TACTICAL TALKING POINTS

PUCK OUTS

Cork and Clare’s rivals will be keeping a close eye on events at Croke Park as they seek an edge for next year’s Championship

League finalists Kilkenny and Tipperary were the favourites to contest this year’s All-Ireland final, even if the statistics over the past 20 years were against league final opponents staying the pace to September.

Clare thoroughly deserved to win this game on a day when Hawk-Eye needed to pay a visit to its sponsors. They were hungry and economical with the ball and they did the damage in the first half.

I was expecting a tactical battle from the throw-in last Sunday and I was surprised when it failed to materialise. I will be astonished if Clare and Limerick isn’t a tactical engagement.

This game turned on a few events. Dublin centre forward Ryan O’Dwyer, who was having a big influence on the game at the time, picked up a second yellow card with 20 minutes left at a time when the Metropolitans were a point to the good. For the record, the first card was harsh. Anthony Nash sent the free over the bar to level proceedings.

The areas which will decide tomorrow’s All-Ireland semi-final

Cork showed remarkable intensity as they upped their game from the Munster final

If Cork win this game, they will have to take a tactical approach into it and set themselves up to keep scoring down.