Tipperary Hurling Tipperary GAA Premierview

Triumphant Tipp borrow Cody's winning template


By Vincent Hogan

Monday September 06 2010

Out of the autumn gauze came new champions then, history's press too much even for Kilkenny. The world has turned on its head since Tipperary last stood top of hurling's pile.

Their last All-Ireland win arrived two days before terrorists reduced New York skyscrapers to a pile of rancid dust. We didn't know that we were living on a powder-keg planet.

Back then, too, Brian Cody answered to the name of an ordinary man. His team got cuffed around the ears in one of that year's semi-finals and there would have been those in Kilkenny who thought, maybe, he was a manager who should be sent to ruthless school.

It was, then, another lifetime. We needed educating on so many things.

The ashes of the five-in-a-row bid now shouldn't obscure the journey Kilkenny and Cody have travelled together. They have certainly ordained the path that Tipp themselves have taken by perfecting a style that is faster, yet less random than anything previously seen in the old game.

Hurling today is all about the compression of space and an absolute acceptance of tolerating hardship. And, if imitation is the ultimate line in flattery, Tipp's victory here should be recorded as an endorsement of the Cody template.

It was another epochal final between the two, referenced by courage and selflessness and a physicality that fizzed into the odd dangerous place without ever fully over-heating. Through it all, Cody stood in the gloom, a charcoal drawing oddly distant from the throng.

He is not an innate gambler, but this was a day when he got drawn to the wheel and called red when black was coming. Henry Shefflin's final lasted just 13 minutes before that knee gave way again. Tipp led 1-3 to 0-1 at the time and, already, had a dander in their stride.

Yet Henry is Henry as his manager is inclined to put it. Were Cork the same without Ring?

With the drizzle slanting down off the saddle of a cold wind, the game was played out in an endless grey. Last year's final had been defined by Kilkenny's efficiency at the business end. Having spent much of the day just about hanging on, they made roughly twice as many plays in the closing quarter as Tipperary.

The victory was a tribute to equanimity under pressure. Kilkenny brought down Tipp in a way that implied they were immune to the kind of nerves and insecurities that, routinely, blew fuses in opponents' heads.

The really great teams rarely encounter affection. They gain respect and the distant warmth of people who aspire to be in their clothes. Nobody blows them wolf-whistles because routine draws that edge out of the relationship. We have come to know this Kilkenny team as probably the greatest that hurling has seen. And we've waited for a team to reach them.

generation

As Eoin Kelly so graciously put it afterwards, Cody's men go down as "Definitely one of the best teams, not only hurling, but in any sport that we have seen in a generation."

But this was Tipp's moment. Next Saturday night, they will attempt to add the U-21 All-Ireland to the Liam McCarthy Cup and there is no doubting the sense of a new empire taking coherent shape. With Kilkenny's minors winning yesterday's curtain-raiser, these two counties aren't just stockpiling for the present, but investing in the future.

If Tipp have bought into Kilkenny's appetite for sacrifice, there is a distinctiveness to their forward movement that challenges opponents like a cryptic crossword.

Half a century after Wexford awoke minds to the concept of catching a sliotar rather than thrashing at it as if with a scythe, Tipp run patterns that defy orthodox control. They spin their forwards like the dials on a fruit-machine. It confuses teams and opens little avenues in the most unexpected places.

Lar Corbett usually arrives at the apex of their best moves, all wrist and jet-heels and hunger for goals.

He got three yesterday, the first plucked from over the head of Noel Hickey, something last recorded when shots were fired in the GPO. Hickey, ordinarily, offers a personalised manicure to forwards with their hands up, but, in this instance, he was falling over as Lar saw the whites in PJ Ryan's eyes.

Already, you got the scent of a flame being held to history here.

The stadium announcement confirming Shefflin as a starter had drawn a response reminiscent of a sighting of the Pope's helicopter in the Phoenix Park. Henry has done everything else in his hurling life so why not take physiology to a new place?

