CATS’ WINNING HABIT
New crop ease into a Kilkenny tradition
THEY are extraordinary, these Stripey Men. Simply extraordinary. No matter who leaves their dressing-room, no matter what players need to be replaced, Kilkenny keep finding ways to remain relevant, keep finding ways to win
This was the ninth League title the Cats have won on Brian Cody’s watch, which means that they have now collected 35 major trophies in his 19 seasons in charge. We will never witness anything like this again.
There is no deep secret as to why they keep winning and keep collecting silverware. As Cody stressed once again last night, it is all about attitude and application. The faces may change but the basic principles governing the black and amber jersey remain the same.
And while the leadership of TJ Reid, who scored 0-15, was crucial in claiming victory in front of 17,604 people at Nowlan Park, it was the performances of the younger, unheralded players that really caught the eye. Paddy Deegan was immense at corner-back, growing in confidence with every clearance he made. James Maher excelled around the middle third, while up front, Martin Keoghan remained busy throughout and John Donnelly chipped in with two fine scores. That’s just four of the new generation that made the rest of the country sit up and take notice.
Michael Ryan had detailed Ronan Maher to mark Reid, which robbed the crowd of the clash of Reid against Padraic Maher. And the younger Maher did a decent job of quelling Reid’s influence at times in the first half. But even living on scraps, Reid was a model of economy and efficiency.
He opened Kilkenny’s scoring in the 10th minute with a majestic sideline cut and kept the scoreboard ticking over as the Cats took their time to settle into the game. Indeed, while Ryan bemoaned a lack of urgency from his players, in the opening half, they seemed to be up for the fight.
They were contesting the many breaks that transpired as the first half turned into a scrappy affair and tried to lay down a physical marker. Having come to Nowlan Park so often to be bullied by Kilkenny, Tipp, in the first half at least, were determined not to be pushed around.
Their physicality occasionally crossed the line, which was punished by Reid’s accuracy. The frees were keeping Kilkenny in the game but in the 24th minute, Jason Forde buried the ball past Eoin Murphy and a chink of light appeared.
The goal underlined everything that Tipperary are good at. Alan Flynn battled for the ball in his own full-back line, coming out and sweeping a long ball down to John McGrath, who had the vision and presence of mind to pick out Forde. A moment later, Sean Curran hit a nice point and within 60 seconds, Tipp had gone four points ahead. They were trying to do a Kilkenny on Kilkenny.
But even with so many unheralded players, the Cats are the masters of changing the complexion of a game in a flash. Having trailed by two points at the break, 1-10 to 0-11, Kilkenny burst from the blocks after the restart.
Walter Walsh, who gave James Barry a torrid time in the second half, had the ball in the net within 30 seconds of the resumption, Conor Delaney picking the big full-forward out with a wonderful pass. TJ followed that up with a free.
Tipp, who took their time in leaving the dressing-room after halftime, looked rattled by the suckerpunch and never really recovered. Things might have been different had John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer, who came off the bench for the second half, found the net in the 43rd minute.
The ball broke kindly to Bubbles but Eoin Murphy superbly batted his rasping shot away. Within a couple of minutes of that happening, Reid and John Donnelly had strung together three points and all of a sudden, Tipperary looked a beaten docket.
Forde kept going until the end, finding the net with a free in the 65th minute, but the game was over by that stage, Conor Fogarty sealing the win with a fine goal within 15 minutes of coming off the bench. There will be plenty in this performance to concern Michael Ryan and his back-room team ahead of the Munster Championship. Barry was eventually substituted in the 63rd minute but he had a troubling afternoon. Tipp’s half-forward line were non-existent for much of the second half, while Kilkenny claimed all but three of Darragh Mooney’s puck-outs after the turnaround. As wonderful as Tipperary can be to watch, when things go wrong, they go badly wrong for this team. As Kilkenny streaked ahead in the second half, their players lost their composure with the delivery into their inside-forwards rushed and panicked. But Tipperary’s second-half collapse was not the story in Nowlan Park yesterday. This was about a remarkable team created by a remarkable manager.
The world can change around them but Kilkenny simply stick to their principles. And do what they do best — winning.
KILKENNY: E Murphy; J Holden, P Walsh, P Deegan; C Delaney, C Buckley (capt), E Morrissey; R Leahy (C Fogarty 48), J Maher; M Keoghan, TJ Reid, J Donnelly (C Martin 63); B Sheehan (L Scanlon 44), W Walsh, A Murphy (L Blanchfield 41)
Scorers: TJ Reid 0-15 (11f, 1 s/l), W Walsh 1-2, C Fogarty 1-0, J Donnelly 0-2, L Blanchfield, M Keoghan, E Murphy (1f), R Leahy 0-1. Wides: (5) 9.
TIPPERARY: D Mooney; A Flynn, J Barry (D Maher 61), M Cahill; B Heffernan, R Maher, P Maher (capt); B Maher, S Kennedy (C Barrett 45); S Curran (M Russell 59), B McCarthy (C Darcy 65), J McGrath; M Breen (J O’Dwyer h-t), J Forde, W Connors
Scorers: J Forde 2-12 (0-9f, 1 s/l, 1 ’65), J McGrath 0-2, W Connors, S Kennedy, S Curran 0-1.
Wides: (5) 6. Yellow cards: W Connors 32, M Cahill 37, J Barry 52. Referee: A Kelly (Galway).