Composed Cats show character to edge Tipp

THE ability to react to danger is an innate characteristic of a Kilkenny hurler – no matter how young.

Midway through the second half of yesterday’s ESB All-Ireland minor hurling semi-final, Tipperary drew level with their neighbours, having trailed by six points at half-time. Kilkenny’s response? Typical. Respond a minute later with a goal and then push the lead back out to four points.

Tipperary responded again to get to within a point of the reigning champions but after Brian Stapleton had missed a gilt-edged opportunity to tie the match, substitute Martin Gaffney ensured Kilkenny’s progress to the final on September 6th.

Few would have forecast such a tight finish in the early stages, as Kilkenny surged 0-10 to 0-2 clear with just 15 minutes on the watch. A brilliant goal from David Collins, blasted home from 20 metres in the 19th minute, revived Tipp’s challenge as Mark O’Leary’s charges finally settled, but they still trailed by 0-15 to 1-6 at the break.

Kilkenny’s Walter Walsh was a constant thorn in Tipperary’s side during that opening half and the tactic was traditional enough – lump the sliotar long in on top of the towering full-forward.

Tipperary struggled to cope and Walsh helped himself to two first-half points before nailing the crucial goal with 14 minutes left. Geoff Brennan notched four first-half points from play and Seán Kehoe managed a similar tally, including three frees.

In that opening half, Tipp managed just 1-3 from play but their fortunes turned considerably in the second half. Four minutes after the restart, top scorer John O’Dwyer swung one-handed to sweep home Adrian Cleere’s pass and Tipperary were now just three points behind, 2-7 to 0-16.

Ten minutes later, they were level, 2-12 to 0-18, as Stapleton’s magnificent strike from the Hogan Stand side of the field curled just inside the upright at the last second to cap a spirited fightback.

Tipperary manager Mark O’Leary said: “We were shouting at them to try and get ahead. I felt that if we got ahead at that stage, something would happen and we could drive on.”

But not for the first time, Tipperary coughed up possession and Kilkenny made hay from turnover ball. Liam Butler took a hefty hit and when the loose ball made its way to Walsh, he finished unerringly into the bottom corner at the Hill 16 end.

Canice Maher shot a 47th minute point and Kilkenny, having been in trouble, were now four points to the good. It was a lead they would just about hold onto but Stapleton, who had shot the earlier equaliser, had a glorious chance to take the game into extra time in the final minute.

The Templederry player grabbed possession 45m from goal but watched in agony as his shot, struck off his left hand side, sailed wide. Gaffney’s late free gave Kilkenny a two-point advantage before Declan O’Driscoll’s final whistle confirmed Kilkenny’s meeting with Galway or Waterford in four weeks’ time.

Manager Richie Mulrooney reflected afterwards, “It showed the true character of our guys – we had six players 17 years or under on the starting 15 and they had massive character to respond to Tipperary drawing level. This is Croke Park; these are young players and the crowd was coming in right throughout the second half. The character in them was just fantastic.

“Last year we played a very fancied Tipperary team and we won by nine points. We were installed as really warm favourites to play Galway. That’s not going to happen this time. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing in the final – it’s going to be a really difficult assignment for us.”

Tipperary boss O’Leary, scorer of 2-1 in the 2001 senior final, added: “Over the last few years, Kilkenny have almost built up an aura about them but we thought our lads were really ready for it and ready to tear into it.

“But when the ball breaks, you have to be on it. Kilkenny did that for the first 15 minutes, we let them do it and just watched.”

Scorers for Kilkenny: G Brennan, S Kehoe (0-4f) 0-5 each, W Walsh 1-2, M Gaffney (0-1f), R Doyle (0-2 65’s) 0-2 each, C Kenny, O Walsh, C Buckley, G Aylward, C Maher 0-1 each.

Tipperary: J O’Dwyer 1-8 (0-7f), D Collins 1-1, S Curran 0-3, E Murray 0-2, B Stapleton, T Butler 0-1 each.

Subs for Kilkenny: S Phelan for Gannon (42), M Gaffney for Aylward (43), J Cassin for Kehoe (58).

Tipperary: D Butler for Cleere (41), P Heffernan for L Butler (51), M O’Brien for Collins (53), J Forde for Hogan (54).

Referee: D O’Driscoll (Limerick).