WHAT DID we learn from a day of hurling semi-finals in Leinster and Munster? Very little as Kilkenny cleaned Dublin out of it at a canter, Offaly refused to bend to Galway (during a World Cup the GAA love draws and they are getting them) while Cork underwhelmed in defeating an unknown Limerick.
Kilkenny were just stretching their legs. Eddie Brennan had a goal after one minute. Tommy Walsh was named man of the match. It finished 4-19 to 0-12. Clinical, they were not.
“We didn’t have a game for a long, long time and it showed at times,” said Brian Cody. “The scoreboard didn’t reflect the nature of the game by a long shot. We got an early goal and Richie Power’s goal was the real clincher. They had opportunities right throughout the game so we’re just happy to win the game but we’ll need a huge improvement for the Leinster final. We made a lot of mistakes but the spirit and the endeavour was good.”
Then Cody told everyone the eventual winner from Galway and Offaly will be better prepared. “Match-wise,” he added.
And Dublin? “Everybody respects the quality of Dublin, certainly I do, and I think there is no way there is anything remotely like 19 points between Kilkenny and Dublin. Dublin on any given day could beat us, it’s that simple.”
The scoreboard never lies. There is 19 points between them. Any given day is a rarity. Anthony Daly’s progress as Dublin hurling manager appears to have stalled. JJ Delaney and Walsh will do that to a team.
“Liam Ryan was doing Trojan work breaking ball but we just didn’t get on to the breaks,” said Daly. “Whoever we tried at wing forward was not getting on top with the two boys. It’s probably a lack of maturity. We talked about it, we put Liam Ryan in there for that reason. In fairness he did break a lot of ball but we didn’t get on to the breaks. Tommy Walsh and JJ Delaney are fair operators and have been.”
The weather. The distance. “There is different ways you can look at it”, was how Justin McCarthy described the lack of Limerick supporters at Paírc Uí Chaoimh yesterday for the 2-19 to 0-12 inflicted on the visitors by Cork who will now meet Waterford in the Munster final on July 11th.
McCarthy was no longer smiling when, on the stroke of half-time, Seán Herlihy was sent off for lashing Cork defender Shane Murphy with the hurley.
“It should have been a yellow card for Murphy, who crashed into him, and a Limerick free, instead, the retaliation forced referee James Owen to go straight to a red.”
