Breheny reflects on what his side almost achieved
MARK Breheny has experienced defeat before. But maybe not like this – when St Mary’s were on the cusp of one of the club’s finest ever results.
They could see the Owen B Hunt Cup, see their delighted reflection in its shiny curves, feel the weight of history lifted.
They were the ones that finally ended Tourlestrane’s forever reign, that unbeaten run. That unstoppable force had been stopped.
These might have been some of the thoughts in the minds of players, fans and management as stoppage time ticked down and they held a lead of two points on the scoreboard, 0-11 to 0-9, in this Homeland Senior Football Championship final.
But the additional time saw Tourlestrane find a way back – they always find a way back, don’t they – and the time played at the end of the second-half that was one of the issues that annoyed the St Mary’s manager afterwards.
He said: “I’m really disappointed. There were four minutes of injury time played at the end of normal time. We thought the game was up and we got another 30 seconds, but the time was up at that stage.
“We thought it was only two minutes of injury time, but that’s the way it goes. There was one more kickout [after Tourlestrane’s second last score] and we didn’t win it, they got the equaliser and then it went to extra-time.”
The former Sligo star, twice a Sligo Senior Football Championship winner with St Mary’s during his playing days, gave credit to the effort and endeavour of his players, who played like Tourlestrane in order to take on