Focus switches to club action in Tipperary after mesmerising All-Ireland final

In advance of the All-Ireland hurling final most pundits agreed on one aspect: it was too close to call. They were right. Two almost inseparable teams delivered one of those cliff-edge finals that will live long in the memory.

Ultimately it came down to the finest of fine margins, Robbie O’Flynn’s late effort sailing just outside the right post as the texture of his jersey was being tested by Conor Leen. That was it, a final snapshot in a game of rich spectacle, one which beguiled and bewitched us all for over eighty minutes of frenetic action.

In the end the contrasting emotions could hardly have been starker - Clare ecstatic, Cork devastated. The famine down south now completes its second decade while Clare span a more modest gap of eleven years to their last hurrah in 2013.

All finals are memorable for varying reasons but some stand apart as extra special. They have that added dimension that puts them on a different plane to most others. Sunday’s fits the bill.

It had everything that the game at its best showcases, from end-to-end action, to individual battles and mesmerising scores, all wrapped up in a tight-fitting package of sustained uncertainty.

In the end the Banner side were in seventh heaven. It has been an extraordinary journey for Brian Lohan and his team, a team moulded very much in his image. You have to admire the resilience of the group who suffered so many setbacks but just kept rebounding.

Losing three Munster finals on the trot would drain the resolve of most teams but perhaps it was the battle-hardness they absorbed during those campaigns that ultimately stood to them in Sunday’s marathon.

That, plus the removal of Limerick from the scene, paved the way for this breakthrough. Cork did for Clare what Kilkenny did for Tipperary in 2019. Such are the vagaries of sport but ultimately each win stands on its merits and what-iffery should never be allowed detract from any win.

If there was any shakiness in the Clare make-up it would have surely been fatal in the first half when Cork came at them in waves. Robert Downey’s goal was the peak of that phase of the game, the Cork defender out-fielding Peter Duggan and waltzing all the way through from half back before whipping a powerful left-hander past Quilligan. A man-marking defence didn’t intervene.

Seven-down was worrisome for Clare but they found the perfect response from Shane O’Donnell, who now launched himself at the game and was critical to the Banner bounce- back. He scored but far more importantly he became a crucial supplier for several flags including the Aidan McCarthy goal. The Banner was flying again.

Thereafter it was rip-roaring, with scarcely a hair’s breadth between them. O’Donnell’s influence waned a bit but then Tony Kelly electrified the scene with a goal for the ages. This was hurling ballet - the balance, the poise, the sheer audacity of the feint and then finish. When many other details are forgotten that goal will live on in the memory.

The Mark Rodgers goal was no less outrageous, though in this instance you can query the defending. Cork were leaking goals all year and while they’ve found a Downey spine to the team, they’re still vulnerable in that regard.

No matter, full time and parity and here we go on to extra time. Of course, it’s ludicrous but “them’s the rules” as the man said, rules we’ll expect to see changed before next year.

Inevitably, as bodies tired and injuries mounted, the tempo flagged a tad – but not the tightness. Subs aplenty arrived but with varying impacts. Shane Kingston threatened a star turn but ultimately didn’t follow through.

It was level at half time in extra time before Clare eventually started to nudge ahead. They had an edge now, however slight, with Cork depending on Pat Horgan’s nerve to keep them in touch. At three-up they looked safe but were again clawed back before that eventual high-drama on Robbie O’Flynn’s late miss.

It was stunning stuff and not without its controversy. Cork were magnanimous at the end but I doubt if Johnny Murphy will receive too many Cork Christmas cards this year. Four or five crucial decisions went Clare’s way, the penalty that wasn’t being the major one.

The authorities surely have to address clarity on this cynical foul rule because it’s an ongoing bone of contention. If this was a pull-down or trip on Robbie O’ Flynn, as the referee seemed to rule it was, then the only option was a penalty and black card for David McInerney. Anything else made no sense.

There were several other calls too that went against Cork. So, the referee makes a series of wrong calls - and no-calls - yet a chorus of voices have extolled the official’s excellent performance. Indeed. It’s back to this old trope of “let the game flow,” no matter that blatant fouls are being ignored.

That’s not intended to take from Clare’s merit as All-Ireland champions. They rode their luck, of course, but on the balance of play they were narrow winners. After shaking off their sluggish start they probably shaded every other segment of the match. Shane O’Donnell was the early star and when he laboured with injury later it was the sublime gifts of Tony Kelly that carried the day.

Besides, their defence takes huge credit for ensuring that young guns like Hayes, Connolly and Barrett were subdued. Above all they had the nerve and resilience to fight out this battle to the end. They’re deserving All-Ireland champions.

And so, a thrilling inter-county season comes to an end. Donal Og labels it the “microwave season” in his tiresome tirade against the split season. Inter-county hogs the limelight for seven of the twelve months so what more do you want? Of course, it can be too compressed at times but minor adjustments can address such issues.

What’s not negotiable is the central tenet of the split season, which gives the club scene, involving the vast majority of players countrywide, a few months to indulge their passion before the onset of deep winter. Yet club business never seems to bother some pundits.

The focus now switches to that same club action. Actually, here in Tipperary the action is already up and running, with divisional campaigns featuring strongly in recent weeks. In the South their senior hurling final saw the Swans take down Killenaule. The Carrick lads relish this competition and will always feel capable of coping with any other team from the division.

Speaking of the South division reminds me of the very positive vibes coming from that zone recently. For a number of years there’s been concern about organisational issues and the running of the various competitions. Now I’m hearing encouraging words of a notable improvement under chairman, Nicholas Moroney, and secretary, John Lonergan. It’s a good news story I’m delighted to mention.

Meanwhile in the West it appears the clubs were in no mood to facilitate Clonoulty in adding another senior crown to their growing list. Talk of a divisional side taking on the long-running champions didn’t materialise and the intermediate teams didn’t fancy a senior competition either. Thus, there was no West senior championship for the first time since the division was formed in 1930. Sad, but a reflection of declining standards over a number of years, as well as Clonoulty’s senior stranglehold. In the event Cashel edged out Eire Og Annacarty in a thrilling premier intermediate final.

In the Mid, Loughmore took the divisional crown, with Noel McGrath giving a masterful display and winning the man of the match award. You know what they say about form being temporary but class being permanent. Kiladangan won the North.