The sight of himself and John Tennyson trotting into the inky blackness, not a knee support between them, seemed to invest the day with a giddy fervour. But, sadly, some miracles take longer than others.

impatience

His departure, if anything, loaded the weight of the occasion on stripey shoulders. Twice they would drift six points off Tipp in that first-half, a tactic of endlessly working the ball into goal-scoring territory beginning to bear the look of reckless impatience.

Yet, as the half began to ebb, Tipp's defenders kept getting snared in possession and little alarm bells began ringing. Two minutes from the break, Eoin Larkin's run opened a great prairie and his hand-pass gave Richie Power a simple goal. Soon, they were cantering down the tunnel just a point adrift and, frankly, the recipients of knowing nods from the cognoscenti.

Sheedy would have known that the coming 35 minutes would either lead him to a coronation or a hanging.

He has been on the end of some unrelenting vitriol from a few old soldiers in the county this summer and repeat failure here would, undoubtedly, have uncorked some unpleasantness in Tipperary. Sheedy talked himself afterwards of encountering "a few doubters" along the journey, but chose not to take it further. To be fair, he was wise. For the eloquence of his captain's speech would answer the vitriol perfectly.

"It's been a long journey that started, not this year, but in 2008," explained Eoin Kelly. "I'd like to think that we created our own identity along the way and that our character and personality came through. Not just today, but in the last three years.

"Liam Sheedy came in when the ship was sinking and by God is this ship sailing today. He is our Messiah, our leader."

Great teams rise above all discouragements and that would be Tipp's gift to their people here.

They announced an implacable side to themselves. Just as the great old champions looked like they might have packed a little extra gunpowder, Tipp grew before our eyes.

Six minutes after the resumption, they sniped a goal of beautiful simplicity. Gearoid Ryan sent a radar-guided pass to Noel McGrath and the Loughmore kid spotted Lar easing down the runway. McGrath timed his offload to murderous perfection and there was Lar, flames shooting out his heels.

The nearest Kilkenny got to him was Tennyson's tossed hurley, a gesture of resignation that would draw yellow from Mr Wadding.

Moments later, Brendan Cummins dropped a monster free down on the Kilkenny 'square' and Noel McGrath reacted quickest to the break.

Two goals in three minutes for Tipperary and, suddenly, the Cats looked a team reduced to playing from memory.

Yet, two Richie Power frees and a TJ Reid point tossed a little salt on Tipp's nerves. If ever there were men to pull a rescue, Cody now had their attention.

history

He had whipped off 'Cha' Fitzpatrick, Eddie Brennan and Aidan Fogarty without offering a second glance and now stood in that familiar pose, arms folded, as if challenging his team to smelt their place in history.

They poured everything they had into the effort, but, as often seems to happen, fell eventually under an avalanche of late scores.

Maybe there was karma in the breeze. Maybe the gods had just taken to the business of balance and redemption. Benny Dunne, who would happily have left Croke Park in a luggage hold last year, came striding in to hit a splendid score. Seamus Hennessy, another sub, quickly followed suit.

Then Lar nailed his third, sweeping home first time and Cody, hands now in pockets, turned away to stare into a private place somewhere above the Hill. Sheedy followed, as if ready to commiserate, then thought better of it and retreated.

Michael Rice scored a point that meant nothing to him and then, almost mercifully, the long whistle.

Ned Quinn stepped over to commiserate and Cody turned to the mouth of the tunnel where Shefflin, now on crutches, slipped by to a fatherly pat on the shoulder. Then, typically, the big James Stephens man took himself out into the maelstrom, seeking out Sheedy and -- thereafter -- every Tipp player within reach.

"You were humble on the field and humble off the field," Kelly would tell them later.

Kilkenny's run had come to an end, but their greatness was undimmed.

- Vincent Hogan

Irish Independent


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Thunder and lightning final
Tipperary 4-17 Kilkenny 1-18
By Diarmuid O'Flynn

Monday, September 06, 2010

IT was a grey day in Croke Park yesterday for this All-Ireland hurling final, damp and dull with light rain sporadically falling on a stadium already shrouded in mist – that’s for the weather-watchers however.

