Cats finish with a flourish to claim victory in thriller
BEHIND the blizzard of numbers and amid the blur of changing leads and seesawing momentum was a breathless encounter, at the end of which a familiar figure stood ramrod straight, unbending still.
Brian Cody has curated his fair share of dramas, and when the superlatives stop flying about this one, he will know that Kilkenny were part of a classic that carries a relatively modest reward.
This is a man who oversaw teams that took part in epics in the All-Ireland finals of 2009,
2010 and 2014, who knows what it is to come out the right end of an operatic clash on the most important day of the year.
He will, then, eventually put this game in its proper place: gripping, but bringing with it nothing more than a place in the Leinster final. And be sure that Cody has grander ambitions in mind for 2021 than conquering his province.
That is not to underplay this blazing encounter, though. The lead slipped between the teams as if it was greased, and even at half-time in extra-time, the outcome was deeply uncertain.
By that juncture Wexford led by a point, but Kilkenny took complete control for the final 10 minutes, going on to rack up a winning tally that might aggrieve Wexford, but that testifies to Kilkenny’s superior fitness.
It remains a fact that a
Kilkenny side under Cody will be supremely fit and will fight on their backs to the end. And their better fitness was telling here. That’s some testament to them given Davy Fitzgerald’s determination to train his players to a physical peak.
It all means a Leinster final against Dublin and the familiar black and amber shapes moving into formation as the hurling year gets serious.
They had some familiar heroes here, notably TJ Reid but also Walter Walsh, and also younger ones, especially the reigning young hurler of the year.
Eoin Cody was outstanding, an elusive threat that Wexford never satisfactorily pinned down.
For the vanquished, the consolations will not be enough for Fitzgerald, and nor should they. Lee Chin was immense, with Conor McDonald and Rory O’Connor sporadically influential, while Shane Reck and Shaun Murphy had huge games, too.
But Kilkenny repeatedly played in over the top of their defence, which is always a risk when the Wexford players look to press so high up the field on their own ball.
The teams were separated by just a point at half-time in normal time, as Kilkenny led 0-15 to 0-14.
The game blazed to life in the second half as both sides threatened to surge clear on occasion, before being pegged back.
TJ Reid’s start to the second half was forbidding for Wexford as he scored two from play and played in Conor Fogarty for another, while Chin’s dash on
Eoin Murphy’s goal was smothered by a clatter of defenders.
Substitute David Dunne scored a goal to put Wexford three ahead but they were hauled back, before Cody looked to have settled it in Kilkenny’s favour with his goal in the 68th minute.
Again the leaders lapsed, and for a moment it looked as if McDonald might have won it when hooking in Murphy’s clearance of a Liam Ryan shot from over the Kilkenny bar.
The point was awarded to Ryan, though, and extra-time was decreed – whereupon the drama instantly restarted.
Eoin Murphy was sin-binned for a foul on Conor Firman with a goal looming, Mark Fanning scoring from the resultant penalty against replacement goalkeeper Darren Brennan.
But Kilkenny took control over the last 10 minutes, with Walter Walsh’s goal the decisive flourish.
kiLkennY: E Murphy; T Walsh, H Lawlor, P Deegan; D Corcoran (J Maher HT), P Walsh, C Browne (C Buckley ET); R Reid (W Walsh 53), R Leahy (C Fogarty h-t, M Carey ET); A Mullen (capt), M Keoghan, A Murphy (J Bergin 63); E Cody, TJ Reid, B Ryan (J Donnelly 45).
ScorerS: TJ Reid 0-16 (1f, 0-1 65), E Cody 1-5, W Walsh 1-1, R Reid, J Bergin and J Maher 0-2 each, A Mullen, A Murphy, M Keoghan, C Fogarty, E Murphy (1f), T Walsh, J Donnelly, B Ryan and M Carey 0-1 each. wexford: M Fanning; S Reck, L Ryan, S Donohoe; G Bailey (S Murphy 80), M O’Hanlon, S Murphy (C Firman 70); D O’Keeffe (C Flood 70), L Óg McGovern (D O’Keeffe 77, C Hearne 88); P Morris (J O’Connor 48), L Chin (C Dunbar 85), C McDonald; M Dwyer (D Dunne 58), R O’Connor, K Foley.
ScorerS: L Chin 0-14 (0-13f), M Fanning (pen) and D Dunne 1-0 each, R O’Connor 0-3, C McDonald, L Óg McGovern and S Murphy 0-2 each, P Morris (1f) J O’Connor, M Fanning (1f), L Ryan, M O’Hanlon, D O’Keeffe 0-1 each. referee: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary).