“We were going to win this bloody thing” – Abbeyknockmoy’s single focus brings them to edge of All-Ireland glory

Bridging the gap.

Abbeyknockmoy hurling club aren't used to All-Ireland club semi finals. In fact, the club hasn't really been used to anything except disappointment over the last number of years. Their Galway county intermediate success in November marked their first club win of note since the 1988 senior county final, and a high point after demotion from the top tier in 2006. After years of near misses, with the pressure and expectation proving too much, joint manager Brian Cooney admits that the club's focus was not even a county title in 2015, but just an appearance in a decider.

"The biggest game for us was probably the semi final a week before the county title. It was winner takes all as the semi-final victors got up senior and the excitement was probably even bigger that day if that makes sense. "The pressure was off then for the county title after the win over Kinvara, but no one ever remembers runners up in a county final. It had to be about the title then against Moycullen."

https://twitter.com/Abbey_Hurling/status/663052603429945348 The Galway club championship is widely regarded as one of the toughest in the country, with sides from west of the Shannon regularly reaching February and March All-Ireland club deciders. Abbeyknockmoy were among more than half a dozen sides who would have been thought of a serious contenders for the intermediate championship, as Cooney explains.

"People outside of the county only see the senior but at intermediate level, I can tell anyone, it is the biggest competition and to win a final, is huge. There is maybe 8-10 clubs every year competing for it. "We had got to the semi final two season before this one, and we were beaten by the winners. You have so many clubs battling for it and to get to semi final is good, but to go all the way is very special."

https://twitter.com/Abbey_Hurling/status/660774977185124353 Clearly to get the best out of their group of players in 2015, there needed to be changes. A subtle alteration in management, as well as the introduction of some key personnel in the backroom team, proved crucial.

"Michael Coleman, our previous manager stepped away this year for a break, and me and Gerry Farragher took over. We met the lads on the 29th of December and we laid down what was going to happen and we were going to win this bloody thing. "Diarmuid Nestor came into do some physical work with the lads and then we got another man, Damien Rooney and he was a great addition and the jewel in the crown was former Portumna boss Johnny Kelly coming in. He's done a great job too and got in the lads heads telling them they are better than anyone."

The Galway championship is notorious for its lengthy summer break as the county's senior footballers and hurlers halt the local championships. Cooney estimates that his side were without club action for almost 13 weeks, but luckily before the summer break, they had already sealed their place in the last eight of the championship.

"We're a dual club and we didn't want after the summer break to try and have to make the knockout stages. Once we got past that we played well in the last eight and the pressure was off. There's nothing to hold us back in Connacht. Games came quickly. It's come Sunday after Sunday and the less time the lads have to think the better."

Their opponents this weekend, Creggan Kickhams, are a side with much more experience of this stage of the competition, having claimed junior club honors against Ballysaggert in 2014. Cooney is wary of the Antrim side, but also bullish about his sides chances, having come so far already,

"They are used to the big day, they're a big physical side, and they have skill too. A team from Antrim won the intermediate last year and we'll have to play our best hurling. We want a day out in Croke Park. "A lot of people say its bonus territory but we haven't come this far to lose a semi final. We'd be very disappointed if we don't win, we've worked hard and we want to show the chance what we can do in Croke Park. "Now that we're here as county and Connacht champions, we want to go all the way."

AIB All-Ireland intermediate club hurling semi-final: Abbeyknockmoy v Creggan Kickhams, Sunday,  Pairc Tailteann, 1pm.  

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