On the pitch, where it all matters, Kilkenny were attempting to create history in their drive for five All-Ireland SHC titles in a row and Tipperary were trying to avoid the agony of a second successive final loss.

It was thunder and lightning from the throw-in with sparks flying as two turbo-charged teams went full-on at each other. Bone-shuddering hits were given and taken, the pace was ferocious, the intensity was massive. This was what a final should be with the two best teams in hurling going toe-to-toe for 70 plus minutes producing five goals and 35 points. Credit both teams and credit referee Michael Wadding who merits mention for the sensible and fair way he allowed the players go about their business. While the near 82,000 crowd didn’t see history being made, the team of the ages denied, they did get to see a game for the ages. A distinct impression, too, of the baton being passed with this Tipperary team boasting five U21s in the starting line-up and another introduced before game’s end. Another dynasty in the making?

Kilkenny started with John Tennyson and Henry Shefflin at centre-back and centre-forward respectively, both deemed fit to start despite suffering cruciate ligament injuries in recent times. Tennyson lasted the full game; Shefflin, however, managed just 14 minutes before pulling up.

No team can simply shrug off the loss of a guy who leads the all-time scoring list and is still in his prime, and Henry Shefflin is both.

Did it effect the outcome? At that stage Tipperary had already established themselves as the team with the greater hunger, the team with the greater resolve. Even as Henry limped off, to a tremendous ovation from friend and foe alike, Tipperary were six points in front (1-4 to 0-1) and a lot of questions were in the process of being answered. Would Tipperary be able to match Kilkenny for intensity, for physicality? Would their half-back line be able to hold the first line of defence? Would their midfield match the powerful Kilkenny pair of Michael Fennelly and Cha Fitzpatrick? Would they manage to score the goals they failed to score in last year’s final? Yes, on all counts.

Brendan Maher was outstanding in midfield, captain Eoin Kelly had three points from frees, John O’Brien had another, and Lar Corbett had a goal – the first of three for the flying Thurles Sars star on the day.

From that position Tipp drove on and though Kilkenny fought back to within three points in the 27th minute, mainly through Richie Power, who had taken over the free-taking duties from the departed Shefflin, the challengers had it back to six again within another five minutes. That was due to a veritable howitzer from a free inside his own 45m line by goalkeeper Brendan Cummins, then one apiece from Gearoid Ryan and O’Brien again.

The period just before the interval is one of the purple periods, always, with this Kilkenny team, however, and a hat-trick of points (all by Power) had them back within a point at the break (1-10 to 1-9).

Now came even bigger questions for Tipperary, and when Kilkenny drew level within a few minutes of the restart (sublime sideline cut by team captain TJ Reid), it looked like it was just going to be the same old story, the one we’ve seen so many times over the last all-conquering four seasons for the Cats – team stays with them for a long period, then gradually, inevitably, they apply their pressure, pull level and draw away.

But not yesterday, not against this fired-up Tipperary team. A point from Kelly (seven from seven on the day, and his work-rate was simply phenomenal), was followed by two rapid goals. Corbett had his second after a mighty centre by the roving Gearoid Ryan was passed off by the precocious Noel McGrath before the young tyro punished Kilkenny indecision and flicked to the net moments later.

From level pegging to seven points clear in just three minutes, (3-11 to 1-10), the pendulum had swung Tipperary’s way, but just as you thought it was time to start writing Kilkenny’s obituary, back they came and it was back again to one goal.

Significantly, however, each of those Kilkenny points had to be chiselled from the rock-like Tipperary defence, Stapleton, Curran and Cahill in a tigerish full-back line, Fanning, O’Mahony and Maher the wall outside them.

