All-Ireland SHC Final: Kilkenny 2-20 Tipperary 2-29
TIPPERARY peered into the hurt locker and finally embraced that most open of secrets as they outfought Kilkenny to lay the platform for a stunning All-Ireland success.
In every piece of pre-game analysis, including interviews from the Tipp camp, the first reference point was work-rate. It had to be.
Thrice since Eoin Kelly climbed the Hogan Stand steps six years ago, the Premier men found themselves beaten on All-Ireland final day by a Kilkenny side that simply wanted it more.
There was never the shortage of quality to win back Liam McCarthy, but they could never quite muster the absolute relentless insanity they needed over 70 minutes to beat their nemesis.
Yesterday, they found it.
From front to back, Tipperary were absolutely outstanding. That this was the largest score ever conceded by a Brian Cody team in a Championship game gives one indication as to how good the winners’ attack was.
Seamus Callanan’s 13-point haul was remarkable. An early missed free from 25 yards and a wide soon after might have dented the confidence, but he never wavered. They kept supplying him ball and he kept burning poor Joey Holden to a crisp.
It was a long afternoon for the Kilkenny full-back, but equally so for Shane Prendergast and Paul Murphy either side of him. They conceded 1-3 apiece from play to John McGrath and John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer respectively.
In all, Tipperary hit an astonishing 2-23 from play, compared to 2-8 for the beaten side, who largely had TJ Reid’s accuracy from dead balls to thank for hanging so long in the game.
But they just never matched Tipperary for hunger. When Kevin Kelly flicked up to bat into an empty net six minutes into the second half, Kilkenny went 1-14 to 0-15 ahead.
The third quarter was where the Cats had won so many of these derbies over the last decade. That goal would ordinarily be the catalyst for capitulation on the other end.
Instead, with a quick score from a Callanan free, Tipperary quickly regathered themselves and went on to hit 1-7 in the next 10 minutes, to just a solitary Reid free in response.
Seamus Callanan, John McGrath and John O’Dwyer racked up an astonishing 2-21 between them, but the genesis of it all was in a Cathal Barrett clearance or a James Barry tackle or a diagonal ball from Ronan Maher.
The latter won a third of the puck-outs that Tipperary gathered up (9 of 27) and had a monster of a game. Pádraic Maher beside him had a huge second half as well.
It would be hard to pick a Tipperary player who didn’t perform well, but even harder to find one that didn’t drive their shoulder clean through the wheel.
Kilkenny did as Kilkenny do. In many ways, that’s the allure of Brian Cody’s teams, and his style of management. If you’re not good enough, you are going to be exposed.
It was hard not to feel sorry for their full-back line. The pressure on the supply of ball coming in simply didn’t exist and as such, the Tipperary inside trio had the run of the place.
Another manager would have been lambasted for firstly leaving Joey Holden so exposed and secondly leaving him on Callanan for the entire 70 minutes. But the fire spread very quickly in that spell after Kevin Kelly’s goal and left tactical resistance bordering on the futile.
Michael Ryan can be mighty pleased with himself, though. Even in-game, his tactical switches worked well. Dan McCormack was getting through decent work at wing-forward but his move to midfield turned him to a revelation and gave a fresh spark to tired legs.
This was no arena to doubt yourself and Tipperary had the conviction to take on the champions in a slugfest and back themselves.
The sides were level 10 times in a first half that produced 26 scores. Kilkenny actually had the better of the goal chances, with the quiet Colin Fennelly denied by Darren Gleeson and Eoin Larkin pulling wide when off balance as the ball fell at his feet.
With Tipperary’s half-back division dominant on the Kilkenny puck-out, it was Reid’s free-taking that was keeping them on an even keel.
They tried switching up their central attacking column, with Reid going to full-forward, Fennelly to 11 and Richie Hogan – who did have a good game – to midfield, but the primary attacking work was being done at the other end.
Yet when Hogan pierced through and set up a chance that was eventually taken by Kevin Kelly, Kilkenny led by two and seemed to be finding their groove.
But when it was most needed, Tipperary bared their reinforced armour. Substitute Jason Forde came on and hit two points from wing-forward in the important switch that also saw McCormack go to midfield.
The winners had gone 0-18 to 1-14 up when Cathal Barrett drove out of defence and delivered a superb ball into the space in front of John O’Dwyer. He rounded Paul Murphy and finished brilliantly across Eoin Murphy to put Tipp four clear.
