Superb Shamrocks justify bookies’ belief

NORMAL service was resumed in Croke Park on Saturday, right down to the anthem being interrupted.

However, hurling fans had little to enthuse about in a one-sided club final which Ballyhale Shamrocks won pulling up. After Cheltenham, backers would have warmed to the chances of an upset in a two-horse race, but the Kilkenny side more than justified the bookies’ trust.

Unlike the footballing curtain-raiser, this game was decided long before the final whistle. Early sparring gave Shamrocks a slight lead, though if Johnny Loughlin had kept his first-minute effort a couple of feet lower Loughrea could have had a goal to start them off. As it was, they didn’t avail of Shamrocks’ early wides. The Kilkenny champions hit three in the first four minutes, though their manager Maurice Aylward wasn’t overly concerned: “I wasn’t worried at the start — we had a few wides, the radar wasn’t there, but at least we were winning the ball. It was only a matter of time before forwards like that would come right.”