Conor Cooney admits Borris-Ileigh manager Johnny Kelly's knowledge of Galway hurling puts St Thomas' at a disadvantage heading into Sunday's All-Ireland Senior Hurling Club semi-final.
Kelly hails from Portumna, where he was part of the management team that won two club All-Irelands in the 2000s, while Cooney and some of his St Thomas’ team-mates played under him at Under-21 level with Galway.
"He is a shrewd hurling man," said Cooney.
"He probably knows us very well but that’s not something we can really focus on.
"Whatever homework they’ve done, we just have to bring our best game.
"Borris-Ileigh are a fantastic team and showed the quality they have by coming through a tough Tipperary Championship, and Munster as well.
"We know their quality and calibre."
St Thomas’ became the first team to retain the Galway Championship in over a decade when they defeated Liam Mellows in the county final for the second year in a row.
They trailed by four points at the interval but a 51st-minute goal from Eanna Burke, teed up by Cooney, put them on course for a fourth win in eight years.
"The success we have had has been great for the community," he said.
"We’d be a fairly small club population-wise. You have two national schools, a couple of pubs, a few churches and the GAA club, which is where people gather and socialise.
"As an organisation the GAA is great at bringing people together. Hurling is never too far away from the conversation when people are sitting around a table together."
St Thomas’ required a stoppage-time point from defender David Sherry to defeat Cushendall in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final and Cooney predicts another tight tussle against a Borris-Ileigh side still buzzing from their first Tipperary and Munster titles in 33 years.
"Work rate is what our game is based around, just trying to give good ball to our forwards whenever possible," said Cooney.
"I know Borris-Ileigh are much the same so it should be an interesting clash."
