Galway legend Gerry McInerney cut a relieved figure after his Oranmore-Maree side overcame 13-man Tooreen in Saturday's Connacht club IHC final.

Red cards for Conor Henry and David Kenny proved costly for Mayo senior kingpins and reigning provincial champions Tooreen as 1-10 from Niall Burke helped the favourites to a 1-20 to 1-15 victory.

"We always knew coming down here it wouldn't be easy," McInerney - whose son and Galway star Gearoid lined out at centre back - told the Western People.

"We didn't take anyone for granted. We're just glad to have got over the line because when you win the county final, with the boys out celebrating and that, it can be very hard to get back up again and move on to a Connacht final. But we had a hard-fought game out there and it was good for us.

"If you take anything for granted, you won't be there. We wanted to come down here and get over the line by hook or by crook, and that's what we did."

Oranmore-Maree can now look forward to an All-Ireland semi-final against Antrim champions St Gall's early in the New Year.

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