THE importance of Tipperary’s narrow win over Kilkenny in Sunday’s twice-postponed first round National Hurling League match cannot be overstated.
It wasn’t just that Tipp were coming off a hammering against Dublin the previous Sunday and needed the two points on offer in a hotly-contested top flight. There was more to it that than, a lot more.
This year, Kilkenny are going for an unprecedented five-in-a-row in the All-Ireland senior hurling championship and based on events of last year, the most dangerous threat to that historic aspiration is Tipperary.
A cracking league final, an even more hectic All-Ireland final, both of which were won by Kilkenny but both of which could have been won by a spirited, talented and determined Tipperary, provided the backdrop for this season.
In a low-scoring defence-dominated encounter, the teams were tied at six points apiece as the game went into time-added-on. Young Noel McGrath won possession inside the 20m line, towards the left sideline, but, under pressure, managed to get off a pass to Eoin Kelly.
It was an opening, only for a split second, but it was enough. Long lauded as one of the deadliest finishers the game has seen, Kelly swivelled and shot almost in the same motion – goal. It was the game’s critical score, which kept the Cats just at arm’s length as Tipp won 1-14 to 0-13 (a superb McGrath strike a fitting finish, let it be noted).
Before this season is over, it might yet be the most critical score of the whole year.
"I suppose it was the only time we broke down the Kilkenny defence in the first-half," said Kelly. "Noel McGrath got through and laid off a great ball and lucky enough it went in. It probably gave us that extra bit to get us over the line.
I suppose it breaks that (losing) run (against Kilkenny) and it gets us the two points that we needed, because if we didn’t get them and if we were beaten by Galway next week, you were already six points down and you were looking around anxiously.
"This will give us a bit of confidence going into training ahead of the Galway game. Galway are really on top form – they have four (points) from four and are finding a few new players as well, and when the Portumna players come back they will be a real force to be reckoned with."
Yes, Galway, the perennial dark horses of the championship, and they will test Kilkenny again in Leinster this year. Tipperary, however, are still the team most pundits are looking to, to put an end to the Kilkenny run, and while Sunday’s win in Thurles didn’t provide any massive boost to that belief (what would have happened had Kilkenny been at full strength?), it was a win, and it was much improved performance from the loss to Dublin.
"We have two points now so we’re delighted. This time last week we were wondering where we were going to get these two points from so thankfully we are on the board now and looking forward to next week’s game. There is plenty to work on. We have a tough run-in now because this was to be our weekend off, the same for Kilkenny.
"It’s flat out from here with games and I’m sure there will be injuries and that picked; it’s just try and get two more points on the board next week."
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Tuesday, March 09, 2010
