John Burke: Composure was key for Thomas' win over Kilcormac-Killoughey

Video

• Marty Morrissey gets the post-match reaction from Croke Park

Audio

• St Thomas' chairman Joe Larkin was ecstatic at the final whistle
• Dublin hurling manager Anthony Daly gives his reaction to St Thomas' victory
• St Thomas' manager John Burke says his side got the lucky breaks against Kilcormac-Killoughey
• Brian Carthy reports on St Thomas' win over Kilcormac-Killoughey

By Micil Glennon

St Thomas’ manager John Burke believes that his team’s composure in the second half was the difference against Kilcormac-Killoughey in today's AIB All-Ireland Club hurling final.

The Galway side led by two points at the break in the Croke Park finale but then fell two behind as the Offaly outfit got to grips with the wet conditions.

Burke said that they never panicked and that was the key to digging out a 1-11 to 1-09 win.

“We kept our composure, that was awful important, even when we weren’t hurling well for the 12-13 minutes of the second half,” Burke told RTÉ Sport.

“But then we turned it around and played well. Once we got the scores we starting playing right.

“It wasn’t going to be a day for fancy hurling, it was going to be a battle, a dogfight, we had to get in on the breaks, get in on the ball.

“It was dirty, dirty ball [and we had to] win it and work it up the field, first-time hurling, play the ball on the ground because it was greasy.”

"It was going to be a battle, a dogfight" - John Burke

He added: “It went right down to the wire, there was only going to be a puck of the ball [in it] and we knew that because they are a super team. They came through a hard route up here. We were lucky that we got the breaks.”

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