You can never put a great team down

DOGS might sleep and they may lie but Cats are a different breed.
This afternoon didn’t represent a rebirth but more of a reminder to never putting a good – apologies – a great team down.
People will talk of Richie Hogan’s wonder goal, Michael Fennelly’s beauty in the first half but in the 70th minute of this affair their fortitude was exhibited at its truest.
With Tipperary’s sole goalscorer Pa Bourke honing in on goal, there was the oak-like Noel Hickey to foil him with the most delightful of hooks.
It was their defence which saw the Cats retain the Liam MacCarthy Cup. Sure, all of Kilkenny’s forwards and midfielders were noted on the scoreboard but in snuffing out Lar Corbett and Eoin Kelly, the foundation for glory was built.
On the most peculiar of afternoons when we had floodlights turned on only for the sunshine to follow it, when referee Brian Gavin got a blow on the nose from a raised Tommy Walsh hurley (purely accidental), the game followed familiar lines with Kilkenny and Brian Cody coming up trumps.
Their hunger was hyped before yesterday’s game but in the first half it was voracious. Superior in the physical exchanges and dominant in the air, especially in the half-back line, they cultivated a thoroughly deserving half-time lead.
But for Michael Cahill and Pádraic Maher’s fire-fighting at the back, Tipperary’s five-point interval deficit (1-8 to 0-6) could have been considerably more.
Michael Fennelly’s goal in the last minute of the normal time in the first-half was a marvellous score, the midfielder timing his run perfectly to receive Hogan’s palmed pass and strike low to the net.
Kilkenny’s indiscipline at the back was keeping Tipperary in the game with Maher earning three of the four frees scored by Eoin Kelly, the last of them a cynical trip from Noel Hickey when the Roscrea man appeared to be through on goal.
At half-time, the talk was of whether Kilkenny could sustain such ferocity. But on the resumption, there were questions asked of the opposition too, namely their management.
With Shane McGrath and Seamus Callanan making way for the new half, Tipperary’s second and third substitutions after John O’Keeffe was replaced earlier, the question was whether the 2010 champions were pressing the panic button.
Colin Fennelly, in scoring in the 42nd minute, became Kilkenny’s sixth forward to score, a reflection of just how good they were in their execution but the quality of ball from their back-line.
Richie Hogan’s exquisite finish in the 49th minute after Eddie Brennan arrowed through a vacant Tipperary centre threatened to pull the curtains on the game.
With the peerless Henry Shefflin tagging on a free to cancel out John O’Brien’s quick response, Tipperary found themselves eight points behind.
However, they gained themselves a foothold in the half-forward line via the aforementioned O'Brien's success in the air.
After a customary Noel McGrath sideline cut, David Herity should have done a lot better with Pa Bourke’s shot, which was directed right at him.
The margin became four and later turned to three when Kelly converted after O’Brien was fouled.
Remarkably, Conor O’Mahony and O’Brien, who were putting their heads above the parapet for Tipperary after the break, were substituted within eight minutes of each other.
But it was Kilkenny, despite questions of their legs being the heavier ones, who finished almost as convincing as they started.
Tipperary could get jabs in but they lacked the body-shot to earn themselves a most undeserving draw or win.
Gearoid Ryan’s injury time point brought three between the sides once more but it was left to Eoin Larkin to seal the deal.
Talk of Kilkenny’s bench not being as good as Tipperary was made redundant. Simply because it wasn’t really exercised.
Liam is heading Noreside. He knows the drill.
Scorers for Kilkenny: H Shefflin 0-7 (5fs), R Hogan 1-1, M Fennelly 1-0, R Power, C Fennelly, E Larkin 0-2 each, E Brennan, M Rice, TJ Reid 0-1 each.
Scorers for Tipperary: E Kelly 0-8 (7fs, 1 65), P Bourke 1-0, N McGrath 0-3 (1sl), G Ryan 0-2, B Dunne, C O’Mahony, J O’Brien 0-1 each.
KILKENNY: D Herity; P Murphy, N Hickey, B Hogan; T Walsh, J Tyrrell, JJ Delaney; M Fennelly, M Rice; E Brennan, R Power, H Shefflin; C Fennelly, E Larkin, R Hogan.
Subs: TJ Reid for Brennan (60); J Mulhall for Hogan (65).
TIPPERARY: B Cummins; P Stapleton, P Curran, M Cahill; J O’Keeffe, C O’Mahony, Pádraic Maher; G Ryan, S McGrath; J O’Brien, L Corbett, Patrick Maher; S Callanan, E Kelly, N McGrath.
Subs: B Maher for O’Keeffe (29); B Dunne for McGrath and P Bourke for Callanan (ht); D Young for O’Mahony- (58); J O’Neill for O’Brien (66).
Referee: Brian Gavin (Offaly)

Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/t7353SsnJUo/post.aspx

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