Thrilling final shows 'there's plenty hurling in Leinster'
For the past two months, Leinster’s pedestrian and going-through-the-motions fare lived in Munster’s overbearing shadow. And rightly so. Leinster offered breadcrumbs, Munster served up barnstormer after barnstormer.
But with a sensational closing act in Sunday’s thrilling showpiece, the lesser province wrestled back the narrative. In their best Kieran Donaghy voice, Leinster roared down the road. ‘Well Munster, what do you make of that?’ Derek Lyng was asked afterwards about Leinster belatedly taking some spotlight. He didn’t bite.
“I’m not too preoccupied with what is going on in Munster. Our focus is on ourselves,” came the Kilkenny manager’s reply.
His players, though, were taking heed of the conversation. When accepting the Bob O’Keeffe Cup, Eoin Cody announced that “there’s plenty of hurling in Leinster”.
There was certainly plenty of hurling late on in this Leinster final. The decider was nearing the end of the five allotted injury-time minutes when play seemed to spend an eternity in the corner where the Canal End meets the Hogan Stand. Fatigued players from both parishes were unable to make any meaningful contact.
Eventually, John Donnelly managed to get the sliotar across in front of Galway's large rectangle. A hurlless Padraic Mannion kicked possession into the path of Cillian Buckley. The Kilkenny sub sidestepped TJ Brennan and delivered the game-winning goal. The maroon army collapsed in disbelief.
For a patched-up Kilkenny, the breathing space this win gives them is way more important than any provincial four-in-a-row. They were without Mikey Carey, Richie Reid, and Adrian Mullen. Martin Keoghan departed early.
Avoiding the All-Ireland quarter-final gives them an extra fortnight to get bodies right. As Lyng noted, “it takes the pressure off”.
For Galway, they will be absolutely sick. Unlike 12 months ago, they showed up. But again they went empty-handed back west. A third Leinster final defeat in four seasons.
Deepening the wounds of Buckley’s buzzer-beating goal is that Galway had moved themselves two in front from a position of being eight in arrears. To achieve a 10-point swing only to receive a punch in the gut at the end of it will be hard bounce back from.
The aforementioned eight-point gap emanated from a Mikey Butler goal on 40 minutes and a six-in-a-row of points shortly after. Daithí Burke half stood off Butler as the latter neared goal. He, like most in the crowd of 24,483, expected the corner-back to fire over rather than under.
The assist for Butler’s goal was provided by half-back David Blanchfield, his second green flag assist of the final. Kilkenny’s leading actors were not the usual suspects.
Their third quarter power surge had them 3-17 to 1-15 clear on 49 minutes. But Galway refused to go as many expected they would.
Sub Jason Flynn hit the net on 50 minutes. The final pass came from Conor Whelan. He led their comeback. He finished with 1-6 from play. His form had been questioned. No more than Kilkenny supposedly lacking strength-in-depth, he answered all who questioned.
An injury-time three-in-a-row from Kevin Cooney, Evan Niland (free) and Brian Concannon had the westerners on the verge. But they never got up the steps. They had ample opportunity to clear their lines in the final play. Shefflin’s reign remains without silverware. They might not get a better chance than this.
Kilkenny, who wobbled late on with poor wides and two unconverted Reid frees, hung on in long enough for a game-rescuing chance to present itself.
A madcap finish followed a schizophrenic first half. The mood of both teams swung wildly. Blazing hot followed by freezing cold. There were no sharp turns in momentum. There were instead large periods of untouched dominance by one side, which eventually gave way to a large period of untouched dominance by the other crowd.
In the first 24 minutes, there was only one occasion where the two teams swapped scores. That was in the fourth minute when TJ answered Whelan’s opener.
Shefflin’s lads led 0-6 to 0-1 after seven minutes. There was no usual crawl out of bed here.
A Martin Keoghan goal on eight minutes said it was Kilkenny’s time to lead. It marked the beginning of a 1-5 burst.
The Cats could have had up to four green flags in this period. Éanna Murphy produced a fine save to deny Cody.
From 0-6 to 0-1 down to now 1-6 to 0-6 in front. And on we went to the next mood swing. 1-3 from the Tribes without reply.
A long diagonal ball from Cathal Mannion fell in behind the last Kilkenny watchtower. Whelan pounced. Kilkenny were back level with a 24th minute goal from sub Walter Walsh.
A bit of order came to proceedings thereafter. Evan Niland and TJ swapped frees. To-and-fro. All square at the short whistle, 2-9 to 1-12.
The entertainment barometer only went north upon the restart. Leinster took its time in wiping the sleep from its eyes. But its electric finish matched what we witnessed below in Limerick a few hours earlier.
Now, how will Kilkenny and Galway fare against Munster’s leading forces?
TJ Reid (0-9, 0-6 frees); W Walsh (1-2); E Cody (0-3); M Keoghan, C Buckley, M Butler (1-0 each); J Donnelly, C Kenny (0-2 each); D Blanchfield, P Walsh, B Drennan (0-1 each).
E Niland (0-12, 0-8 frees); C Whelan (1-6); B Concannon, K Cooney (0-3 each); J Flynn (1-0); J Cooney, C Mannion (0-1 each).
E Murphy; M Butler, H Lawlor, T Walsh; D Blanchfield, P Deegan, D Corcoran; C Fogarty, C Kenny; J Donnelly, TJ Reid, T Phelan; B Ryan, M Keoghan, E Cody.
W Walsh for Keoghan (19 mins, inj); P Walsh for Fogarty (52); C Buckley for Corcoran (58); T Clifford for Phelan (61); B Drennan for Ryan (68).
E Murphy; P Mannion, D Burke, D Morrissey; J Grealish, G McInerney, F Burke; J Cooney, C Mannion; T Monaghan, E Niland, C Whelan; B Concannon, C Cooney, K Cooney.
J Flynn for Monaghan (47); S Linnane for C Cooney (60); TJ Brennan for Morrissey (64, inj).
S Stack (Dublin).
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