1. Defiant Kilkenny reach final
A switch in manager has not altered the fundamental mindset that Kilkenny hurling adopts. On 17 occasions Brian Cody got the job done in an All-Ireland semi-final, at his first attempt as sideline supremo, Derek Lyng achieved likewise. Nothing changes, more of the same.
The dramatic manner in which they mugged Galway in the Leinster final with Cillian Buckley’s injury-time intervention, confirmed the wonderful resolve in their team remained intact. Yesterday their utter defiance in the second half helped them prevail. They coped with Clare’s thunderous third-quarter showing, responded to Shane O’Donnell’s terrific 63rd minute goal and then through one of the greatest goalkeeping moments that Croke Park has witnessed, Eoin Murphy prevented Peter Duggan from levelling the game.
Their reward for surviving another game that pushed them to the absolute limit, is another shot at Limerick. The team that defeated them by two points in last year’s All-Ireland final, the team that minced them by 11 points in April’s league final and the team that remain the benchmark for all others in the game.
The task ahead is considerable but with back-to-back Leinster titles and back-to-back All-Ireland final appearances, Kilkenny have proved their status as the leading challengers.
2. Clare’s missed chance
When the final whistle blew yesterday, the Clare players were sunk into states of despair. This was a defeat that will deeply hurt them, the pain caused by the knowledge that this felt like a missed chance. They hit the net once, a brilliant piece of individualism by O’Donnell, but didn’t capitalise on other opportunities that arose – the Conor Fogarty block in the first half to deny Mark Rodgers, the O’Donnell shot that Eoin Murphy stopped after half-time, which was followed by Ian Galvin inadvertently diverting the ball away from the path of Rodgers, and that staggering late save by Murphy from Duggan’s effort.
That was just the goalscoring chances. Other questions will roll around the minds of the Clare hurling camp for the winter. Was their first-half approach to play with seven defenders justified given injury concerns over key defenders and the general unease over their recent full-back line play? Or should they have released earlier and pushed on with the ploy that saw Peter Duggan move to 11 for the second half, a trio of livewire attackers stationed closer to goal?
And what of the concession of that 55th minute goal to Eoin Cody, a strike prompted by the carelessness in possession when Rory Hayes moved out of defence? After the fantastic work post the interval in locking down their defence and weaving paths to find points up front, that was a blow that rocked Clare.
3. The TJ-Cody double act
Not the first time that a Kilkenny victory was fashioned by some pieces of attacking magic from Ballyhale forwards. You suspect it won’t be the last either. TJ Reid is 35. Eoin Cody is 22. Between them the elder statesman and the emerging pretender struck a combined 1-17. Throw in the two white flags that Adrian Mullen raised and the Shamrocks players hit all but six points of Kilkenny’s entire tally.
The influence of the TJ-Cody double act ran deep. TJ posted 0-12 in a typically brilliant display of placed ball marksmanship. He scored from various angles. He held his nerve under pressure towards the end. A sideline cut was popped over from the Cusack Stand side, he took a sideline pass underneath the Hogan Stand off Paddy Deegan, spun away and tossed the ball inside for Cian Kenny to point. Cody picked off 1-5 from play. He struck points in the 69th and 72nd minutes, a stage when Kilkenny’s need was greatest.
And then there was the critical goal they were central to. TJ the creator in scooping up a break and passing inside to Cody who rocketed a shot to the net. They raced off in celebration, crossing paths to palm hands in front of the Davin End. The deadly duo that won the day for Kilkenny once more.
