Teams serve up feast of character and courage

Once upon an era, Cork’s Mick Malone won four Munster and All-Ireland titles at U-21 level, but played in just one of those All-Ireland finals.

Eoin Kelly has been an integral player for Tipperary for five years now, starring in this grade since 1999, when he came on as a sub in fire-and-brimstone encounter against Clare in Cusack Park and coolly shot several points and won his only medal so far. Hard luck followed for the next three years but this year Kelly is captain and last night, into the second minute of injury-time, stood over a free that could end those years of heartbreak. Problem was, it was on the 20m line right out on the left touchline and it was also Kelly’s first free of the night. Pressure? Let Tipp selector Jackie Bolger take up the story.

“I didn’t even look at it, couldn’t. The pressure that lad was under, when you’re going through what he’s going through at that moment, to be thrown that free, last minutes of a Munster championship, in your own stadium, in front of your own people, and as captain of the team. I think he’s proved his character before, and he did it again tonight.” So he did, ball drilled unerringly between the posts to supplement the five super points he earlier shot from play.