Yet another Kelly pointed free steadied the Tipperary ship, and though TJ Reid managed to cancel that out almost immediately, that was it for Kilkenny. In the final ten minutes Tipp again took control; substitutes Seamus Callanan (two magnificent points), Benny Dunne and Seamus Hennessey all had points, Corbett completed his hat-trick after an on-his-knees handpass from Patrick Maher. Game over.

No question about the merit of the winners, no question either about the merit of the team they dethroned. Hail Tipperary, hail Kilkenny – champions, both.

Tipperary: Brendan Cummins (0-1); Paddy Stapleton, Paul Curran, Michael Cahill; Declan Fanning, Conor O'Mahony, Padraic Maher; Brendan Maher (0-2), Shane McGrath; Gearóid Ryan (0-1), Patrick Maher, John O'Brien (0-2); Noel McGrath (1-0), Eoin Kelly (0-7), Lar Corbett (3-0). Subs: Conor O'Brien, Seamus Callanan (0-2), Benny Dunne (0-1), David Young, Seamus Hennessy (0-1).

Kilkenny: PJ Ryan; John Dalton, Noel Hickey, Jackie Tyrrell; Tommy Walsh, John Tennyson, JJ Delaney; James 'Cha' Fitzpatrick, Michael Fennelly; TJ Reid (0-4), Henry Shefflin (0-1), Eoin Larkin; Eddie Brennan, Richie Power (1-9), Aidan Fogarty (0-1). Subs: Michael Rice (0-1), Derek Lyng (0-1), Martin Comerford, Richie Hogan, John Mulhall (0-1).

Referee: M Wadding (Waterford).

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There he goes, the man who changed hurling history
By Michael Moynihan, Croke Park

Monday, September 06, 2010

BEFORE anything else, just consider this brief sample of the fare yesterday.

Right after half-time, Brendan Maher of Tipperary soloed out of defence and performed a trick beloved of schoolboys everywhere: he flipped the ball over a Kilkenny man’s head, straight off the bas of his hurley, killing it as it came down on the far side of his opponent.

When he hit the ball upfield, Kilkenny’s Tommy Walsh responded with a sumptuous outlet ball to Jackie Tyrrell, hitting the sliotar down into the ground to take the pace off it.

Within a minute JJ Delaney had come onto a hopping ball and flicked it up to himself on the Hogan Stand side; TJ Reid cut the ball over the bar from a sideline. A minute after that Tipp’s Shane McGrath contrived an outrageous backhanded pick-up in his own half-back line.

Factor in the lack of space and time available yesterday in Jones’ Road and you realise this standard of hurling wasn’t just heavenly. It was ambrosial.

Last year’s epic was one of those once-in-a-generation games, and a friend of this column was chatting to an Australian visitor not long afterwards. The man from Down Under said Tipp-Kilkenny in September ‘09 was his first hurling game.

‘‘I was going to tell him not to bother going to any more,’’ said our pal. ‘‘He wouldn’t see better than that.’’

Yesterday ranks with last September. Praise enough.

Eventually we caught up with the man who left Croke Park with the match ball, metaphorically speaking.

Invited to celebrate three goals in an All-Ireland final, Lar Corbett wasn’t self-effacing. He was self-erasing.

"The win, it’s all about the win – there’s no good coming up here scoring three goals and going home a losing team. It’s all about the win.

"It’s unbelievable – it’s the whole year wrapped up in one 70 minutes."

With due respect to Lar’s modesty, we were looking for a blow-by-blow. The Thurles Sars man relented.

Number one? "The high one came in and it was great to catch it, but look at the second one.

"Noel McGrath’s handpass was unbelievable. He had the ball and could have taken a handy score but saw the runner, backed him one on one with the keeper.

"Look at the third goal – ‘Bonnar’ Maher was on the flat of his back on the edge of the square and could have held onto it and been caught for over-carrying, but no: he got up and gave the handpass out."

Gone again, back to the collective. You’d see more self-glorying individuality at a North Korean party conference, but it’s the point Corbett is keen to make.

