HE HAD JUST steered Na Piarsaigh to Munster club glory but manager Sean Stack’s joy was understandably tempered as he stood on the Cusack Park pitch after yesterday’s game.
Stack’s roots are with Sixmilebridge, bagging seven county titles and a single Munster crown during his own playing career.
Back in 1993 he lined out with Sixmilebridge as they lost a provincial final to a Toomevara team that Stack was at the time managing.
Twenty years on Stack was similarly conflicted in a decider. This time he saw his Na Piarsaigh charges inflict an 18-point beating on his native club.
“That’s a real hard subject. I’ll be in the ‘Bridge tonight, nothing surer. My heart goes out to them. They have big ambitions and that’s where I’ll always belong.
“You’d have to be in it to understand it. I didn’t give a thought to the emotions involved until right now. Look, the best team won by a mile even though my heart goes out to the ‘Bridge. It was a good contest for a
certain period, I suppose.”
Victory propels Na Piarsaigh back to the All-Ireland series as they seek to soothe the pain of their 2012 semi-final loss to Loughgiel Shamrocks, according to Stack.
“We’d feel we could be going for three Munster clubs in a row – I know that sounds arrogant – but the wind caught us in the Gaelic Grounds last year against Kilmallock.
“My own ambition is to lead this team to an All-Ireland club. We’ve been waiting two years to get back and now, against Portumna, we’ll give it a right go.
“Our hearts were set on getting back into an All-Ireland because the last time Loughgiel surprised everybody, and the confines of Parnell Park also caught us. We’re really over the moon to be back in the All-Ireland series.”
Raising Green Flags
Na Piarsaigh showed a clinical edge in front of goal yesterday while their strength in the aerial exchanges also underpinned their victory.
“You look at ways to take on a defence and at possible weaknesses in the oppposition, that’s what makes it so intriguing”, revealed Stack.
“Some city fellas don’t like putting the hand up, but these fellas do. The lads worked very hard on catching the ball, wet or dry. The game is all about that now – possession and finding your man.
“That’s changed drastically since I played, when you caught and hit. Now you must catch and find a man, and our lads are good at that. We have good, mobile forwards, and that showed in the goals.”
