The All-Ireland hurling final this year required very little analysis…

In a tight game, Cork created more and better chances, but blew them. Apart from their eleven first half wides, they were short with numerous scorable shots. Yet, they were still only six points down at half-time, and it was noticeable that Kilkenny were getting a bit careless with their scoring attempts coming up to the break. Cork made a predictable surge on the restart, just as they did against Waterford in the Munster final. However, where they maintained their momentum in the latter match, against Kilkenny once again they bottled it with possible victory in sight, missing a series of scorable chances which could have put them in the driving seat. Kilkenny showed their experience in riding the storm, and then striking for the decisive scores when they mattered most.

In general, the Cork defence was excellent for most of the match. Not for the first time. Wayne Sherlock was their star, with Pat Mulcahy playing possibly his best game in a Cork jersey. The half back line was strengthened when John Gardiner was brought back there, while Ronan Curran did a generally good job in the middle. Seán Óg Ó hAilpín leaked a lot of ball in the first half, but tightened up after the interval. Despite a number of spectacular clearances, Diarmuid O’Sullivan was the loosest player in the defence, conceding 1-4 to Marin Comerford (An Moltóir’s man of the match).

Up front, Cork were a disaster. In a tight game, Ben O’Connor and Joe Deane were always going to be marked absent, while surely this was Alan Browne’s last game in a Cork jersey. And if the rebels don’t find better than Timmy McCarthy (with whom they have persevered for five years now) they are going nowhere. Niall McCarthy, who has improved beyond recognition this year, will have to learn to cool it to be really effective. That leaves Setanta, who has been the forward discovery of the year. Like all the Cork forwards, he was very tentative with his scoring efforts in the first half, but after the interval he really took the game to Kilkenny who were very slow to remove James Ryall, who had a disastrous second half.
Otherwise the Kilkenny defence played well right through, with Noel Hickey’s tightness on Joe Deane, in contrast to O’Sullivan on Comerford at the other end, being the game’s deciding factor (apart from Cork’s wayward shooting). By contrast, the much-vaunted Kilkenny forwards were not at the races, apart from Tommy Walsh’s opening burst, Comerford’s good work right through, and Henry Sheflin’s late nails in the Cork coffin.

The idea of Cork suffering from nerves in an All-Ireland final is almost a contradiction in terms. However, when one thinks of it, while Kilkenny have plenty of experience of playing in Croke Park on big match days, this is no longer the case for the Leesiders. Between 1997-2002, the Cats were in Croke Park every year in the All-Ireland series (not counting the Leinster championship), and played eleven games in all there in this period. Cork played there three times in the same period, back in 1999 and 2000. Since then, the hype surrounding the All-Ireland has reached even greater heights, and last Sunday Cork were unable to handle it. Kilkenny weren’t much better, but ultimately their greater experience at this level saw them through.

Before 1999, Cork didn’t appear in Croke Park at all since 1992. This reflects the fact that, over the last decade, the Munster championship was probably more competitive than at any time in history, with five different counties capturing the provincial title in that period. Nor is this likely to change in the foreseeable future, as the two aristocrats of Munster hurling, Cork and Tipperary, simply do not have the forward power to allow them to dominate over their provincial rivals. With Flynn, McGrath and Mullane (apparently playing out of his skin with his club De La Salle at the moment), Waterford appear to have the most potent front line in modern hurling, but they don’t seem to be able to get all three to spark on the same day. It will be interesting to see what impact the appointment of Nicky Cashin as assistant manager will have on the fortunes of the Déise hurlers.

A few final comments on last Sunday’s final. In An Moltóir’s view, no less than three of the Cork players should have been shown the line during the match. Diarmuid O’Sullivan should have walked for his pull across a Kilkenny player in the middle of the first half. Niall McCarthy should have followed for his blow to Richie Mullally in the second half. And John Gardiner should have gone for consistent personal fouling. O’Sullivan should have had a free awarded against him for his charge on a Kilkenny player after he fielded a ball, minus his hurley, in the second half, and he should have been yellow carded for his assault on two Kilkenny players immediately afterwards.

The poor or non-calls by the umpires pointed once again to the need for a major change in the way these crucial officials are appointed and trained. Nobody appears to have drawn attention to the fact that the entire Kilkenny team, apart from DJ Carey and the goalkeeper, marched in the parade with their socks down around their ankles, contrary to rule. And why, given the traditional notoriety of the swirling breeze in Croke Park, did John Gardiner not take a few practice frees into the Canal End goal before the game started. If he had, history might have been very different.

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