Cuchullain's (Antrim) 1-14 St Thomas (Galway) 0-13
If you were of a mind to do so, you could probably pick a hole or two in Keelan Molloy’s execution of a goal that will live long in the memory around Dunloy.
His first move, for example, after receiving the ball from Nigel Elliott, who’d fielded superbly just inside the 65-metre line, was to tap the ball on his hurl.
One in the eye for all those underage coaches who’ve been drilling it into their U12s to take their four steps first.
Then, after flicking the ball forward to take him beyond St Thomas’ duo Darragh Burke and Fintan Burke, Molloy opted to keep the ball on the hurl when he might have been expected to take it in hand again.
No matter, he clearly knew exactly what he was doing and with Fintan Burke now in his rear-view mirror and the net in sight, the speeding Molloy shortened the hurl and volleyed beyond goalkeeper Gerald Kelly. All as smooth as silk.
It was utter joy for the inter-county man who watched the net ripple.
It wasn’t the decisive score in this landmark win. Conal Cunning’s seven points were important too and, in truth, it wasn’t until Eamon Smyth boomed over a terrific 57th-minute score, putting Dunloy five clear, that supporters who braved the elements and travelled south finally began to breathe out.
But it was the moment of the game by a mile and will take some topping in Molloy’s own personal highlights reel from his club and county career.
“I don’t remember much about it,” said a nonplussed Molloy afterwards. “I seen Nigel getting it and I just made the run off the shoulder. I know he’s not a greedy person and that I would get it off him. I seen the space in front of me and had to break two tackles to get through. Once I got through, thankfully it went in.”
Thankfully indeed though Dunloy were good value for this win and probably would have found a way to progress regardless.
There was a penalty miss too, Cunning’s 19th minute low drive diverted away to safety by Kelly in the St Thomas’ goal. Nigel Elliott and Cunning had a couple of half-chances for goals as well while 15 wides overall told a tale of just how many chances Gregory O’Kane’s side created over the hour or so.
“We knew ourselves over the last three, four years what we had, the panel that’s there,” continued Molloy.
“Slaughtneil were a big hoodoo for us and thankfully we got over that. We just knew within our team what we had and where we could go. This is exactly where we wanted to be.”
It’s the first time since 2016, when Cushendall beat another Galway side, Sarsfield’s, that the Ulster champions will contest the All-Ireland final. It will be Dunloy’s fifth final in all and they will return to Croke Park on the weekend of January 21-22 to play Ballyhale Shamrocks.
The standard will inevitably rise for that one because St Thomas’s, the five-in-a-row Galway champions who came into the contest with a couple of injury issues, never got going and were fortunate to be on level terms at half-time, 0-6 apiece.
They’d been 0-5 to 0-3 up at the quarter-hour mark but that had as much to do with Dunloy not making the most of their chances as any great western wizardry.
St Thomas’s played David Burke, nominally their talisman midfielder, at centre-back, freeing Mark Caulfield, who wore number six, to play in attack again having struck 1-3 from there in the county final replay defeat of Loughrea.
Burke did get plenty of ball and Caulfield did contribute two points but neither excelled. Caulfield was eventually taken off and Burke struck three wides, including one particular momentum sapper shortly after the Molloy goal.
Eanna Burke, in form for St Thomas’s beforehand, did score their last point but it was his first of the game.
In the end, St Thomas’s went back to basics in pursuit of a comeback win and moved the towering Conor Cooney from midfield to the edge of the square. Again, without success.
Dunloy, 4/1 outsiders and saddled with a five-point handicap, were the ones that provided the flashes of inspiration. Elliott’s catch for the goal was terrific and his bursts of pace whenever he won possession were searing.
Cunning’s three points in a row after the interval nudged Dunloy clear and when Molloy netted he doubled that advantage, placing them on the cusp of a famous win.
“Their big guys stood up and got great scores,” said St Thomas’ manager Kenneth Burke of Dunloy. “We were very flat, just no energy. Couldn’t get to the breaks, they were winning all the breaks. They were coming out and breaking tackles, driving out the field. The lads know themselves that we just did not perform. That is the most disappointing part.”
