Composed Tipp too cool for Cats

Kilkenny 2-13 Tipperary 3-13

With newcomer Danny O’Hanlon helping himself to two goals, Tipperary may also have uncovered a new scoring threat to share the burden with Eoin Kelly — not a bad day’s work, all in all.

Kilkenny won the toss and faced the strong breeze — and the slanting sun. It was noticeable that some usually sure-handed Cats’ backs didn’t always claim the dropping ball. Early on it was tit for tat, with Eoin Kelly (two), John Carroll and Paul Kelly giving Tipp a slight advantage on ten minutes.

Kilkenny relied on Richie Power (two frees) and Michael Rice but struggled to build a platform into the wind, particularly with Shane McGrath prominent in midfield for Tipp.

Tipp goaled first, on 12 minutes — Paul Kelly made ground through the centre and placed Danny O’Hanlon, whose finish was emphatic. Kilkenny almost replied in kind from the puck-out, but Eddie Brennan was forced away for a 65, which John

Dalton pointed. However, Tipperary twisted the knife with a second goal a minute later: this time Lar Corbett broke through before passing to Paul Kelly for the finishing touch. The score put Tipp 2-5 to 0-4 up at the end of the first quarter.

Tipp maintained that cushion to the break — with the first half running down, Michael Rice was floored on the 21, winning a penalty. Richie Power’s effort was saved by Brendan Cummins, and Tipp maintained the seven-point margin at the half, 2-8 to 0-7.

Kilkenny brought bite to the second half. Martin Comerford went into full forward to avail of the wind, but it was the other no 14 who made his mark first. On 38 minutes a Benny Dunne free caused havoc in the Cats’ square and when Eoin Kelly’s shot was saved, O’Hanlon scooped the ball home to give Tipp a three-goal cushion.

They expected a response, as selector John Leahy said after the game.

“Kilkenny were always going to come at us, even when we were nine points up that wasn’t enough. We dug deep, and Paul got a point to settle us when Kilkenny were coming at us. The two goals in the first half were great, and we were probably fortunate in the second half with the third goal but we went out with a structure, a game plan, and the lads stuck to it.”

Kilkenny came at Tipp in the final quarter. Eddie fed Martin Comerford for a goal, then added a point himself. Then Eoin McCormack pointed and it was a four-point game. Eoin (free) and Paul Kelly lifted the siege.

Driven on by the impressive Benny Dunne and Shane McGrath, Tipperary looked comfortable with a six-point lead entering the last five minutes.

Brennan struck again, deftly flicking a long Cleere delivery to the net, and Brian Hogan pointed from range. Tipperary had to stand up.

“We kept plugging away — it was always going to be difficult into the breeze, and it was a storm out there,” said Tipp’s inspirational captain Benny Dunne afterwards. “We knew seven points at half-time wasn’t going to be enough, but we never panicked. We didn’t panic like we did in previous years.”

They didn’t: substitute Willie Ryan won a great free late on which Eoin Kelly pointed and Brendan Cummins’ save from a Power 21-metre free meant home fans were disappointed.

Brian Cody was realistic: “The spirit’s intact, the spirit is good. The will to win is there and we had some very decent performances. We’ve very much in the real world, we know Tipp are a very good team, a serious team. To give them a nine-point lead and then try to catch them was going to be very difficult, and we tried very hard to do that.”

Kilkenny have the Ballyhale contingent to come back — some youngster Fitzpatrick and a chap called Shefflin — but they rely on the league, and Brian Cody’s parting words — “We need three wins and we’ll be performing in every game” — won’t cheer Limerick, Galway and Antrim, their remaining opponents.

For Tipp the victory went further than the scoreboard. As Leahy said: “It was a good game for us to pick ourselves up in. We’ve left ourselves down a number of times against Kilkenny in recent years, but today the guys stuck to the task, they stuck to what was asked of them.”

A minute’s silence was held before the game for the Young Ireland’s club man Jim Carter, father of former Kilkenny star Charlie.

Scorers for Kilkenny: R. Power 0-7 (0-6f), E. Brennan 1-1, A. Comerford 1-0, M. Rice 0-2, E McCormack, B. Hogan, J. Dalton (65) all 0-1.

Tipperary: D. O’Hanlon 2-1, E. Kelly 0-6 (all frees), P. Kelly 1-3, J. Carroll 0-2, B. Dunne 0-1.

KILKENNY: PJ Ryan, J. Tyrrell, N. Hickey (C) , JJ Delaney, J. Dalton, B. Hogan, T. Walsh, D. Lyng, P. Cleere, W. O’Dwyer, M. Comerford, M. Rice, R. Power, E. Brennan, A. Fogarty.

Subs: J. Ryall for Dalton, E. Larkin for Rice (both 40), E. McCormack for Fogarty (48).

TIPPERARY: B. Cummins, E. Buckley, P. Curran, D. Fanning, E. Corcoran, C. O’Mahony, B. Dunne (C) , S. McGrath, F. Devanney, J.Carroll, D. Egan, L. Corbett, E. Kelly, D. O’Hanlon, P. Kelly.

Subs: J. Woodlock for Corbett (ht), W. Ryan for Carroll (55), S. Maher for Devanney (67), R. O’Dwyer for Egan (70).

Referee: B. Kelly (Westmeath).