"That’s what Tipperary have been building on. It doesn’t matter who gets the scores – put in the workrate. That’s the way we’ve been working for the last number of years and it’s great to be involved in a panel like that.

"What we have now in Tipperary is a panel. The subs that came on – Seamus Callanan came on, two scores; Seamus Hennessy, score; Benny Dunne, score. There’s four points in a few minutes.

"There’s no point in having 15, if you don’t have a panel you don’t have anything. There are 11 players who didn’t tog out.

"The other thing is composure in Croke Park – it’s no good having composure in Páirc Ui Chaoimh or Thurles, and where it started was the second half of the Galway game, when the subs came on – Pa Bourke, Seamie Callanan and Conor O’Brien.

"They came on and changed the game around. That’s when we got the belief in the panel."

You try to steer the conversation back to the goals. He sees your plan and grabs the wheel.

"When you play Kilkenny you have to have goals on your mind," Corbett says. "In the other dressing-room, what do they have in their minds? Goals. There’s no good in us saying we’ll take the points if they come out and rattle in two or three goals, which they do day in day out.

"(Selector) Eamonn O’Shea said there were goals in this team. You’ve to take on Kilkenny but we got the rub of the green, the few breaks we didn’t get last year. Thank God we got them."

Surely when he blew the raindrops off the net with the third goal he felt it was over?

"I’ll never again think I have something until the ref blows the whistle. We spoke about it last week, that for two minutes in the second half last year we felt, ‘do we have it?’ – the biggest mistake you make in hurling.

"I’ll never make that mistake again and Paul Curran mentioned it during the week. It hit home to us and with Kilkenny especially, they’re the best in the business at getting goals out of nothing."

Even the criticism he and his team-mates shipped after the Cork loss dissipated, given the power of the group.

"I enjoy listening to criticism. Really. I don’t like being praised too much because there’s only one place to go, and that’s down.

"We’ll take the criticism but you’ve to remember that’s just another person’s opinion. The panel and management must be tight-knit, we’ll work it out if things go wrong, and criticism has no effect on the day of a match."

It had little enough effect yesterday. And then Lar Corbett is gone. Off to meet his team-mates. Off to his new life, a future of having people look after him on the street in Thurles, saying, look, there goes the man who scored three goals in an All-Ireland senior hurling final.




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Score-by-Score: How Tipperary won the Liam MacCarthy Cup


3 MINS : Shane McGrath is held up, and Eoin Kelly fires the resulting free clean through the misty rain and between the posts in front of Hill 16; Tipp 0-1; Kilkenny 0-0.

4 MINS : McGrath overcarries, and Henry Shefflin – having missed an earlier free – opens Kilkenny’s scoring: Tipp 0-1; Kilkenny 0-1.

5 MINS : Brendan Maher held back by John Tennyson, and up steps Kelly again to convert the free: Tipp 0-2, Kilkenny 0-1.

9 MINS : John O’Brien is fouled by John Dalton, and Kelly makes it three from three, this one about 35 metres out: Tipp 0-3, Kilkenny 0-1.

10 MINS : McGrath plays a long ball into Lar Corbett, who turns and sends a smacking shot left of Kilkenny goalkeeper PJ Ryan: Tipp 1-3, Kilkenny 0-1.

12 MINS : McGrath sideline is initially blocked down by PJ Ryan, Eoin Kelly attempts a shot, before John O’Brien sends it over the bar: Tipperary are motoring: Tipp 1-4; Kilkenny 0-1.

13 MINS : Oh mercy! Shefflin is gone, his left knee, the one apparently healed from a torn cruciate, collapses without any great warning.

15 MINS : Eddie Brennan wins a soft enough free, and Richie Power duly converts: Tipp 1-4; Kilkenny 0-2.

16 MINS : Another free from Power, cool as you like, from his right side. Kilkenny have finally settled: Tipp 1-4; Kilkenny 0-3.

