Nov 25,2024
Loughmore-Castleiney manager Shane Hennessy believes his side are finally playing to their potential after reaching the Munster SFC club final.
It has been half a century in coming for the Tipperary club as victory over Éire Óg Ennis thanks to two late goals set up a decider with powerhouse Dr Crokes.
Loughmore-Castleiney completed the double of winning the county senior hurling and football titles for a third time this year.
Now they have made the breakthrough in football to reach the final.
Hennessy said: "I'm just delighted. We performed today, we probably didn't do it last week, we didn't do ourselves justice. Today was all about getting a performance and showing what Loughmore-Castleiney is about and we definitely did that.
"The heart, the skill, the determination, everything that defines our group was visible there today on the field here in Ennis. It was enough to get the job done.
"We didn't do ourselves justice in the football championship at all last year. We started out the year as 'we're not that poor as we showed last year' and we performed well. We drew with Commercials in round two of the group stages and that was a big thing for us because we performed that day.
"We got everything we wanted. We worked and today we may not have got everything working right but we had enough in the tank."
Hennessy feels one of the secrets behind their success is the enjoyment their players receive from a more attacking system compared to the majority in the championship this year.
He was confident Eire Og would struggle with such tactics.
"We got the goal at the start but they stood up to it the runs after that. That's what we wanted to do. We had to go at them and see what they're about.
"They're a defensive team, they're set up defensively but if you ask them questions, can they answer them?
"Personally I don't want to play defensive football. Most lads have to go back and defend, that's just the way football has gone now.
"But we don't stay there. Once we have the ball we're going forward and it doesn't matter if you're number 1 to 15. Everyone goes and we know we get into a shape that we get the right lads on the ball who can carry it with pace and we get the scorers into the scoring zone and get on the ball.
"That's what it's about. But everyone wants to play like that, everyone wants to play football, nobody wants to play defensive. It's not enjoyable.
"And the lads are enjoying this game plan so it's working."
Crokes will still be strong favourites to emerge from Munster.
Hennessy's initial target is to give the Kerry side a scare in the game before they think of securing victory.
"We played Crokes in 2013, we played them in 2016 down in their backyard.
"Whilst it was an enjoyable experience, we didn't win and we probably didn't rattle them.
"But we know that they're a serious outfit, they're some serious, top class footballers. Gavin White, how would you describe him? He's the player everyone wishes they could have on their team.
"But look, they're not invincible, they're only 15 men against 15. Who knows, maybe we can rattle them and it's not going to be in Dr Crokes' home field this time.
"They went to Waterford today, they only won by a point. Maybe there's a chink in the armoury, who knows?"
