Johnny Crowley laments Sarsfields' concession of cheap goals

Sarsfields manager Johnny Crowley was let to rue the concession of a pair of second-half goals that killed his side’s challenge after they had battled back to within five points of Ballygunner.

Having trailed by 14 points at one stage in the first half of Sunday's AIB Munster Club SHC semi-final, Sars had closed the gap to eight by half-time and then reduced it further when Daniel Hogan scored his second goal. However, Ballygunner responded with goals from Patrick Fitzgerald and Kevin Mahony to ease any nerves en route to an eighth straight Munster final.

“We targeted a good, quick start to impose ourselves in the game and it just didn't go our way,” Crowley said.

“Then, we found ourselves facing a mountain to climb but even at that, we got 1-2, 1-3 there just before half-time, it brought us back into the game.

“We spoke in the dressing room, we said we'd go at it, we got a quick goal. We were right back in the game and just coughed up two goals really. Give the lads credit, they kept going and they kept soldiering on.

“But I think when we got back at that point, another score or two, you never know. Look, it's a very hard venue to come to. They're a fabulous side. You get found out if you make mistakes.

“You get away with them in some games but the likes of Ballygunner, they'll murder you if you make mistakes. Unfortunately today, we made them.”

Sars were 4-1 outsiders to win, despite having beaten Ballygunner in Thurles a year ago to claim a first Munster title. Such status coming in was a reflection of the Gunners’ record in Walsh Park - an unbeaten run now standing at 47 games - and Crowley didn’t feel disrespected by it.

“No, no,” he said.

“We were very proud to be Munster champions, obviously. Our club, we've never been Munster champions, so to get to the summit of that was fantastic.

“We came down here today within our own group and our own system with fierce belief that we could come down here and get a result. It’s just the human errors.

“When you're playing a team like Ballygunner, they'll just absolutely ram you on errors. It is what it is. It's hugely disappointing, you know. We expected, we hoped, but unfortunately, look, it is what it is. It's done and dusted.”

However, it is a season that ends with the Seán Óg Murphy Cup back in Riverstown.
“I always say, any time you win the county senior hurling championship, it's a great year,” Crowley said.

“It's such a hard challenge to win, but we won it. We drew our line through the sand for that and we really did focus on this. We really were hell-bent on trying to get through to the Munster final.

“It’s been a great year - it's been a great three years. It's been a fantastic journey with these lads from where they came from to where they are now. I'm very proud of them, and they can be very proud of themselves.

“They're a credit to the club and a credit to themselves.”