`DJ's goal probably as good as he's ever scored'

Mission accomplished. A third successive Leinster hurling title for Kilkenny doesn't bring any wild celebrations but just some quiet pats on the back and strong smiles at the comfort of it all. But no one is getting carried away.

"I have to be pleased at the way they kept working so hard and created so many scores," said Kilkenny manager Brian Cody. "We harassed Offaly very well for most of the game but I'd still see them as All-Ireland contenders. Last year we beat them even more comprehensively and they came back even stronger."

Only the more probing questions will draw confessions of real satisfaction from the Kilkenny manager; DJ's goal, for example, was a great springboard? "It was an inspirational goal, for sure," he says. "Probably as good as he's ever scored, and he's scored quite a few good ones. But that's the beauty about having players like that in the team. He can always provide a lift.

"But John Power was superb. A lot of people were wondering if he could still produce the goods but he showed again that there is no substitute for hard, honest work, for guts and bravery. And everything else that goes with it."

All in all, not a bad way to pass through the first real test on the road to All-Ireland redemption. "We're in the All-Ireland semi-final now which is exactly where we want to be. The whole team at various stages contributed manfully and we showed great fire and determination. We made a few changes but there was never any panic and that's important."

For his counterpart, Pat Fleury, the reflections are more difficult to spill forth. He stares straight ahead and tries to explain the reason. Mission impossible.

"There was nothing between the sides before the first goal, which is always going to be important," he says. "And Kilkenny got it. We had some chances in the second half and on a day like this you have to take them. A couple of ours went outside the post when other days they might have gone in, but that's the way it goes.

"And of course it's going to be hard to regroup with the quarter-final only a fortnight away. But I know there's great character in these Offaly players and I have great faith in them. They've shown time and time again what they're capable of and now they have to do it again."

So just how good are Kilkenny? "Well they're certainly the best team in Leinster," he laughs. "But no, everyone knows that they are very determined to make up for last year and the year before. And that performance was very representative of a team which are very determined to make it back to the top."

Charlie Carter had a major hand in Offaly's downfall but he's not about to write them off just yet. "I know they'll be back," he says, "and they're still a great team. They got a goal and then we got a goal and I think they were killed off after that."

And his own particular goal wasn't bad: "I actually thought the referee should have given me the first and disallowed the second. I seriously thought I took more steps in the second, but I couldn't believe it when I turned around after the first and saw it disallowed."

Over in the Offaly dressing-room, there's not much waiting around for condolences. But Brian Whelahan takes time out to offer his thoughts.

"Well it's so hard to put the disappointment into words," said Whelahan. "We came here full of hope and with a younger team than recent years but this is very demoralising. I thought we'd shake Kilkenny today and that's being straight but it just didn't work for us.

"A lot of the older lads are very down after this and I just hope we can pick things up from here. But at least we won the minor game. That's about the only good thing to take from today."