Cats seemed to forget art of defence
First: Who would want to watch the World Cup after this? I have fellas telling me it’s been a great tournament so far, one of the best ever — will anything that’s in it, either up to now or before the final, match what we saw in O’Connor Park yesterday? (And by the way, I’d love to know who was doing the head-count. 12,548? And the covered stand packed to its 8,000 capacity? That fella must have been working with Anglo Irish Bank!).
Second point: Would the GAA please stop getting solo singers to perform the National Anthem. Yesterday we had a ‘sean nós’ version — what next, a rock version? A band, either brass or pipes, even a scratchy record — anything but a solo singer. It just doesn’t suit a GAA occasion.
Finally, what I’ve been on about since last year — the art of defending. When you see Kilkenny again conceding five goals, when you see them conceding three goals in the final five minutes of a game, then I despair.
What were Kilkenny at, what was Brian Cody thinking, bringing on attackers when there were obvious weaknesses in the Kilkenny defence? I’m talking about before the final three goals — Eoin Murphy in the Kilkenny goals brought off two fantastic saves, which means they could have conceded seven yesterday.
What were they thinking, that this game was won? That would be most unlike them so I’m presuming it was simple misreading of what was happening in front of them.
A huge loss in midfield yesterday for Kilkenny was Michael Fennelly and to a lesser extent, Michael Rice. Richie Hogan (four) and Padraig Walsh (two) did score six points between them from play but they didn’t offer the kind of protection to their defence that either of the other two always did, they weren’t dropping back far enough or often enough. Cody must hope that at least one of the Michaels is fit for the replay, or they’ll be in trouble again.
I also think — and I said it on Saturday — that Kilkenny have a problem with Jackie Tyrrell at centre-back. They could have moved Jackie back on Jonathon Glynn, whose size was posing problems for Paul Murphy, and moved Murphy to centre-back. They did bring on Brian Hogan, but all too late.
Kilkenny had their performers, none better than TJ Reid again, Eoin Larkin got his goal, Colin Fennelly also and Richie Hogan as an attacker, but it wasn’t enough. They need to improve a lot, not just if they’re to regain their Leinster and All-Ireland titles, but if they’re to even get over the replay. They didn’t lose the game yesterday but they did lose their composure, they did lose that air of invincibility in defence.
To Galway, and I spoke on Saturday of Galway having the individuals but never performing enough as a team. It was the same yesterday. Five individuals pulled Galway through: David Collins, outstanding at corner-back; Iarla Tannian, a magnificent shift at wing-back; Conor Cooney from placed balls and his two goals from play; Joe Canning, his two goaled penalties and his equalising point; above all, the man brought on as a half-time sub, Jonathon Glynn. Completely outplayed Paul Murphy, and I think I’ve made clear many times here what I think of Murphy. Glynn won the two penalties Canning goaled, made a general nuisance of himself. Not the best hurler Galway have by any means, but what guts, what character.
Speaking of character, I have to hand it to the Galway players — they showed plenty of that, at least. A pity their supporters didn’t show the same, and I noticed hundreds of them streaming away with 10 minutes to play. I’d say they got some shock when they got to their cars and turned on their radios!
Not as big a shock though as Kilkenny themselves got, not even as big a shock as any of those of us who stayed got. Kilkenny conceding a 10-point lead with only minutes left? I wonder, is the hunger going? Is the real animal that was always in them still there, or is it now tamed, satisfied?
Who came away in better shape after this, Galway or Kilkenny? Usually you’d say Kilkenny, they don’t make mistakes in replays, as Galway found to their cost only a couple of years ago. I wonder now though; Dublin beat them in a replay last year to start them on the slippery slope — can Galway finish them off? They’re in position to do so but it’s up to themselves. Will it be the inconsistent individual Galway, or do they now believe? Looking forward to it already.
