Cats Win Their Third In A Row

All-Ireland SHC Final 
Kilkenny 3-30
Waterford 1-13

By Dermot Kavanagh

Kilkenny to a man were so impressive in this total mis-match of an All Ireland Final that the RTE Panel of experts could not agree on the man-of-the-match.  So they gave the award to Brian Cody, the Kilkenny manager instead.

And who could quibble with that decision?  Since he took over in 1999 as manager, Cody has brought Kilkenny to 8 All-Ireland Finals, winning 6 and loosing 2 semi-finals. 

However, while it is impossible to achieve perfection in sport as in any other walk of life, Sunday's display by Cody's men in the first half is as near to perfection as any of us mortals is ever likely to see. 

Kilkenny's display resembled a motor car going seamlessly through the gears until it has sufficient momentum to reach cruising speed. 

Within minutes the writing was on the wall.  After only four minutes had elapsed Kilkenny had 3 points on the board. 

By the time a further 5 minutes had expired Kilkenny had an 3 extra points on board. 

More minutes, more points.  And so it went until the 20th minute when Kilkenny were 0-10 to 0-4. 

They were now at cruising speed and by the 23rd minute it was all over. 

Two goals in the 21st and 23rd minutes by Eddie Brennan, both following some mesmeric forward play by the Kilkenny attack. 

With 47 minutes still to play, Waterford were beaten and it was evident that the best that they could achieve in that time was to avoid a record-breaking hammering. 

That Kilkenny scored only a further 6 points before half-time is something that we should be grateful for, if their scoring rate up to then had been maintained the stadium would have been half empty at half-time. 

That 35-minute opening half play by Kilkenny has been acknowledged by those lucky enough to have witnessed it as probably the best ever, from every perspective, that has been seen in a National Final. 

They were relentless in pursuit of victory from the opening whistle. 

The Kilkenny backs totally eclipsed the Waterford attack, midfielders. Lyng and Fitzpatrick controlled that area as if they were unmarked.   

All the six Kilkenny forwards out-hurled, out-thought and out-muscled their direct markers. 

One will forever remember what happened to Waterford.  They simply did not turn up. 

Perhaps the hype of the day got to them and completely derailed all their plans and tactics. 

Not one of their players even momentarily broke even with their markers. 

Of particular signifance to Waterford's chances were that Tony Browne, Ken McGrath, Michael Walsh, Eoin Kelly and John Mullane would put on capital performances. 

The hard truth is that apart from Mullane at times, particularly towards the end, none of those mentioned were on form and were thus unable both to play their own game and give assistance to other troubled areas. 

Thus when Waterford went in at half time in arrears by 2-16 to 0-5 their race had undoubtly been ran. 

Of Kilkenny's total of 2-16 all but three points came from play, while of Waterford's five points, none came from play.  Such was the disparity between the teams. 

The opening minutes of the second-half brought no joy to Waterford as Kilkenny continued relentlessly as points were added freely and, when Eoin Larkin scored Kilkenny's third goal in the 48th minute, we were checking our mental books in anticipation of a record All-Ireland Final winning margin. 

To Waterford's credit, it must be said, the brave efforts of John Mullane allowed Waterford to add a goal and some points to take away some of the horror pictures that the scoreboard was showing. 

Brian Cody and Kilkenny will quite rightly celebrate this win over the winter months and in years to come. 

Kilkenny achieve their first three-in-a-row of titles since the 1911-1913 era, and they now sit proudly on top of the pecking order with 31 titles, 1 more than Cork and 6 more than Tipperary.

Unless Cork and Tipperary can re-emerge as serious challengers next year, one suggests that a 4-in-a-row for Kilkenny looks almost a certainty.  On Sunday's showing it is unlikely that Waterford will be in any position to stop Kilkenny's march.