GREGORY O’KANE SAYS his Dunloy side always has Croke Park in its sights after scoring a surprise AIB All-Ireland club hurling final spot.
The Antrim champions made a mockery of the 4/1 odds on them advancing to the 21-22 January decider by dumping out five-in-a-row Galway champions St Thomas’.
Keelan Molloy’s terrific 45th minute solo goal pushed them five points clear and they held on for a deserved four-point win, securing a final place for the fifth time in the club’s history.
O’Kane played in all four of those previous finals and came so close to lifting the title in 1995 when they drew with Birr, eventually losing the replay.
“Croke Park is a special place,” said O’Kane.
“A club like Dunloy, our ambition is always to be here and to play a game of this magnitude. That’s always been our goal, to get out of Ulster and to represent ourselves and our club on the best stage in the world, and bring our hurling here. It’s a good day for the team and we are delighted to get over the line.”
Missed chances could have cost Dunloy. They were awarded a 19th minute penalty but Conal Cunning was denied by an expert stop from Gerald Kelly. There were 15 wides too but a strong second-half performance – they outscored 2013 champions St Thomas’ by 1-8 to 0-7 in that period – elevated them to a landmark win.
“We were glad of half-time,” said O’Kane, referencing the 0-6 to 0-6 stalemate at that stage. “Because we had done nothing wrong, just not taken our chances when they were there and executed them.
“It was about resetting at half-time and gathering our composure and getting set for the second-half.
“There’s no doubt about it, it’s about taking your chances, especially when you are here and our defence was absolutely outstanding here today.
“The way they closed down attacks, and our matchups were fantastic and everyone put their shoulder to the wheel.”
O’Kane said that overcoming Slaughtneil in the Ulster final following a number of defeats to the Derry side was a big turning point for Dunloy.
“That was massive for us, just to get over it,” he said. “Obviously we left a couple behind us in the past but we were delighted to get over the line that day and then it was about getting the bodies repaired for this game and thank God, it worked out well.”
