Anthony Daly: More Munster madness shows anything possible in our game
CORK-LIMERICK BORDER: Supporters before the Munster GAA Senior Hurling Championship Round 2 match at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile
I haven’t played golf in nearly two years now. Just don’t have the time. I used to play the odd four-ball. When you’d go two up on the back-nine the lad playing with you would usually say something along the lines of keep the foot on the back of the neck and don’t stop. And that’s only a few lads hacking around having a bit of craic.
Inter-county championship is a lot more serious business but every top team is trying to think along those lines now when they’re ahead. Keep the foot on the neck. No mercy. No let up. And yet, is that possible anymore at this level? Unless you’re 20 points ahead now, no lead is safe. Hurling is so mad and chaotic that anything is possible. Literally anything.
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You’d also have to ask how much teams are working on defence? You have to give massive credit to Waterford for scoring 2-17 in the second half but how can the All-Ireland champions be shipping a tally of 23 points in one half of such an important game in a tight pitch?
Then again, that’s just Munster madness. You wouldn’t say that Cork-Limerick was an epic like the long list of classics they’ve produced in recent years but you still couldn’t take your eyes off the action. Over 56,000 people witnessed it in person yesterday in Cork and Waterford, with millions more watching it here and abroad on TV.
It was no surprise that the fat was still in the fire with the last play when Limerick dropped the ball into the square and anything could have happened. Literally anything.
It would have been a disaster for Cork to lose against 14 men but you have to give them a lot of credit for making sure that they didn’t. They got the goals that they hadn’t been scoring. They could have had a few more only for some outstanding goalkeeping from Nickie Quaid. Cork were more direct into Alan Connolly and Brian Hayes. I have been critical of Connolly in these pages before but , total credit ,he really stood up here and made some massive plays.
The game turned on Cork’s first goal when Connolly forced the turnover off Will O’Donoghue and passed to Shane Barrett. Fair play to Connolly but Seán Finn put O’Donoghue in a desperately awkward position with such a slobbery pass in such a dangerous area of the pitch. Donoghue then went with the one hand instead of being more secure.
Limerick were playing champagne hurling up to that point, ahead by 0-10 to 0-4, but as soon as Barrett’s shot hit the net, the whole mood and atmosphere changed in the stadium. ‘Rebels, Rebels,’ suddenly started booming out of the Park. And the Cork players were energised by that electricity.
The sending off was obviously the biggest turning point but Limerick will still point to multiple unforced errors – like that spilled pass – that really cost them. Kyle Hayes still had a lot to do when he secured possession in the first half but he was still in a great position to make a charge at goal if he hadn’t hopped the ball off the turf, before being turned over, when he didn’t even need to make that play.
Limerick could have no complaints with the red card as Cian Lynch clearly flicked back with the hurley, but it was even more costly with how it changed the terms and conditions for Cork around their puckout. They had been getting minimal joy off their long puckout but having the extra man enabled Patrick Collins to consistently get off shorter puckouts to Seán O’Donoghue, Niall O’Leary or one of the Downey brothers to help build the play.
It changed the patterns of play but it still didn’t alter them enough for Cork to be able to get out of sight. Limerick hung in – as you’d expect – but you had to admire the bouldness too of Diarmaid Byrnes to stroll up and stick that 20-metre free in the net to put Limerick one point ahead. It should have been stopped by Collins. It's another wake-up call for Cork because they won’t be winning All-Irelands if they keep conceding goals that soft.
Cork are in a great position now while Limerick have a lot to do, especially coming to Ennis in six days' time without Lynch and Gillane. They’re too worldly or experienced to panic at this early stage but this championship is completely wide open after the draw in Walsh Park.
Nobody could have seen that coming at half-time when Tipp looked out of sight and Waterford appeared out of ideas – and on the way out of the championship. On the otherhand, Waterford had loads of chances – they just weren’t accurate enough. Some of those misses were inexcusable but Waterford found their range and radar when their backs were pressed so tightly to the wall.
Chasing an 11-point lead, Waterford had to shove up you’d think and go all out attack but they chose to play deeper . those tactical tweaks suited them more too, especially their shape and attacking structure. Jamie Barron went to midfield, Stephen Bennett came more into the middle, Seán Walsh moved to the wing – and they all came more into the play.
The changes in personnel beforehand appeared to have worked for Tipp. The lads they brought in looked to have brought the energy and sharpness that was missing against Cork. They played some scintillating stuff in the first half but they left that magic behind them in the dressingroom for the second half. And yet, they still should have closed out the game late on when they were three ahead. The madness just continues.
I wasn’t in Nowlan Park on Saturday but it was obvious from watching on how much Kilkenny had got all the tribes out on the battlefield to support their frontline warriors. Every underage club was represented in a huge parade beforehand while they introduced the St Kieran’s College All-Ireland winning colleges team at half-time. St Kieran’s have more All-Ireland medals than loose change around the college but the whole mood in Kilkenny smacked of circling the wagons.
Kilkenny did what they had to do but Wexford were so flat that you’d wonder if there will be a kick in them next weekend against the Dubs. There will have to be if they want to remain in this championship.
The other games in Leinster yesterday went along expected lines with wins for the Dubs against Kildare and for Galway against Offaly. The Dubs are already on three points and another two against Wexford next week would put them in a glorious position to push on in their last two matches against Galway and Kilkenny to reach a Leinster final.
Galway have now been pushed into third favourites for the All-Ireland behind Cork and a drifting Limerick. One defeat for Limerick has already bumped them out of top spot with the bookies. One point for Tipp out of four has pushed them back the grid while Clare, who didn’t even play this weekend, have suddenly been moved up in the pecking order. None of that stuff necessarily means anything for now, but even at this early stage of the championship, the big guns are already feeling the heat.
