Kelly seeks quicker replay turnaround

Clare hurler Tony Kelly believes the three-week gap to the All-Ireland final replay is excessive, calling for future replays to be scheduled six days on.

The Tipperary/Kilkenny replay has been fixed for Saturday, September 27, a similar three-week lay-off afforded to Cork and Clare following last year’s drawn final, and, indeed, Galway/ Kilkenny the year previous.

Kelly says the Banner benefited hugely from the distraction of their U21 decider against Antrim in 2013, but believes three weeks is too long in putting players through the entire final build-up again.

“I’d prefer to get straight back out again,” said the Clare centre-forward.

“Three weeks is a long period, but it wasn’t too bad for us last year because we had the U21 a week after the drawn game. I suppose for the senior players after a draw you want to be getting out again the following week. You just want to get back out there and try to deliver the same performance, if not better, the following week. I suppose it’s up to the managements now to taper down their teams this week and then build them up again for the replay.

“I think the U21 helped us last year. A lot of people in the county were saying the U21 might be a distraction for the senior, but we U21s took it in our stride because we were mad to get back out there again. It’s a competitive match and the more competitive games you get the better. You can train all you want but competitive matches prepare you the best.”

Kelly yesterday added his voice to the growing chorus calling for a change to the penalty rule, favouring a one-on-one situation.

“It’s a massive advantage [for the defending team]. If you’re going through on goal now and getting pulled down you might as well try to off-load it because the percentage of penalties being scored in this year’s championship is way down. If you’re a back then you’ll take a chance of pulling them down because you know more than likely you’ll stop the penalty.

“It needs to be addressed. It’s hard enough to beat the goalkeeper, but to beat three men from outside the 21-yard line is virtually impossible unless you get lucky by going low.

“Just one in goal would be great, but I doubt it will go to one. I don’t see anything wrong with two.

He continued: “You kind of have to draw on your own routine as well. I suppose not everyone is even hitting it from the 21-yard line. It’s 22 or 23 yards a lot of the time because they’re afraid of encroaching the line and getting punished with a throw-in or something like that.”

Clare U21 training prevented Kelly attending Croke Park, nonetheless the 2013 Hurler-of-the-Year is adamant Sunday’s game bettered last year’s two final instalments.

“Every year the bar is being raised. Everyone last year was saying the match against Cork was the best ever and 12 months later they’re saying the same about Kilkenny and Tipperary. That gives an incentive to inter-county players going back into winter training. They know the bar they have to get to and they know the standard that’s been set. You could only look forward to that as a player – trying to reach that level.

“It’ll be hard to call now for the replay. If you were to put money on it, then backing a draw might be a good bet. It’s that close.

“Hopefully the replay will live up to the drawn game again.”