All too obvious Allstars

A FEW words pertaining to last week’s piece, before we get into the meat of the 2004 hurling Allstars.

‘Great Britain’ defeated New Zealand in Rugby League across the water on Saturday; man-of-the-match, two-try hero of the GB side? Brian Carney.

If there isn’t a sugar-daddy out there for Munster, I am offering €100 to the Munster Supporters Club, or any such body, that will start a ‘Brian Carney for Munster’ fund.

To the Allstars, and this has been one of the easiest years ever in which to pick a fifteen. About two minutes it took, all told, with about a dozen automatics.

Those who select themselves? In defence, Diarmuid O’Sullivan, JJ Delaney, Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, Ronan Curran and Ken McGrath. Midfield, Jerry O’Connor and Derek Lyng. Forwards en-masse, Ben O’Connor, Niall McCarthy, Dan Shanahan, Eoin Kelly, Brian Corcoran and Paul Flynn.

Reasons? O’Sullivan did that which is probably most difficult to do, on any sporting field, he reined himself in, curbed habits bred over a lifetime of playing further out the field for his club, and was the most dominant full-back of the year. The other four defenders are all half-backs, but none could be omitted from my Allstar team. Two, McGrath and JJ, ended up playing out of position but did play, even if only for a few minutes, in the slots allotted.

Midfield, and for all the publicity given to various other members of the Cork cast this year, the returning Brian Corcoran especially, nobody did more for the Cork cause than Jerry O’Connor. Twin of Ben, the Newtownshandrum man has been the best midfielder in Cork for the last five years and would already have a couple of Allstars if he hadn’t been overlooked (for reasons best known to themselves) by a variety of Cork management teams during that period.

In North Cork, his stamina is legendary, his covering from 21 to 21; he can defend, score (six points from play against Wexford in the All-Ireland semi-final), plays brilliant ball to the forwards, and is always available in support.

Derek Lyng is not as spectacular, but in a year when Kilkenny struggled to reach the heady heights of the last four or five seasons, he was again consistency personified. Ran very close, however, by Tom Kenny of Cork.

Up front, I’m going to start with Eoin Kelly. This guy came to senior hurling with a huge reputation from underage and has lived up to every claim made. Brilliant, genius, pick any superlative you like, and that’s Kelly.

Next, the two Waterford men. A disappointing season ultimately for the Decies, even if they did win Munster, but Flynn and Shanahan were outstanding for them.

Big Dan was a goal-scoring sensation all year, while Flynn, well, as long as hurling is played, his match-winning goal from a 30m free against Cork in the Munster final will be talked about. John Mullane would probably have been in here too, was going brilliantly but had a shortened season, sent off against Cork, suspended against Kilkenny.

As for the Cork trio, let’s start with team captain Ben O’Connor. Consistently brilliant, he was held only once all season, by the equally gifted JJ Delaney in the All-Ireland final. However, the mark of an outstanding team player is he never once gave up, he fought his corner to the final whistle.

McCarthy, well, name me a better centre-forward? Case closed.

Brian Corcoran? Few people have played with the pressure this guy was under all season. Forget he was playing a new position for Cork, that he was going to be coming up against one outstanding full-back after another.

It was the external pressure. Coming back after nearly three years out of the game, a period during which the pace of the inter-county championship game was increasing almost exponentially, even his friends were reminding him he was risking everything, endangering a reputation built up over a decade of magnificence.

How he responded. Phillip Maher, Darragh Ryan, Noel Hickey, three full-backs that would rate with any in hurling’s history; Corcoran outplayed the latter two, outsmarted Maher. Scored the first and last Cork points from play in the All-Ireland final, he gets the nod.

On the positions that required a bit of work, ’keeper Donal Óg Cusack had an outstanding year for Cork, but this was the year of Damien Fitzhenry, a season-long highlight reel. The last position is at corner-back, with a host of candidates.

In no particular order, Damien Joyce (Galway), Doc O’Connor (Wexford), Brian Murphy (Cork), but I’m going to go for the other Corkman, Wayne Sherlock.

A word here about a couple of Kilkenny men, who will probably win awards when the official announcement is made on Friday.

Henry Shefflin is a player that would be near the top of my list, but he did not have an Allstar year, off the boil or held in too many big games.

Tommy Walsh is not a defender, pure and simple; might become one, but didn’t cut it this year. His best game for Kilkenny was against Wexford, at wing-forward (though I would be inclined to play him in midfield); as a defender; against Clare the first day, he was overpowered by Niall Gilligan, eventually sent off; in the All-Ireland final, he was again overpowered, this time by Timmy McCarthy, overrun on that wing. Yes, he hit a lot of ball, but, to use a golf analogy, you drive for show, putt for dough. Tommy did very little putting.

On other omissions, apologies to the Ollie and Niall Moran (Limerick), Damien Hayes and Eugene Cloonan (Galway), Niall Gilligan (Clare) and Cork’s John Gardiner.