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 13 September 2004 www.hoganstand.com | |||
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Cork 0-17
Kilkenny 0-9
A ten minute purple spell midway through the second half was all the leg-up Cork needed to dash Kilkenny's three-in-a-row hopes and make it 29 All-Ireland SHC titles for the Rebel County after a largely lifeless decider at wintry Croke Park before over 72,000 fans.
In what was a below-par encounter, the match failed to live up to its pre-match billing with tension rather than class being the operative word.
In the end though, the better-balanced, more cohesive Cork side came good to take the spoils after shaking off what was a lack-lustre first half performance to dominate Kilkenny physically and in the art of scoring in the final 20 minutes of the game especially.
Kilkenny were profligate in the extreme in the opening minutes, shooting three wides in as many minutes albeit in trying conditions.
And given the fact that the Cats scored just two points in the second half served to highlight the champions' major deficiency on the day.
However after Joe Deane converted a free for the Corkmen to open the scoring, the Cats went ahead by 0-2 to 0-1 after 10 minutes with the unmarked Henry Shefflin and James Fitzpatrick punishing poor Cork defensive work.
Deane levelled matters in the 12th minute before running in on goal moments later but seeing his shot strike the crossbar.
In the follow-up, Ben O'Connnor drew on the ball but his flashing drive rattled the sidenetting only.
Cork over-elaborating and not playing the direct game which would profit the dangerous-looking Deane and Corcoran in particular.
And with JJ Delaney and Tommy Walsh mopping up much of Cork's puck outs and pushing forward, the Cork defence came under increasing pressure.
The Cork half-forwards continued to struggle to get under the breaking ball as the first half progressed while at the other end of the field, Donal Og Cusack could only watch as Derek Lyng powered his way through the heart of the Rebel County defence before pointing at speed.
The remainder of the half was a ragged, stop-start affair with Kilkenny dominating the midfield exchanges through the excellent work of Derek Lyng and Ken Coogan.
However the Cats were their own worst enemies, recording seven wides in the first half hour alone, and letting Cork off the hook in the process.
Amazingly it took the Munstermen all of 31 minutes to record their first point from play when Brian Corcoran worked hard to find the time and space to lob the ball over the bar.
The game raced to a tight, tense finish with the only incident of note before the break coming just moments before the interval when James McGarry spilled the ball but Joe Deane just failed to make a connnection.
Cork were far from their best in the first half with little of their running game on show.
However Donal O'Grady's side must have been relieved and even content to go in at the interval merely 0-6 to 0-7 behind having been largley out-played in the first half and given that they faced a stiffening breeze all through.
But while Niall McCarthy managed to draw the sides level (for the third time in the match) one minute after the restart, the mad, passionate Cork comeback seemed as far away as ever.
Indeed, it was Kilkenny who scored next with a Shefflin free as both sides strained to find a consistent rythmn and fluency to their game.
The lack-lustre encounter continued with both teams almost looking as if they were afraid to lose.
Kieran Murphy added a tinge of quality to the fare though in the 44th minute when firing over after yet another scrappy period of play to level the tie for the fourth time in the match.
Both forwards seemed to lack the creativity and confidence to take the game by the scruff of the neck and on the greasy sod, most of the play was concentrated in the respective half-back lines.
But when wind-assisted Niall McCarthy fired over a gem, his second of the day, in the 47th minute to make it 0-9 apiece, the prospect of a draw - the first for 45 years - appeared almost unnoticed on the horizon.
But then in the 49th minute, the pretenders to the crown edged into the lead for the first time since the 9th minute when Kieran Murphy sent the ball over the bar in a mini-purple spell for the Rebel County.
The game seemed to at last to be simmering and as players began to tire the tie wasn't far off coming to the boil with Cork, it seemed, doing most of the cooking with just over 15 minutes remaining.
Trailing by 0-9 to 0-10, Kilkenny had their moments in front of goal but their marksmanship left a lot to be desired with Eddie Brennan firing wide and then watching in awe moments later as Niall McCarthy rifled over his third great point of the second half.
The absence of Henry Shefflin from the '40 seemed to rob the Cats of some leadership and momentum out the field and fired-up Cork appeared all set to profit handsomely with Ben O'Connor converting a free to leave three points between them, 0-12 to 0-9.
Kilkenny then suddenly had a chance to tie the game again but Henry Shefflin's volleyed effort in the 56th minute - after a 40 yard handpass by DJ Carey - was brillantly parried and cleared by Donal Og Cusack.
And with Diarmaid O'Sullivan a veritable collosus at the rear for Cork, there was simply no way through for the
Cork remained in the driving seat and a free apiece by Joe Deane and Ben O'Connor was added to by a glorious point from play by Tom Kenny in the 67th minute to leave Kilkenny staring defeat in the eyes as they trailed by seven points, 0-9 to 0-16.
Fittingly Cork's prodigal son Brian Corcoran had the last say on the day with the last puck of the day seeing the big number 14 collect his second point of the day to put the seal on a merited and ultimately comfortable win for the Corkconians.
Cork; Donal Og Cusack; Wayne Sherlock, Diarmaid O'Sullivan, Brian Murphy; John Gardiner, Ronan Curran, Sean Og O hAilpin; Jerry O'Connor (0-1), Tom Kenny (0-1); Ben O'Connor (0-3, all frees), Niall McCarthy (0-3), Timmy McCarthy (0-1); Kieran Murphy (0-2), Brian Corcoran (0-1), Joe Deane (0-5, all frees). Sub; John Browne for Brian Murphy (inj)
Kilkenny; James McGarry; Michael Kavanagh, Noel Hickey, James Ryall; Tommy Walsh, Peter Barry, JJ Delaney; Derek Lyng (0-1), Ken Coogan; Henry Shefflin (0-5, four frees), John Hoyne, DJ Carey; James Fitzpatrick (0-1), Martin Comerford (0-2), Eddie Brennan. Sub; Conor Phelan for James Fitzpatrick; Sean Dowling for Ken Coogan.
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