Key-man Kelly makes strong case to stay in the corner

EOIN KELLY’S performance during this game mirrored Tipperary’s: a bright start, a long hiatus, and a rally towards the end.

The first five minutes were good for the Mullinahone corner-forward. He drifted from his right-hand corner across to a spot on the 21, availing of the space created by Micheal Webster; the full-forward spent so much of the game on the goal-line he looked as if he was marking Donal Óg Cusack rather than Diarmuid O’Sullivan.

The space that move created was manna to Kelly early on. His first shot was blocked by his marker, Brian Murphy, for a 65 within two minutes, and two minutes after that he snapped up possession for a point from play 40 yards out.