The gander was up. 6’2” Pádraic Maher ignored Walter Walsh’s extra three inches to pluck the ball from above him and send it back over the black spot from the sideline.
Kilkenny were flagging as Bubbles O’Dwyer picked a beautiful pass out to John McGrath to fire over. Next ball, down the middle and Callanan swivels to make it 1-22 to 1-15 with 15 minutes to play.
The Cats, to their credit, caught hold of the threatening haymaker with four points from the next seven, keeping them within six just past the hour mark.
But when Shane Prendergast threw a loose, tired handpass in front of his own goal, Noel McGrath had the ruthless vision to play in his brother John, who lashed home just beneath the crossbar.
From the puck-out Kilkenny forced their way down the middle and Richie Hogan fired a bullet into the Hill 16 goal, but Liam McCarthy’s destiny was already written.
That the final score was one of the scores of the season, Patrick Maher plucking the ball high at midfield and firing over, befitted Tipperary’s sublime attacking display.
But the 30 seconds after it was why they won this game. Colin Fennelly was almost in down the end-line but as he shot, Seamus Kennedy threw his body in front of the ball, smothering it away for a 65 with his midriff.
Tipperary have finally found the manic aggression required to win All-Irelands.
Their potential now? Endless.
What we learned about Kilkenny
IT’S an unusual sight to see a Brian Cody team leave Croke Park as the beaten side, but an extraordinary vision to see them completely outfought.
There’s no doubting that they missed the industry of Michael Fennelly at midfield – doubly in the sense of freeing TJ Reid to cause a bit more havoc closer to goal. But their two wing-forwards won just one puck-out between them and save for Richie Hogan’s good start and the option of Liam Blanchfield at times, they were starved of possession in the areas they’d have wanted it.
It’s hard to be critical of a man-for-man ethos that has been so successful over the last 17 years, but yesterday showed how much of that is down to their usual ferocious work-rate. When that was absent yesterday, their defence was hung out to dry.
What we learned about Tipperary
When they are able to marry their ability with the work-rate that they’ve been badly lacking over the last five years, then they are the best side in Ireland. It helps, too, to have an absolutely devastating attack.
At times in recent seasons there have been overly convoluted gameplans and attacking rotations that left them as much confused as their opponents.
This was a simple, direct and ruthless performance that said to Kilkenny ‘we’ll take you on your way and beat you at it’. Barring an odd move into the corner from Seamus Callanan, which brought great first half reward, there was little in the way of change throughout, but Kilkenny were powerless to stop them. Defensively, their performance had the perfect blend of composure and craziness
Whistle watch
It was said that Brian Gavin’s blow-nothing-unless-you-see-blood attitude would favour Kilkenny, and how that perception fed the Tipperary fans as they howled at him in the first half. But the reality was that his performance was excellent throughout.
Only got involved when he absolutely has to, and there wasn’t a dirty belt nor a card needed in 70 minutes. That should be the template, shouldn’t it?
Turning Point
AMID a flood of Tipperary scores arguably the most important came when Kilkenny threatened to turn the tide with their first goal. Kevin Kelly’s major seemed to affront Tipp, who responded in stunning style to falling behind.
They notched 1-4 without reply inside a seven-minute spell and outscored Kilkenny by 1-8 to 0-2 in the quarter-hour that followed the goal. The all-important ‘third quarter surge’ came from Tipp, not the Cats.
Top Score
SO many to choose from but the mind’s eye is drawn straight to Seamus Callanan’s score that made it 0-13 to 0-12 just before the break. He has the strength to out-muscle Holden on the long, dropping ball and touch it down, and before the second defender gets there he nicks it back into his hand and swivels instantly to lash just over the bar.
A few feet lower and you were looking at one of the greatest goals of all time.
Key Battle
James Barry (Tipperary) v Colin Fennelly (Kilkenny)
The Ballyhale man has paved the road to victory so many times for the Cats but the impassable performance of Tipperary’s full-back underlined the steeliness that Tipperary displayed in such abundance.
Fennelly only ever got a couple of half chances but was kept scoreless by Barry, who held strong under the high ball.
Have your say
Is it the end of an era for Kilkenny?
Can Tipperary go on to forge a period of dominance on the All-Ireland front?
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