Cats dig deep in Croker cracker
Seven seconds into injury time Thomas Dunne had the misfortune to hit the resultant 70 wide and 33 seconds later Henry Shefflin scored a remarkable winning point for holders Kilkenny.
Even more notably in a game of 10 goals five scored in the last 15 it was kicked over the bar. The thousands who stayed away were the real losers in a contest which produced some marvellous hurling, but only really catapulted into life after Tipp opened up an eight point lead with the second of two goals from Lar Corbett in the 58th minute.
But, after Kilkenny stormed back with two goals, terrific play from Eddie Brennan produced a goal and a point which saw the All-Ireland champions thunder back into the game and snatch an amazing win even after another Tipp goal from John Carroll.
From a Tipperary perspective, their display over 70 minutes was all the more creditable considering they looked potential champions for so long, despite losing full-back Philip Maher with a knee injury in the 23rd minute, a short time after having to replace midfielder Noel Morris, who damaged his hip. Of the two replacements, Toomevara's Eoin Brislane made a notable contribution beside clubmate Thomas Dunne, who achieved most in this sector overall.
Philip Maher had been the most influential of the Tipperary players in the opening phases of play, when Kilkenny were making the most of the running and looked the more competent side when a Henry Shefflin goal in the 13th minute gave them a four points lead. But, in another eight minutes they were to lose their lead and, after scores were level for the last of five times in the 27th minute, were not to go in front again until Eddie Brennan's 66th minute goal.
Tipperary signalled a gradual takeover of the game with Corbett's first goal in the 16th minute. At one end, it was to be seen in the way they tied up the Kilkenny attack to a considerable degree, with David Kennedy playing a huge role by suppressing the threat from Shefflin in the centre. This in turn with Benny Dunne carrying out a very effective man-marking job on D. J. Carey.
Brian Horgan was always in control at right-half against teenage Kilkenny star Tommy Walsh, whose inexperience was to limit him severely.
At the other end, Eoin Kelly was to subject Philip Larkin to an even more testing time than he had done in Nowlan Park three weeks ago. Then, the James Stephens man still managed to get in an amount of clearances, but this time he rarely got a chance, with Kelly scoring from both sides of the field, and even far out on the wing.
Crucially, he got strong support from Conor Gleeson at centre-forward, while Liam Cahill won some vital possession and used it cleverly. With Ger O'Grady losing out to a highly motivated Noel Hickey on this occasion, Lar Corbett and John Carroll's combined contribution of four goals was to prove impressive.
On the other hand, they were well beaten at stages by their respective markers, Michael Kavanagh and Richie Mullally, who was to be one of the main instigators in Kilkenny's late rally. With Eoin Kelly hitting a fine goal from a 21-yard free in the 35th minute, Tipperary turned with a five points advantage, 2-9 to 1-7.
With a Carey break spoiled when John Hoyne fell before he could get in a strike and Brendan Cummins making a great save from Shefflin, Tipp retained control at a time when Thomas Dunne and Paul Kelly were winning a lot of valuable possession.
Brislane's hard work set up John Carroll for his first goal in the 47th minute, before an improving Martin Comerford gave Kilkenny hope with a goal seven minutes later. But, in another four minutes Corbett's second goal put Tipp 4-12 to 2-10 in front.
In football, it might have been an unassailable lead, but remarkably Kilkenny were a point in front four minutes from the end of normal time. That was after Carey, now hugely influential, got a touch to a low ball from Carter (there was a suspicion he was inside the square), Carter followed with his goal and then Brennan brushed past several tackles to goal.
What brought them to that stage was some outstanding play in defence, with Mullally superb at right-half and substitute Aidan Cummins fitting well into the full-back line in which Michael Kavanagh was again outstanding after Larkin was replaced following a brief spell in the right corner.
Both midfielders were more involved too. Most of all, the team showed admirable character. What happened next was almost unreal, a brilliant Brennan score from the left wing, an opportunist 68th minute goal from John Carroll to put Tipp a point in front and then an equalising score from a free by Shefflin who had been largely anonymous up to then.
It was then that P. J. Ryan made the match-winning save and Thomas Dunne's miss allowed Kilkenny the chance to snatch victory in the last attack which Shefflin duly took after a determined burst down the centre.
To cap it all, after having led Kilkenny on to the field in the absence of team captain Charlie Carter, Carey stood aside to let his clubmate accept the trophy from GAA president Sean Kelly. Talk about a happy ending to a story which had Carter walking away from the team only a few weeks ago.
The refereeing of Pat O'Connor was well up to standard.
Scorers: Kilkenny H. Shefflin 1-6 (0-2 frees); E. Brennan 1-3; D.J. Carey 1-3 (0-3 frees); M. Comerford 1-2; C. Carter 1-0.
Tipperary: E. Kelly 1-7 (1-2 frees); J. Carroll and L. Corbett 2-0 each; C. Gleeson 0-2; P. Kelly, T. Dunne (free), L. Cahill and E. Brislane 0-1 each.
KILKENNY: P.J. Ryan; M. Kavanagh, N. Hickey, P. Larkin; R. Mullally, P. Barry, J.J. Delaney; D. Lyng, P. Tennyson; J. Hoyne, H. Shefflin, T. Walsh; D.J. Carey, M. Comerford, E. Brennan.
Subs: J. Coogan for Tennyson (44th minute); A. Cummins for Larkin (50th); C. Carter for Hoyne (55th).
TIPPERARY: B. Cummins; M. Maher, P. Maher, B. Dunne; B. Horgan, D. Kennedy, P. Kelly; T. Dunne, N. Morris; J. Carroll, C. Gleeson, L. Cahill; E. Kelly, G. O'Grady, L. Corbett.
Subs: E. Brislane for Morris (injured, 19th minute); J. Devane for P. Maher (injured, 23rd minute); E. O'Neill for O'Grady (38th).
Referee: P. O'Connor (Limerick).
Attendance: 17,153 (25,036 last year).
