ON THE weekend David Haye was sent packing by Wladimir Klitschko, Kerry withstood a Cork fightback to claim the Munster title, Kilkenny delivered a knockout blow to the Dublin hurlers and both Galway and Limerick picked themselves up off the canvas to live to fight another day in the All Ireland hurling qualifiers.
Here are your ‘Hayemakers’ and knockouts from this week’s instalment of the GAA’s winners and losers.
WINNERS
Kerry
THE KINGDOM produced as good a first half showing as you are likely to see in this year’s football championship to lead 1-10 to 0-5 at the interval. Utilising a smart kick-passing game Kerry went about dismantling the Rebel’s back division and simply blew their opponents away with some marvellous forward inter-play and long range scores.
More importantly the Kingdom managed to fend off a determined second half onslaught from Cork and although they rode their luck at times (Miskella rattling the upright) Kerry weathered the storm superbly to emerge deserving three-point winners. A quarter final berth along with the return of Tomás O Sé and Paul Galvin has the Kingdom in rude health heading into the business end of the season.
Jack O’Connor
O’CONNOR’S tactical switch of Kieran Donaghy to midfield and Declan O’Sullivan to full forward led the Cork defence a merry dance for much of Sunday’s Munster final. The Kerry manager won the tactical battle hands down. O’Connor was also magnanimous in victory stating: “There was a point in it with a couple of minutes to go and we just dug it out and got a couple of points on the break. Maybe a bit lucky, Cork had a great goal chance and had it gone in probably would have won the game”.
Kilkenny
ARE you watching Tipperary? Kilkenny inflicted a heavy defeat on an emerging and talented Dublin side, sent a timely reminder to the reigning All Ireland Hurling Champions and enjoyed silky performances from stalwarts Henry Shefflin and Tommy Walsh.
Not bad for a team written off by many as on the wane. A 4-17 to 1-15 Leinster Hurling final victory over a Dublin side they had failed to beat on three previous occasions marks Kilkenny down as the only true contender to Tipperary’s crown this year.
Tipperary football
REMEMBER the day Tipperary Minors defeated Cork in the Munster Final as it may well herald the dawning of a new era in the Premier county’s football fortunes.
LOSERS
Cork
A SPIRITED second half display from the reigning All Ireland champions wasn’t enough to secure a long awaited victory in Killarney. The opening 30 minutes was significant not only for the mesmerising Kerry performance but also Cork’s rudderless display and pathetic use of the ball.
Hand-passing the ball to death and failing to match Kerry’s quick ball into their forward line cost Cork dearly as the Kingdom built up a substantial lead they would never relinquish. A potential banana-skin meeting with the likes of Kildare, Meath, Tyrone or Armagh beckons in the qualifiers for a squad lauded as the best in the country.
Conor Counihan
CONOR COUNIHAN’S persistence with the short kick-out tactic aggravated every Rebel supporter in Fitzgerald Stadium on Sunday especially when Cork had Aidan Walsh and Alan O’Connor to aim at in the centre of the park.
Refusing to take off an out of sorts Graham Canty, moving John Miskella to the full back position and not playing the direct long ball game that served Cork so well in last year’s All Ireland triumph added up to a bad day at the office for Counihan and his back room team.
Dublin
ALL of Anthony Daly’s recent good work with the Dublin hurlers came undone in Croke Park on Sunday when Kilkenny moved up a gear and blow their opponents away. Brian Cody sent a chilling reminder to Daly and his team of what is takes to win in the cut and thrust of championship. The Dublin hurlers have not become a bad team overnight but are now acutely aware of the difference between winning a league and winning an All Ireland.
Follow Ger on Twitter: @offcentrecircle
Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/H77dHP7oQJk/post.aspx
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