Kilkenny can again deliver: claims Skehan

THE Kilkenny hurlers are more than capable of an enhanced performance in Sunday’s Guinness All-Ireland hurling final, according to legendary goalkeeper Noel Skehan.

Now part of Brian Cody's management team, Skehan accepted that people were questioning the ability of the Leinster champions to match their outstanding display in the semi-final against Tipperary. But, he had no doubts they could turn on the style a second time.

"You often hear it said that after one really good performance, there is only one way you can go, and that is down! But I don't think this is going to happen," Skehan said.

"It's an All-Ireland final, it happens to be Clare and we are as anxious to beat them as they are to beat us. We're after coming through the front door, they came in through the back door and they're probably a little bit better prepared. But, we were more worried going into the Tipperary match for the simple reason that it's hard to keep it right for six weeks," he said.

While there was always doubt about how Kilkenny would perform, Skehan said that the management got it "fairly right". And, a match as competitive as that brought the team on "a tonne".

"Clare have a great goalkeeper and great backs in Brian Lohan and Sean McMahon, but I think our forwards won't be one bit afraid of that. They know they have 'to take them on', and prove that they are human just like any other backline."

A lot of play has been made in the media about the facility of the Clare backs to keep the play tight.

"When they go out on the field, it's up to them. They can be still sucked in. But, we keep preaching all the time to open it up, to keep it open!," Skehan said.

"And, Clare can play their own. They can play the ball the way they want to and you can't do anything about that," he said.

"It's when our players have the ball that's important to us. We can try and open it up."

Against Tipperary in the semi-final, Kilkenny were highly motivated by the traditional rivalry between the counties. However, Skehan expected that their players would approach this game in the same frame of mind.

"Kilkenny were 'up' for that game, and it was the same for Tipp. We were very anxious to beat them in the semi-final because we have not met them too often lately. And, any time we did, they had beaten us.

"To motivate guys like that was probably easy enough for a semi-final. But, it will be as easy against Clare. When we look at them, we remember that they were beaten by two points in the first round by Tipperary. They came along soon afterwards and beat Dublin and then Wexford and we struggled over them in the Leinster final. After knocking out Galway, they met Waterford, the team a lot of people thought were going to win the All-Ireland, and Clare demolished them."

Echoing a sentiment of Clare manager Cyril Lyons in an interview the evening before, Skehan pointed out that the "better players" on the team did not perform to their potential against Tipperary in May.

"They are after improving all along and, if you agree that their better players are playing well, you must look at their new players and you must look at our new players.

"I think the balance will be whether our new players play as good or better as the newer members of the Clare team."

Kilkenny may be the favourites, but Skehan does not accept this.

"The important thing is that the players do not feel that way. They know quite well what Clare are after doing in the last couple of matches. So, why should they let this get to them?.

"It's an All-Ireland final and if you don't win it, then there will have been little point in beating Tipperary!

"Hopefully, we will be as sharp as we were in the semi-final. But, what you must remember is that on the day, what counts is appetite. You can train all you like, but if you haven't got the appetite on the day your performance is going to be down.

"When the players look back on what happened against Galway last year, and against Cork in 1999, people say that they left it behind them.

"Now, they have a chance to put it some way right!"

Skehan felt that the difference on the day might boil down to the form of the "new" players on either side.