Cusack: Galway now have the edge

Dónal Óg Cusack believes Henry Shefflin showed a sign of Kilkenny weakness by pointing his late penalty in last Sunday’s All-Ireland final against Galway.

And the Cork goalkeeper regards Anthony Cunningham’s men as having the edge going into the September 30 replay.

“As Brian Cody gave Anthony Cunningham the hairdryer treatment on the sideline at the end of the game, the Galway manager must have been thinking to himself that for once it was Cody who had blinked first,” Cusack wrote in his gaa.ie column.

“When Henry Shefflin, who added to his legend in a big way with that second-half performance, chose to take a point with a penalty three minutes from time, it was a rare sign of Kilkenny wondering about the consequences of failure. Three years ago, with Kilkenny two points down, Henry drove home a late penalty against Tipperary without a moment of doubt.”

Watching the body language of the Kilkenny players afterwards, Cusack felt they were showing the signs of age.

“Their faces had the grey look of men who have been a long time in the trenches. I watched Galway warming down and swapping words. The idea that they might be winners was hardening in their heads. They were still buzzing.

“This week Galway have reason to believe they have got into Kilkenny’s system like a rare virus.”

The Cork captain continued: “Sunday seemed to provide proof that Kilkenny have gone to the well an awful lot this year. From Christmas onwards they were hearing about what Dublin might do to them in Leinster. They prepared big time for that. They’ve had hard days ever since. They love their hurling but as men you just wonder do they long for this season to be over at last?”

Cusack also felt Tommy Walsh wasn’t his usual brilliant self and Richie Power’s below-par performance surprised him.

“Tommy never leaves his post no matter how the battle is going. On Sunday he was getting dragged to places he never usually sees. And it seemed to affect the certainty he always brings to his game.”

He added: “I think he (Power) gives his best performances when Henry Shefflin is out of commission and he has to step up to the mark himself. And he looks weighed down.

“Maybe the baggage of a sending off earlier this year against Eoin Cadogan, a knee injury with Carrickshock and that huge collision with Wayne McNamara in the Limerick game are taking a toll.

“I saw him take a quick flaking off the ball on Sunday and made a point of watching him the next time he went for a high ball. I thought he’d demolish all before him but he jumped fairly placidly. At one point in the second half I looked down and Shefflin was roaring at him trying to shock him back into life.”

Cusack argues the odds have “shifted slightly more in Galway’s favour” but queried their lack of depth.

“Anthony Cunningham hasn’t put a foot wrong this year so his decisions as regards the panel have to be respected but you wonder if, when he looks behind him on a big day, would he not like to have a Ger Farragher bursting to come in? Or would the experience of Niall Healy, who was a surprise inclusion in their 26-man squad on the day, have made a difference in that frantic finale?”

Cusack praised Barry Kelly’s refereeing display as the best “in years”.

“He cut out those things which go past the limits of the ‘manliness’ talked about so much in the last few weeks... the game was better for it. Hopefully his performance will become the template for the way the game should be refereed in the future.”

* Read the column in full at www.gaa.ie