17 MINS : But still no let up from Tipperary as Noel McGrath sets up Brendan Maher for a smashing point. Eight scoring chances, eight scores: Tipp 1-5; Kilkenny 0-3.

18 MINS : Maher is fouled by Jackie Tyrrell, a long way out by the 65-metre line, but Kelly makes no mistake from the resulting free. Wow: Tipp 1-6; Kilkenny 0-3.

20 MINS : Power wins his own free this time, and duly converts, after Paul Curran holds him up: Tipp 1-6; Kilkenny 0-4.

21 MINS : Still relentless attacking from Tipperary, as Brendan Maher pulls off a brilliant one-two with McGrath, and finishes with a sweet point: Tipp 1-7; Kilkenny 0-4.

23 MINS : TJ Reid finally finds himself a bit of room to hit over what already seems like a vital point for Kilkenny: Tipp 1-7; Kilkenny 0-5.

25 MINS : Kilkenny gradually winning more possession, and after Tennyson is fouled, Power hits the long-range free straight between the posts: Tipp 1-7; Kilkenny 0-6.

27 MINS : Michael Fennelly is awarded a surprising free around midfield, and when Shane McGrath objects, the ball is moved forward, allowing Power to easily convert.

Now only the goal separates them: Tipp 1-7; Kilkenny 0-7.

28 MINS : Still no let up, and after Eoin Larkin overcarries, up steps Brendan Cummins for the long-range free, which he manages to land between the posts: Tipp 1-8; Kilkenny 0-7.

30 MINS : Cummins takes another long-range free, only this time it falls short, allowing Noel McGrath to set up John O’Brien for the point: Tipp 1-9; Kilkenny 0-7.

31 MINS : Another brilliantly worked score from Tipperary, this time Patrick Maher setting up Gearóid Ryan for the point, restoring the margin to six points: Tipp 1-10, Kilkenny 0-7

32 MINS : Against the general run of play, although always bound to happen, Larkin makes a searing run at the Tipperary goal, and passes off to Power, who finishes Kilkenny’s opening goal beautifully: Tipp 1-10; Kilkenny 1-7.

33 MINS : TJ Reid is fouled, and Power easily converts the close-range free to reduce the margin to two points: Tipp 1-10, Kilkenny 1-8.

35 MINS : Just in time for the break, Kilkenny close the gap to the minimum, thanks to another close up free from Power: Tipp 1-10; Kilkenny 1-9

Half-time

38 MINS : A gorgeous sideline puck from TJ Reid draws the sides level for the first time since the fourth minute: Tipp 1-10, Kilkenny 1-10.

40 MINS : Eoin Kelly is back on target to restore the lead with a free: Tipp 1-11; Kilkenny 1-10.

41 MINS : Goal number two for Tipperary, this one carving Kilkenny wide open, as Noel McGrath’s pass gives Corbett all the time in the world to drill his shot into the net: Tipp 2-11; Kilkenny 1-10.

43 MINS : Still reeling from Corbett’s goal, Kilkenny concede a third, this one following a goalmouth scramble that resulted in Noel McGrath sneaking in for the vital touch: Tipp 3-11; Kilkenny 1-10.

45 MINS : Power is held up, and takes the free himself. Some small consolation for Kilkenny: Tipp 3-11; Kilkenny 1-11.

50 MINS : Still Kilkenny are reliant mostly on Power’s free-taking, as he converts another: Tipp 3-11; Kilkenny 1-12.

52 MINS : Cummins is under some pressure to clear, but only as far as TJ Reid, who claws another one back for Kilkenny: Tipp 3-11; Kilkenny 1-13.

54 MINS : Finally the Kilkenny substitutes begin to make an impact, as Derek Lyng takes a pass from Tyrrell to score from play: Tipp 3-11; Kilkenny 1-14.

56 MINS : Paddy Stapleton is taken down, so Eoin Kelly, still playing a captain’s role, fires over the free. Their tails are still up: Tipp 3-12; Kilkenny 1-14.

