Kilkenny look to have greater scope for improvement

ANYBODY with an eye for statistics would have discovered after last Sunday’s drawn Guinness All-Ireland hurling quarter-final in Croke Park that the last time Kilkenny scored 1-13 they were beaten.

Interestingly, that was in the semi-final of 2001, when they were All-Ireland champions and Galway ran them off their feet to finish eight points clear. They would have suffered a similar fate but for the brilliance of James McGarry in goal in Croke Park last Sunday.

Brian Cody certainly wasn’t carried away by Kilkenny’s huge win over Galway, posing the rhetorical question in this paper a week ago - “I wonder is too much being made of it”.

He argued that their display should be measured against Galway’s lack of preparations. However, nobody could ask any questions about the quality of Clare preparations for last weekend’s game, nor could they doubt the ingenuity of the management in coming up with a strategy to upset the Kilkenny machine.

Playing Alan Markham as a sweeper behind the half-back line was a master stroke. Nevertheless, the fact remains that Kilkenny survived despite having had Tommy Walsh sent off six minutes into the second-half and the poor return from their forwards outside of Henry Shefflin and DJ Carey.

With neither line-up being made public in advance of the game, there has been speculation that Walsh will be moved forward by Kilkenny. However, I expect him to face Niall Gilligan again and nobody on their side has a bigger incentive to improve.

And, if Clare again utilise an extra man in defence, it’s certain that Kilkenny will move their free player further forward.

Obviously, Clare will make every effort to disrupt Kilkenny’s team play all over the field, having succeeded to a large degree the last day through sheer effort and the strength of their physical challenge.

They need to be as successful this time if they are to have a better chance of winning, and there will also need to be an improvement in their finishing.

This will demand not only Niall Gilligan and Tony Griffin being consistent, but a better return from their forward colleagues and midfield. Likewise, Kilkenny need to step up in their forward play and not be so reliant on Shefflin.

In particular, big performances will be required from Martin Comerford and Eddie Brennan who contributed virtually nothing on Sunday.

Any of the remaining five teams in contention can win the All-Ireland, a situation I can’t remember happening for a while. Accordingly, anything can happen this afternoon in Thurles. But, I’m sticking with Kilkenny, on the basis that they have the greater scope for improvement.