Finalists have plenty more in the tank

IT was 3-17 to 2-7, Cork against Wexford, and 3-18 to 0-15, Kilkenny over Tipperary, what can you say?

Two landslides, one almost as bad as the other. Almost, because at least Tipperary put up a fight for half a game.

Wexford? They didn’t get one point from play in the first-half, and they shouldn’t have got any goals either, because Donal Óg Cusack was at fault for both (though he did make amends, somewhat, with the save from Michael Jacob).

But what does that tell you about Wexford in this replay? You could see it in their faces, in their body language, before the game even started. They weren’t right for it. In contrast, and just as I thought they would be, Cork were more than ready.

I said on Saturday, Cork would be way more aggressive than last week. They were.

That game made a huge difference to Cork, gave them that added bit of experience, and the improvement was always going to come. No-one will know better than themselves however (especially in light of what happened yesterday), that they have no reason to get carried away, because they beat a shadow of the team they played last week.

Defensively Cork were well on top, their two big men, Diarmuid O’Sullivan and Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, absolutely magnificent. Up front however, if someone had said to you before this game that Cork would be well ahead at half-time, that both midfielders and five of the forwards would have scored, but that Joe Deane would be scoreless, even from frees, they would have had you certified.

Yet that was the story. Joe did eventually click into gear and finished strongly, but Cork had this game won long before their best forward found his form.

But what is it with these Cork selectors? I said on Saturday’s Examiner, they must have great faith in their starting 15, I say it again today. I was surprised Joe Deane was left on the field as long as he was, and fair dues, he came good. But Alan Browne didn’t. The goal he got in the first-half was put on a plate for him by Cork’s most improved forward, Ben O’Connor. One point O’Connor got in the second-half was sheer class, skinned Liam Dunne for pace on the outside, brought the ball into where it hurts, in the middle, took the belts, took his point. Timmy McCarthy was poor enough again , despite his goal, but he also lasted the full 70 minutes, while the full-back line was in big trouble early on.

Yet, no moves (I’m told Mulcahy and O’Sullivan switched themselves, perhaps with the prompting of Cusack in the goal, the man who was being most exposed). They’ve been getting away with waiting, waiting, waiting, for something good to happen, but what when it doesn’t?

Another question. Why, when the game was out of sight with over ten minutes to go, didn’t Cork take the opportunity of blooding a few more players on the Croke Park sod?

To yesterday’s affair, and let’s go again to the soothsayer. Anyone who would claim to have foreseen the half-time transformation in this game is a liar. Tipp were only two points ahead on the scoreboard but they were well ahead in key positions all over the field.

Martin Maher, Paul Kelly, Eamonn Corcoran and Benny Dunne especially, Conor Gleeson beating Peter Barry at centre-forward, Brian O’Meara and Eoin Kelly in the corners, all in control, hurling really well, Kilkenny only hanging on. What happened?

My feeling is that the six-week break was a factor again but Kilkenny, unlike Cork, only took 35 minutes to re-acclimatise to what it takes at this level. The second half was men against boys, Tipperary just pushed out of the way.

There were tactical reasons also. Kilkenny started John Hoyne at centre-forward on Tommy Dunne, and that worked well for them. Tommy was obviously unfit, but would have been psyching himself anyway for the Shefflin challenge. Instead he met the more physical Hoyne, who got the better of the Tipperaryman, while Shefflin outplayed Paul Kelly on the wing.

Just before the break also, Kilkenny made a vital switch, bringing Martin Comerford out to break Corcoran’s dominance, which he duly did. They also took off young Tommy Walsh, the weakest link in their attack (with the possible exception of DJ, and surely that’s an ominous sign for Cork?), though he had just scored a goal.

Meanwhile, when they came under fire, what did the Tipperary sideline do? Why were Mark O’Leary and Thomas Costello left on for so long? Why was John Carroll left on for the full 70? Fatal errors. Fitness was a factor too. People talk of Cody/Walsh/Skehan, but trainer Mick Flynn is doing a tremendous job with Kilkenny, and we’re seeing power and pace to end of every game.

In all this criticism however, one Tipperaryman stands exonerated (two if you want to include Martin Maher). Pity poor Brendan Cummins. The Tipperary keeper must have felt like he was taking on a firing squad, on his own. Man-of-the-match, surely the greatest display of goalkeeping ever seen in Croke Park, if Cork had him for the final, they would have a fair chance.

And finally, I’m pleading with the GAA authorities, bring back the old ball. On this new Croke Park surface, the new rubber ball is making fools of some of the best players in the game. Twenty puck-outs in the first quarter, fans are being denied what they come to see, the ball in play, being worked up and down the field for scores, not belted from end of the field to the other.