57 MINS : TJ Reid is one of the few Kilkenny forwards still about to break through the Tipperary defence, and adds his fourth and much-needed point: Tipp 3-12; Kilkenny 1-15.

58 MINS : Tipperary on the rampage again, as substitute Séamus Callanan, only seconds on the field, fires over a terrific point: Tipp 3-13; Kilkenny 1-15.

61 MINS : Still all Tipperary, Padraic Maher setting up Callanan for his second point: Tipp 3-14; Kilkenny 1-15

65 MINS : The end is near for Kilkenny, as Eoin Kelly extends their lead with his seventh free: Tipp 3-15; Kilkenny 1-15.

66 MINS : A thin lifeline for Kilkenny, with a much-needed point from Power: Tipp 3-15; Kilkenny 1-16.

68 MINS : Kilkenny are still fighting hard and substitute John Mulhall lands them another desperately needed point: Tipp 3-15; Kilkenny 1-17.

71 MINS : It’s as good as over now as another Tipperary substitute, Benny Dunne, adds to their margin: Tipp 3-16, Kilkenny 1-17.

71 MINS : Bang! Another Tipperary player from bench, Séamus Hennessy, gets his name on the score sheet: Tipp 3-17; Kilkenny 1-17.

73 MINS : Unbelievable. Corbett completes his hat-trick, calling out for this one, and there’s nothing Kilkenny can do to prevent it: Tipp 4-17; Kilkenny 1-17.

73 MINS : A consolation point for Michael Rice, but Tipperary are All-Ireland champions, thunderously and majestically so: Tipp 4-17; Kilkenny 1-18.

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Drive for five hits Tipperary roadblock

Tipperary 4-17 Kilkenny 1-18: HISTORY’S NOT easily made. Kilkenny, the latest county to tilt at the immortality of five successive All-Irelands, found their favouritism dissolving in the autumnal rain at Croke Park, as Tipperary – at times ebbing but otherwise powerfully flowing – drove with increasing self-belief to a first Liam MacCarthy Cup in nine years.

Few would have believed that the riveting drama of last year’s final could have been equalled let alone surpassed but that’s what happened as the teams collided in a full-on confrontation that outranked 12 months ago for its sheer intensity and end-to-end duelling.

Once again Kilkenny weren’t at their best and just 13 minutes in, lost their spiritual leader Henry Shefflin to injury. But they resisted defiantly every step of the way, pegging back their opponents’ leads at various stages and making sure that the greatness of their reputation and collective will-to-win would feed Tipperary’s insecurities until near the end when, as often happens in these types of liberations, a dam-burst of scores put the issue beyond doubt.

It might be hard to credit in a match that was level for only about six minutes but the sense of contest was compelling and Kilkenny stayed in touch until the last 10 minutes even though shipping what looked a crippling 2-1 in the space of 180 seconds from the 41st minute.

As befits their status, the new champions had some excellent performers. Lar Corbett probably attracted most attention and if his input wasn’t as consistent as last year’s he still ended up with three goals in a display of lethal finishing. Eoin Kelly wasn’t as threatening from general play but his free-taking was flawless and vital, yielding seven points. Everyone played a part. John O’Brien hit two first-half points.

Noel McGrath covered acres and followed up for the third goal, Patrick Maher hustled Tommy Walsh more effectively than any other opponent this season and Gearóid Ryan’s work-rate and tireless hurling in the second half kept ball flying up in the direction of PJ Ryan’s goal. Liam Sheedy enjoyed the satisfaction of seeing his late replacements storm into the match and accumulate four important points in the decisive closing surge.

At centrefield Brendan Maher was indefatigable and kept working and running, scoring two points in the process and completing a season in which he has been Tipp’s best player and is now a leading candidate for hurler of the year.

But it was a balanced display.

Paul Curran was solid at full back and beside him in the corners Paddy Stapleton, who reduced his fouling rate, and Michael Cahill, assured in his first final and an effective warden for Eddie Brennan, did their jobs.

