Cool Cody not getting carried away

HIS team had just taken care of Cork with consummate ease to reach yet another All-Ireland final but Kilkenny manager Brian Cody was as usual a model of serenity after yesterday’s action in Croke Park.

It is not in Cody’s nature to be gushing with superlatives after major championship victories and this occasion was no exception, despite the fact that they had delivered another exceptional performance.

“It was a huge game as an All-Ireland semi-final. It’s a horrible day to lose a game because the year is gone and the prize is huge to get to an All-Ireland final,’’ he said. “The first 15-20 minutes was serious hurling. We had chances, they had a couple of chances as well but the defending was very strong on both sides. We got the breaks I suppose and we got a bit of a lead up by half-time.

“Obviously we lost Brian Hogan at centre-back and Henry (Shefflin) at centre-forward in the first-half which would be big blows to any team. But we’ve a big panel and we believe in the panel. Somebody comes in and does a job. I suppose Martin Comerford made a difference straight away when he came in and got a terrific point. We just kept it going to the very end and they kept it going as well. But it was a very, very decent performance.”

The victory was ultimately more emphatic than their last All-Ireland semi-final success over Cork two years ago, but this game was similar to the 2008 tie in that it was defined by a scoring burst before half-time. Two years ago the match was delicately poised before Kilkenny blitzed Cork before the interval and yesterday they crucially outscored their opponents by 1-9 to 0-2 in the period before the break.

“It was like two years ago I suppose,” admitted Cody. “Two years ago it was just serious, serious stuff until about 10 minutes to go when Eoin Larkin broke through for a goal. It was the same today, we were threatening and threatening and then the goal came, and then a second goal. It does lift a team and put doubts in the other team I suppose.

“It wasn’t in the plan that we go out and bombard them with goals. You try and play and play and create as many chances as you can and that’s the way it worked out. Thanks be to God, we took the chances.”

Cody dismissed suggestions Kilkenny eased off in the second-half after they had built up an unassailable lead at half-time. Cork actually outscored Kilkenny in the second-half by 0-14 to 1-10 but that statistic did not perturb Cody.

“I don’t really know who outscored who in the second-half but it doesn’t concern me in the slightest. The score at the final whistle is what concerns me to be honest. We didn’t ease up, we don’t do that. You can’t afford to ease up in hurling, two or three goals can happen very quickly in hurling. Cork never gave up and we expected that. No team should give up in Croke Park, if you do you’re not entitled to be out there. It was just a question of us weathering the storm.”

Next up is a tilt at five-in-a-row immortality and Cody is looking forward to seeing who will emerge as their opponents from next Sunday’s semi-final clash between Waterford and Tipperary.

“We’ll look forward to next Sunday’s semi-final now. It’s one of the nicest games you could ever go to, the second All-Ireland semi-final after winning the first one. You know you’re in the All-Ireland and Waterford against Tipperary should be a fantastic game. We’ll look forward to that game and then get ready to face the winners.”

Meanwhile Kilkenny midfielder James Fitzpatrick expressed his delight at getting back into the team after a season where he has struggled to claim a starting place. “It was great to be back again to get a chance there. I suppose you could see yourselves there was huge competition there,’’ he said.

“When you see injuries to Henry, Brian Hogan, John Tennyson who did his cruciate recently and Michael Rice and see how much they put into it, it’s great to be out there able to enjoy the game and to be in an All-Ireland final.”