Ballyhale boys sidestep the plaudits and pass on the bouquets

It’s becoming monotonous.

Henry Shefflin and man of the match are becoming a steady double act.

“Henry is outstanding,” said manager Brian Cody, after yet another such performance yesterday. “He set his own standards seven or eight years ago, now he’s got to live up to those and that’s massively difficult.”

It should be, it really should be, because those standards are at a level few hurling forwards can ever even dream of. And yet, in game after game, the big man from Ballyhale Shamrocks makes it look so easy.

It started early yesterday en route to hitting 1-13 (1-6 of that from play, just two wides). The goal was his first contribution. In the second minute, a long James McGarry free bounced at his feet and he first timed it to the back of the net.

The ball should never have got to him, a fact he was quick to acknowledge. “Brian Lohan had done everything right, he was out in front of me, in better position — I think Brian Cody would have been giving out to me if he had cleared that ball out the field, especially since it was the first ball,” he said.

Lucky that it beat Brian Lohan; killer instinct that it was in the back of the net. Given the chances they squandered, what Clare would give to have had such a finisher at the other end. After that goal, it was just another typical regal Henry show — five points in the first half from six pots, eight from nine in the second half, several at stages when Kilkenny were distinctly vulnerable.

“Some of the points stand out in my mind,” said Cody. “But we got some great performances though the field. Different individuals stand out on different days, but if you don’t have the huge team effort, you don’t win the game.”

Typical Henry day on the field. Typical Henry day off it also. While everyone else was talking about him, he was talking about a team-mate, a young team-mate from club and county, and with reason too.

It could be that one of these fine days, Henry will have to surrender that man-of-the-match trophy. He almost didn’t get it yesterday because, magnificent and all as was his display, James Fitzpatrick — Cha to all and sundry — gave the performance of his young life at midfield.

“He was just unbelievable, but we’ve known that in Ballyhale for some time,” said Henry. “I’ve seen him since he was 10 years of age doing those sidesteps. But I don’t think this is about individuals, it’s about the team, and we played well together, that’s the most important thing.”

But what if? What if Clare, having come back superbly from conceding a soft 1-2 in the opening few minutes, had taken those goal chances they worked so hard to create in the first-half, as they hurled their way back to parity?

Who would we be talking about then, this fine morning? Well, if Henry — as suggested by Brian Cody — wrote his own high standards seven or eight years ago, you have to go back a few more for Seanie McMahon, for Colin Lynch, for Frank Lohan. The fourth warrior in that veteran outfield quartet, Brian Lohan, was in trouble yesterday, but those other three, all of whom have also set the very highest standards, were all outstanding.

Frank Lohan saw red, eventually, but he was close also to man-of-the- match; Seanie McMahon, four pointed frees from inside his own half, but a display from open play that brought back memories of ten seasons ago, outstanding leadership; and Colin Lynch. Forget your man-of-the-match awards — the hurling people of Clare will have to build monuments to this quartet, and to another veteran, Davy Fitzgerald, eventually.

“I think they’ve been a marvellous team,” said Henry. “Even when we went five points up, they showed their character to fight back. It really felt like they were coming, that the tide had turned against us. We’re relieved to have overcome that.

“I’m not sure what we won by, we were just happy to hear the final whistle. We’re in the All-Ireland final, that’s what we wanted.”

If he can manage just one more of those awards this year, Kilkenny will be All-Ireland champions.