Sheedy brothers savour significant North triumph
By James Hayden
Steeped in the green & gold of Portroe for a lifetime, manager John Sheedy and his brother and selector Liam Sheedy have experienced many memorable days with the club. However, Saturday's North Tipperary Intermediate Hurling Championship triumph over Newport ranked among the sweetest.
Having been involved in the club's three previous North Intermediate finals in 81’, 83 and 90’, John admitted the victory carried extra significance after fallen back from senior level in recent years.
"I'm absolutely delighted," he said.
"I was involved in the last three finals, so to come in here to Nenagh and finally win a divisional championship is huge. Long may these divisional championships continue because they mean so much to clubs. There's great local rivalry and they generate fantastic interest."
"We were probably viewed as underdogs coming into the game, but in fairness to Liam and John Carroll, every eventuality had been covered in our preparations. Even when Newport edged a point in front late on, there was never any sense of panic. The groundwork had been done and the players showed tremendous composure to get us over the line."
Former All-Ireland winning Tipperary manager Liam Sheedy felt Portroe laid the foundations for victory with an excellent first-half display while facing into a stiff breeze.
"To go in leading 0-10 to 0-8 after playing into the breeze was a huge achievement," he said.
"Newport operated with an extra defender and I thought we managed that really well. We expected they would try to put pressure on our half-back line, but we have four exceptional hurlers across that line and our two inside backs are outstanding one-on-one defenders, so we were happy to trust them and allow others to push forward.
"I thought our energy around the middle third, which is the engine room of winning any game, was exceptional. We did tire a little after the break and became slightly one-dimensional at times. Newport also gained the upper hand on the restarts, but the advantage we built in that first half provided the platform for the victory."
Liam also highlighted the relentless work-rate shown throughout the team, singling out corner forwards James Ferris and Oisín O'Connor for special praise.
"You have to chase everything, even when most of the time you're chasing lost causes," he said.
"I thought James and Oisín's energy and endeavour were outstanding. Oisín chipped in with some cracking scores as well. Overall, our work-rate as a team was top class."
He also pointed to one of the defining moments of the contest when John Sheedy calmly converted a late 65 to draw Portroe level after Newport had recovered from four points down to take the lead.
"Those are massive moments in matches," Liam continued.
"We were a point down and John stepped up to strike the 65' to level the game. If you miss those chances, they can drain the life out of a team, but instead it lifted everybody. From there, the players found another gear. It was a performance that everyone associated with Portroe can be immensely proud of."
John added that Portroe's resilience ultimately proved decisive.
"You just felt these lads were never going to lie down," he said.
"Earlier this year we played Arravale Rovers in Newport in the County League semi-final. We went down to fourteen men that day but they never threw in the towel. That resilience has been there all year.
"I honestly felt that if we were still in the game with ten minutes remaining, we'd find a way to win it. There is tremendous belief and character in this group."
Both brothers believe the breakthrough success can provide a significant lift to the entire club and parish.
"It's a huge boost for Portroe," John continued.
"There is fantastic work being done at underage level and throughout the club. Hopefully this success will inspire the next generation to pick up a hurley, wear the green and gold with pride and continue driving the club forward. It's a great reward for everyone who has put so much work into Portroe over the years."