TIMMY Maloney has dug London hurlers on numerous occasions with his prodigious accuracy from frees and play.
But on Monday morning after scoring 10 points against Antrim in an Ulster championship game, he was up at 6.30 to drive his digger on a Croydon building site.
Had he scored 10 points in a championship game at home, Maloney would have been feted and congratulated in his workplace the morning afterwards.
But this is London, a vast, anonymous city.
“My job has nothing to do with hurling. The few Irish fellows on the site with me had written us all off. They weren’t that interested.” he said.
Still, Maloney is used to indifference. When London were admitted to the Ulster championship in September, they did so on the basis that all their championship games would be played in Casement Park.
Other countries would have baulked at being forced to travel 400 miles each time to play in the championship, but London were grateful for what they got.
“It’s very disheartening for the players,” he says, “it’s all football in London. We don’t get much of a following and the ones who come out to watch us are always cutting us down.
“The footballers get a bigger following, but they’ve not won a match for three years.”
London were denied a deserved victory against Antrim by a disputed point which wasn’t – even Alastair Elliot admitted afterwards that Antrim’s equalising score at the death was actually a ‘65.
Maloney said: “But for the Antrim goalkeeper we would have won, that’s for sure. He pulled off two great saves. They got a big shock, they thought they had nothing to do but go out and hurl.
“If we get the breaks again you wouldn’t know. Maybe we would be in an Ulster final. Maybe then we’d get a following.’’
NEWRY Town striker Johnny Kenny will not be available to assist the Sligo senior side in the Connacht championship semi-final against Roscommon at Dr Hyde Park on June 28.
Kenny, a member of the Shamrock Gaels club in Sligo, withdrew from the panel because he felt that he would be unable to give total commitment to training due to his pre-season training schedule with Newry Town.
Meanwhile injuries to a number of Sligo players including goalkeeper Pat Gilcoyne are clearing up and manager Mickey Moran is expected to be in a position to announce a full strength team after training on Tuesday night next.
A TONY Irvine goal three minutes from time clinched a third Ulster colleges’ title this season for St Mary’s Belfast in Casement Park yesterday.
They added the Gallagher Cup to earlier successes in the Mageean and McNamee competitions with a 1-10 to 1-2 victory over Cross & Passion Ballycastle. Key player for the winners was St Gaul’s Sean McAreavey who scored five points after returning from suspension.
St Mary’s scorers: Tony Irvine (1-2), Sean McAreavey (0-5), Aodhan Hartigan (0-1), Paul Brunty (0-1), Donal McManus (0-1).
Cross & Passion: Patrick McFettridge (1-0), Colm Hunter (1-2).
