Cork and Wexford to renew battle on Saturday
The GAC had already pencilled in the date for a possible replay and, while consideration was given to putting the game back a further week, they confirmed the fixture for next weekend at a meeting immediately after yesterday's thrilling draw. Kilkenny and Tipperary will meet in the other semi-final on Sunday.
While it was felt that Wexford would be unhappy at having to play so soon because of the number of games they have played, selector Dickie Murphy said they were "happy enough".
"We knew that if it was a draw that the replay would be next Saturday. In fairness, the GAC gave a two weeks' break after the Leinster final, which made a big difference to our team," he commented.
Defender Dave Guiney picked up a shoulder injury in the game, but should be fit for selection.
Tickets for the Guinness All-Ireland SHC semi-final replay between Cork and Wexford will be on sale next Thursday between 1pm and 9pm at Páirc Uí Rinn.
Meanwhile, the GAA's Management Committee is expected to take a serious view of three players using hurleys bearing the Paddy Power bookmakers brand. They were Wexford captain Paul Codd and goalkeeper Damien Fitzhenry, along with Cork's Sean Óg Ó hAilpin.
The expectation is that at the very least, the two County Boards will be fined for ignoring a directive issued from Croke Park after news of the endorsement broke last week.
It emerged that two players on each team were to use the branded hurleys, and that four more would do so in the other semi-final.
Privately, GAA leaders are very concerned about this development, which they point out is contrary to rule and a breach of the Association's amateur ethos.
Playing gear cannot be sponsored except with the approval of the Central Council, and hurleys come under this heading.
More pertinently, a player is not permitted to earn money from playing the game as opposed to getting paid for endorsements outside of their playing activity.
The finest semi-final I've ever witnessed
I'VE been going to All-Ireland semi-finals for longer than I will ever admit, but this was the finest I've seen. The atmosphere was brilliant, special, but the only fear then was that the game would never live up to such a setting.
I predicted that it would be close and probably come down to the wire, but who could have foreseen a game of this magnificence? All six forwards on both sides on the score-sheet and three of the four midfielders. How often will you see that in a top championship game?
I'll begin the game analysis by going back to what I said on Saturday about Cork's inexperience, especially down the centre. That showed particularly in the first half, the new guys in defence, Mulcahy/Kenny/Curran, in trouble, took a long time to settle. I had doubted what the Cork management had said about not having had the full squad together since the Munster final, but not any more.
All over the field, Cork were at sixes and sevens, being out-muscled and out-manoeuvred (Diarmuid O'Sullivan an honourable exception. Sean Óg O hAilpin, Niall McCarthy and Joe Deane likewise).
They did look like a side only getting to know each other again, while Wexford looked every inch the team that had recently come through two very testing games.
Though the younger McCarthy did exert some pressure, where Wexford were most dominant in the first half was their half-back line, especially Liam Dunne. He's got a lot of deserved criticism over the years for his indiscipline, but yesterday he was cleaning up the game at the back and it was his long ball that led to the first Wexford goal.
Yet, for all that Wexford first-half dominance, they were only four points ahead at half-time. I knew that once they had settled, Cork would come into this game, but it was only when Wexford got the first two points of the second half to go six clear that we began to see the best of Sherlock, Curran, Kenny and Mulcahy in defence, hurling like they did against Clare and Waterford.
At midfield Gardiner was outstanding (four points from play) though I can't understand how Mickey O'Connell lasted seventy minutes. Up front, even Timmy McCarthy came thundering into the game, running the legs off a succession of visibly-tiring Wexford defenders. I couldn't understand why he was taken off and O'Connell left on.
Cork started to wear down the Wexford defence, O hAilpin got the goal that had been threatening, Deane got another to almost match his goal against Clare, and suddenly Cork were five points to the good.
At that stage you'd have to say, what character from Cork, what guts, to recover from a six-point deficit. And then you'd have to say the same about Wexford. Guys like Mitch Jordan, Larry Murphy, Ruth driving from the back, Paul Codd, the Jacob brothers, they decided that it wasn't over for Wexford.
Two points up however, two minutes into injury-time, you would have to say that Cork erred, on the sideline. What were they doing stopping the game, making a substitution, when they had the momentum? In the first half, even at half-time, when everything was going against them, they made no move at all from the bench. So why do so when you're on top?
Anyway, for the final goal, credit to Wexford for the courage and patience they showed.
A draw is certainly the fairest result, but it will be interesting to see what changes both managements will make for the replay. Certainly I'd be making a few, but we'll save that for later. One change that will happen, and thank God for it, is that we'll have a new referee. I thought Aodan MacSuibhne was terrible, but thankfully two outstanding and sporting teams were able to rise above it.
One final thing. With another bumper day to come. Wouldn't it be nice if the GAA were to reduce ticket-prices, for families especially?
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
