Humble pie was what I had to eat for supper Sunday evening after Cork's landslide victory over Tipperary. Yes I'll hold my hands up, I for one didn't see this coming and judging by Tipperary's performance they didn't see it coming either.
Cork proved all the doubters wrong and I wasn't alone on this one. They still have what it takes to get the job done on the big day. Having seen them perform so poorly in the second half of the league final one can only assume now that they downed tools at half time on that occasion hoping to pull the wool over the Tipp mens’ eyes in preparation for the championship. They certainly achieved their objective but we should have known from past experience that Cork simply don't do leagues, it’s only the championship that they are interested in down Leeside.
The Rebels took a lot of flak after the league final and it obviously hurt because they came out with all guns blazing and made Tipperary look very, very ordinary. It must be said that the Premier men didn't help their own cause. They were very naive and it wasn't just on the field of play. Their manager Liam Sheedy was as slow to react on the line as his players were on the field. The Rebels deservedly won because they were the hungrier outfit. They're not living in the past - this is the only year that matters to them. What happened last year with their self-imposed strike obviously hurt but they are now channelling that in the right direction, unlike Tipperary who still seem to be licking their wounds after last year’s All-Ireland defeat.
One thing for sure the ‘favourites’ tag certainly didn't sit very comfortably on the shoulders of the Premier men. Their performance was as flat as a pancake and they simply didn't want to know about it last Sunday. Again hats off to the Rebels they out-muscled, out-hurled and certainly out-thought them on this occasion. Even before a ball was struck last Sunday, Cork's centre back Ronan Curran had laid down a marker by intimidating his direct opponent Seamus Callinan with a good old fashioned dig - a bit of rough and tough that signals the championship is about to begin.
Tipperary may have led three points to one after the early exchanges but Cork's game play was becoming very evident with short puckouts to Gardiner who in turn delivered long to the towering Aisake Ó'hAilpín. I wrote after the league final that O'hAilpín's performance this year would be hit or miss, thankfully last Sunday for Cork it was a hit. The huge Rebel full forward caused havoc all afternoon, he may only have scored 1-1 but he was central to a lot of scores that his team mates got. The All-star Premier Padraic Maher simply didn't go about the task of marking him in the right manner. There is no way he should have been trying to catch balls over the Cork's man's head, he should have been pulling first time or letting him catch it uncontested and then policing him when he came down. At this level of hurling there is no way Donal Og Cusack should have been able to find his half back line with short puckouts, it just proved the point - how unfocused the Tipp men were.
Liam Sheedy obviously wasn't looking at the '06 All-Ireland when Kilkenny management counteracted Cork's short puckout game by only allowing Cusack to shoot to the corner back. This play meant that it wasn't reaching the full forward line like last Sunday. O'hAilpín orchestrated a penalty from one of Gardiner's long deliveries - even though Pat Horgan dispatched a penalty I was disappointed with Referee Barry Kelly for not allowing the advantage after O'hAilpín had kicked to the net. This major score in the 14th minute gave Cork the lead and it was one they never relinquished. The Rebel army were in full tune 10 minutes later when Aisake found Pat Horgan all alone on the 21, his tame left hand effort found the corner of the net. It was a goal that the Tipp keeper Brendan Cummins won't be happy to have conceded. In fairness to the Tipp men they steadied the ship before the half time with a couple of points. Tipperary's minor resurgence just before half time had me thinking they just might have weathered the storm, how wrong I was.
The major surgery that Liam Sheedy carried out in the forward line during the interval was baffling. He certainly didn't instil any confidence in his players with his drastic actions. The only move that needed to be made was to withdraw the rookie full forward Brian O'Meara who was finding the going tough against the inspirational Eoin Cadogan. The rest should have been told a few home truths and told to get on with it. The pressure game that Cork had produced during the first half was intensified even more in the second half. Tipp heads started to bow after Aisake and Niall McCarthy landed 3 unanswered points. When you see Niall McCarthy who's shooting often lets down his industrious play scoring 2 on the trot you could be sure it was going to be Cork's day. Eoin Kelly did produce a top class save out of Cusack and when the Mullinahone fine effort didn't find the net it was all over. Aisake’s 60th minute goal was no more than the big man deserved on another day he could have had a hat trick. Cork's power play saw the spine of the Tipperary team either replaced or moved, it's a long time since that has happened. Tipperary used their full complement of subs in an effort to rescue this tie and one got the impression Liam Sheedy would have used more if he had been allowed. The Rebels have definitely restored pride in the red jersey and all their old warriors showed they still have the appetite for battle. They ambushed Tipperary on this occasion; they won't have to produce a performance of this calibre to beat Limerick in the semi final. I suppose the question still remains will they be able to produce a vintage performance like that again or have they peeked too early. One thing for certain is that their cover is now blown; everyone knows they now mean business but it's a long road ahead and one that could still have a few twists.
Tipperary was so bad on the day, it's hard to value Cork's victory so only time will tell on that one. Mind you, their stylish victory on this occasion merits high praise. That young Tipp team didn’t become a bad team overnight. They'll re-group and head to the qualifiers; it's simply a reality check for the whole county...fans, players and management team alike.
Leinster Championship
Galway advance to the Leinster semi-final after seeing off the challenge of Wexford at Nowlan Park last Saturday evening. Their winning margin of 11 points was probably a fair reflection of the game and it could have been a lot more had it not been for the 17 wides they shot.
Their backs were dominant throughout but some question marks still remain over decisions to shoot from impossible angles. Ger Farragher may have finished with 13 points (12 frees ) but his display had a few faults for me. The midfielder didn't provide the link between his back and forwards, his shoot on sight game left many of the inside forward line very frustrated. The cohesion and creativity that they showed against Cork in the league final wasn't there on this occasion. When you have one of the games best forwards playing on the edge of the square surely you'd try and feed him with some quality ball. Joe Canning finished with 1-3 but it would have been a lot more if he had been given the right supply. I'm sure John McIntyre the Galway manager will spot these weaknesses when he dissects the DVD. A small tweak here and there and a quiet word in Farragher's ear to distribute the possession better and they will be a danger to all. Wexford looked to have serious problems apart from Keith Rossiter, Gizzy Lyng and their best performer Darren Stamp. All is not lost for them and as we've seen in the past they have a tendency to do well in the qualifiers.
Antrim got the fright of their life in Parnell Park on Sunday when they required a late free to bring the game into extra time. They eventually went on to convincingly beat the Saffron’s. I suppose they will have nothing to lose when they line up against Galway in a few weeks time as the Galway men will be hyped to the last.
