Cody delays naming Cats team

KILKENNY boss Brian Cody has delayed naming his team to face Tipperary in the Guinness All-Ireland SHC semi-final until later this week.

A number of his key players DJ Carey, Henry Shefflin and Jimmy Coogan are carrying knocks and Cody is determined to give the trio every chance of playing in the game. Richie Mullally is certainly out despite a rapid recovery from a broken ankle.

Tipperary manager Micheal Doyle is set to name his side tonight for the game against the Cats. Powerful forward John Carroll is expected to be fit for the game after receiving intensive treatment for an ankle problem.

Meanwhile Wexford accept they have to improve their consistency if they are to triumph in next Saturday's All-Ireland semi-final replay, forward Larry Murphy admitted yesterday.

The 30-year old Cloughbawn player, who represented the county in senior football before he made the first of 36 championship appearances back in 1991, described it as 'something of a mental block' that had to be overcome.

"It's worrying that we are inclined to play up and down, a good game followed by a bad game. We played well against Waterford, we slumped against Antrim and we peaked against Cork. Now, we have to peak again," he commented.

Murphy, received the Vodafone GAA All Star Hurling award for July in recognition of his 'man-of-he-match' display in the qualifier game against Waterford in Nowlan Park, when he was introduced as a substitute for the injured Adrian Fenlon after 20 minutes.

It was a game he felt beforehand might mark his last for the county, especially after he was handed the number 27 jersey.

"You have to prove yourself! I'm on the wrong side of 21 again, but I was not in the management plans at the start of the year. They were looking to the future, and rightly so. But, I still felt I had a lot to offer Wexford and so do the more seasoned players like Larry O' (Gorman) and Liam Dunne. I don't know what motivates Larry, who is 35, but I know that Liam didn't want to finish his career by being remembered for being sent off in Croke Park."

More immediately, his view of last Sunday's draw is that while it was satisfying to have a part to play in such a memorable contest, it won't mean anything to look back on in five or ten years time 'if they end up with no silverware.' "Kilkenny and Tipp aren't worried about being involved in a great game. They want to win just as we want to be successful. Yes, it was great to be involved in an epic game, but remember we played a great game against Limerick in 2001 (in the quarter-final), followed by another against Tipperary. We still ended up with nothing. People do not remember semi-finalists and they remember beaten finalists."

Agreeing that Cork will benefit from the game, he is also convinced that it will also help Wexford. Reflecting on its dramatic climax, he paid tribute to Adrian Fenlon for the key role he had in creating the injury-time goal which Rory McCarthy saved to draw the game. "It was an important contribution. He broke down the ball, Mitch Jordan got it and flicked it to Rory. He had to finish it, but the work done in getting the ball in was so important."

Murphy was prepared to criticise himself for not doing better from two late chances to score goals, admitting he 'panicked a bit'. "I was dead out on my feet after having chased Donal Óg Cusack up the field, but the ball kept coming in to me and high. The first time I felt it was real 'Roy of the Rovers' stuff, feeling that it had come down to me. But, I was hooked twice. Maybe I should have done a Forrest Gump and kept running and kicked the ball in the net," he joked. "I thought we were dead and buried, to be honest."