One of last year’s heroes Pádraic Maher, who has had a difficult season after being transferred out of his All Star position at full back, moved back into the centre of things when Conor O’Mahony got injured and gave a storming final 15 minutes at centre back winning ball relentlessly, taking on the hard-working Kilkenny forwards and driving his team back on the offensive.

Containing so much ebullience was too great a task for the champions but no one could accuse them of taking the shocking turn of events fatalistically. They grafted furiously and managed to retrieve the match after early setbacks but by the end they looked as if they were running on empty.

Tipperary’s pace in attack created panic in the Kilkenny defence and by the end as the challengers outscored them 1-5 to 0-3 in the final quarter of an hour, the once formidable rearguard looked weary and ragged.

Up front, though, the loss of Shefflin left the attack short of composure and tactical direction.

There was too much hitting and hoping, too much reliance on running frantically at Tipp and although at various periods the steady supply of fouls and consequent frees kept the scoreboard moving there wasn’t the assurance and cold-blooded calm in picking the right positions and optimising the options available.

The bench were slow to act on what was clearly a misfiring performance and given Michael Rice’s stature as a centrefielder, he might have been switched to the middle earlier where Kilkenny were struggling and a couple of forwards could have been more quickly introduced given the success of Tipperary particularly in the forwards.

The persistent rain made conditions less than ideal and probably didn’t help Shefflin’s knee although manager Brian Cody said afterwards that it has been just bad luck and that John Tennyson, the other cruciate sufferer, had lasted the 70 minutes. But rolling the dice on such an injury even with the great apparent recovery always carried the risk of the knee going at an early stage. So it came to pass within 13 minutes. By then Shefflin had already looked a bit out of sorts and uncharacteristically missed an early free.

By the time he had to go Tipp were 1-3 to 0-1 ahead. The goal came from a long delivery by Shane McGrath – whose energy and commitment, hooking and blocking, at that stage typified the team’s fierce application – into Corbett who plucked it from Noel Hickey and raised his first green flag.

TJ Reid forced a smart save from Brendan Cummins – excellent in all he had to do, including a pointed free from his own 45 – and the match began to settle into its open, blow-for-blow patterns.

After an uneasy start, Richie Power found his free-taking rhythm and although Eoin Kelly was masterful at the other end and Maher, O’Brien and Ryan all stroked nice points, there was a feeling that the Kilkenny defence was tightening its grip after some hair-raising moments as when the perpetual motion of Noel McGrath carved through the heart of the defence in the 25th minute only to finish weakly.

The match was moved again into the marginal column in the 33rd minute when Eoin Larkin, who was forceful and dynamic without getting on the scoreboard, punched a hole in the Tipperary defence and sent in Power for a well-finished goal, a breakthrough that he garnished with two more frees to leave just one between the teams at half-time.

Kilkenny were right back in it and the match again teetered. Tipperary had to come again after letting the initiative slip and after conceding an equaliser to a Reid line-ball, they struck formidably.

In the 42nd minute Corbett completed a sweeping combination between Ryan and Noel McGrath to race in and to nail his second goal. Two minutes later Cummins dropped in a long free and Noel McGrath pounced on the break to force the ball into the net for another seven-point lead, 3-11 to 1-10.

Still Kilkenny responded. At the back JJ Delaney’s exceptional season continued – at one stage in the first half he actually smuggled the ball out of Eoin Kelly’s possession – as the team desperately sought a game-changing intervention. Instead it was the succession of Tipperary replacements – Séamus Callanan, Benny Dunne and Séamus Hennessy all scored – who made the late impacts with the coup de grace being delivered by Corbett in the third minute of injury-time, as he again stole in behind the full backs to drive in his third goal, the first player to achieve a hat-trick in a hurling final since Cork’s Eddie O’Brien 40 years ago.

It’s the county’s 26th All-Ireland and the first they have won through the qualifier dispensation and marked a joyous landfall for a team that just three months ago looked shipwrecked after hitting the rocks in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

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