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Cats rip Galway in second half rout

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

By Mark Jones

Kilkenny will be hoping that this isn’t as good as it gets. An outstanding performance in a semi-final will count for nothing when hurling’s Liam McCarthy Cup is being handed over next month. But if it’s confidence manager Brian Cody and his players were looking for, then they have it now in plentiful supply after last Sunday’s demolition of Galway at Croke Park.

Trailing by a point at the interval, Kilkenny turned on the style during the second-half to outscore the Connacht champions by 1-11 to 0-5. Galway hadn’t been beaten in a competitive game for more than a year, but they simply couldn’t live with their opponents who were in an irresistible mood once they hit the the front.

All around the pitch there were impressive contributions. Denis Byrne struck eight majestic points, five from play; center back David Kennedy crucially got the better of Joe Rabbitte; Brian McEvoy and Andy Comerford were dominant at midfield and typically, DJ Carey pounced for a vital goal.

Carey’s strike came early in the second-half when Galway had edged in front by two points. Collecting a high ball, he outwitted Brian Feeney and fired a superb shot past Michael Crimmins. A couple of minutes later, the normally reliable Rory Gantley drilled an easy free wide of the upright and Galway’s fate was sealed.

"We can say this, that and the other about DJ," waxed John Power, "but he’s magic, that’s the thing. We had to wait for the moment of magic there, but it always seems to come."

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Carey’s strike seemed to have a mesmeric effect on Galway. After Gantley’s miss, Eugene Cloonan smashed a ball over the bar when a goal was definitely on and suddenly manager Mattie Murphy was making substitutions in a desperate effort to subdue a rampant Kilkenny.

"Well, it went wrong for us in a few places I suppose," admitted a dejected Murphy. "We had a few goal chances and Eugene Cloonan and Kevin Broderick were unlucky, but we didn’t deserve anything out there. DJ’s goal was important, it gave them opportunities to drive on from there."

Yet it all looked so different before the delulge of Kilkenny scores. During the opening period, Galway had matched the winners in every sector of the field. David Tierney and Alan Kerins were in sparkling form, and in defense Cathal Moore was winning his personal battle with Power, while Feeney was doing well on Carey.

The only black mark for the westerners was the concession of a sloppy goal in the ninth minute when Comerford was allowed far too much space and time run through the middle and shoot past Crimmins. Had their rearguard been more vigilant, Galway’s interval lead would have been more than a single point.

"During the first-half, we were well in it," said Rabbitte. "We should have been further in front at the break, Comerford’s goal came against the run of play and then in the second-half, everything fell apart."

For Kilkenny, now contemplating an All Ireland final against Leinster rivals Offaly, the omens look good. Championship wins so far over Dublin, Offaly and Galway by 15, 11 and eight points is an impressive formguide. Beaten at the last hurdle in the past two seasons, maybe their time has come.

"The last two years were the last two years," said Carey, "and Brian Cody made the point that anybody who wanted to live in the past couldn’t stay on the panel. So, the future is driving us on. This is the year 2000 and we’re doing our best to win it." And who would doubt DJ?

Meanwhile, Galway defeated Offaly in the All Ireland minor hurling semi-final by 3-14 to 2-13. Reigning champions Galway now meet Cork in the decider.

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