February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Because at the end of a summer that has been pretty dank both on and off the pitch, this was a magnificent game to restore faith in the tradition. Tipp were ferocious, skillful and astonishingly competitive, but in the end, they had to tug the forelock to Kilkenny’s grace under the most extreme pressure.
On the cusp of a first four-in-row in 65 years, and a record seventh title in the space of a decade, Kilkenny had to dig as deep as they’ve ever dug for the two late goals that put them thrillingly over the line. Armed with a two-point lead and one eye on the promised land, Tipp conceded a controversial penalty which was smashed to the net by Henry Shefflin, and then the winners’ sub, Martin Comerford, fired a shot past past Brendan Cummins for the score that etched Brian Cody’s team into history.
“To win one All Ireland is just terrific. So many counties would give anything to win an All Ireland as we did,” said Cody. “To go and repeat it was just great, and then to win the fourth one in a row is just … magical.” As for his counterpart, Liam Sheedy, it was an effort to conceal the tears. “We knew we were facing probably the best team in the history of the game. So to just come up short is very, very disappointing. I’m hurting. Hurting, but proud.”
It was a pity that the penalty, awarded by referee Diarmiuid Kirwan after a dubious foul by Paul Curran on Richie Power that occurred outside the area, proved to the main talking point in the Tipp camp, because there were so many good things for the 82,000 captivated spectators to savor.
In terms of sheer excellence, it was hard to separate the shot-stopping brilliance of PJ Ryan in the Kilkenny goal from the nerveless marksmanship of Eoin Kelly who had three points from play in his superb personal total of 0-13. And if Shefflin wasn’t perhaps as imperious as usual, he still ran up 1-8, yet that haul might have been eclipsed by the 0-4 hit so spectacularly from play by Lar Corbett.
Elsewhere, the wonderful Tommy Walsh gave another demonstration for the ages, while the inexperienced Tipp full-back Padraic Maher made a big impact. Shefflin and Michael Kavanagh each took home a seventh winners’ medal which leaves them just one short of Christy Ring and John Doyle, and Shefflin’s scoring total means he’s now only three points shy of Eddie Keher’s championship record.
In fact, the only bum note on a perfect-pitch day came when a pumped-up Bennie Dunne emerged off the bench in the second half to hit Walsh with a reckless belt of the hurley. Unlike the penalty incident, referee Kirwan got this decision right and had no hesitation in showing Dunne a straight red card.
Whereas Waterford and Limerick had been swept away by Kilkenny’s attacking tide in the opening minutes of previous finals, Tipp quickly showed that they were up to the task as the teams were level no fewer than seven times in a rip-roaring first half.
With Declan Fanning and Conor O’Mahony showing up well in the half-back line and with Kelly picking off his scores with aplomb, Tipp were unfortunate to find themselves trailing by 0-13 to 0-11 at the interval.
Eddie Brennan did manage three points from play, but the Tipp rearguard coped extremely well with the Shefflin threat, and it was no great surprise when the underdogs started to come on really strong at the start of the second half.
Ryan made a couple of astonishing saves as Tipp pressed and the signs were worrying for Kilkenny as Cody brought TJ Reid, Michael Fennelly and Comerford off the bench. Then, suddenly and inexorably, the balance shifted. Dunne was dismissed for his dangerous swipe at Walsh, and Kirwan, who by and large had a fine game, intervened to award Kilkenny that fateful penalty.
“I thought the 10 minutes hurling we played before the penalty were superb,” said Sheedy. “I’d be of the opinion that we were unlucky to have it given against us. It was a big call. Matches are won on big calls. It was a turning point, make no mistake about it. The day you get the calls is the day you probably win the match. It was always going to be tough after that with the man down.”
Shefflin duly dispatched the penalty with a stroke of pure timing and venom, and in an instant, you could sense the game was there for the taking. On Kilkenny came, and Comerford increased the lead with a crisp, low shot past Cummins, and although Tipp twice reduced the gap to three points in the closing minutes, their chance had been snatched away.
Jackie Tyrrell moved up to hit a score and Eoin Larkin added a couple more. Cue Tipp devastation and Kilkenny celebrating their historic four-in-a-row. “Our spirit was tested to the limit and it came shining through,” admitted Cody. “Just the fact that we never give up. You know it’s difficult to win one. To win two? Madness to win three, but to try and come back to win it again should impossible really.”
The most successful coach in hurling history paused, reflected once more on what had come to pass, and added: “Crazy really to think that those players have done this in this day and age. It’s a tribute to the kind of people they are as well as the skill that they have.”
Meanwhile, Galway claimed their eighth minor All Ireland title and their first since 2005 when they got the better of Kilkenny by 2-15 to 2-11 at Croke Park. Galway led by eight points at the break following an outstanding first half, and although Kilkenny reduced the gap to just one during the second half, the winners managed to pull away during the closing stages.