Kelly's haul enhances claims as top forward

Hurling: Eoin Kelly's breathtaking haul of 14 points for Tipperary in Sunday's win over Limerick is the third time in four seasons that he has hit that total in championship matches.

Notable for the quality of his play as well as the accuracy of his shooting, nine points from play, Kelly's display at the weekend was a reminder of his claims as the country's top forward.

Kilkenny's Henry Shefflin has a similar claim but benefits from operating within a more successful team whereas Kelly has often been all that stands between Tipperary and defeat in the years since the county won its last All-Ireland in 2001, a year after his championship debut against Galway in the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

The total of 14 scores has only been surpassed twice in the past 10 years. Three years ago Derry's Oliver Collins shot 0-15 against Kerry in a qualifier match.

Despite the massive input, Derry lost.

Nicky Horan of Meath managed 17 scores, 2-15, in the 2001 Leinster championship against Kildare.

Kelly has managed the same total, in both cases 2-8, against Laois in the 2003 qualifiers and in the Munster semi-final defeat by Waterford a year later.

As can be seen from the panel, high scores in hurling matches aren't uncommon but are frequently racked up in matches against weaker counties or outclassed opposition.

The only two highest scores from the past 10 years that would bear comparison with Kelly's last weekend would be DJ Carey's tour de force in Kilkenny's comeback against Galway in the 1997 All-Ireland quarter-final and Eugene Cloonan's 2-10 for Galway, also at the quarter-final stages, against Clare in 1999.

Worth mentioning in this regard is Galway's Ger Farragher whose 2-9 in last year's All-Ireland semi-final defeat of Kilkenny came in a helter-skelter, tightly contested match.

The plaudits for last year overall went to Shefflin for his 2-11 tally in the Leinster semi-final rout of Offaly.

1996-2005: Top scorers in a match

2005: Henry Shefflin (Kilkenny) 2-11 v Offaly

2004: Eugene Cloonan (Galway) 4-7 v Down

2003: Brian McFall (Antrim) 3-7 v London

2002: Paul Codd (Wexford) 0-13 v Kilkenny; Nicky Horan (Meath) 1-10 v Dublin; Aidan Delargy (Antrim) 2-7 v New York

2001: Nicky Horan (Meath) 2-15 v Kildare

2000: David Cuddy (Laois) 0-12 v Dublin

1999: Eugene Cloonan (Galway) 2-10 v Clare

1998: Darragh Coen (Galway) 1-13 v Roscommon

1997: DJ Carey (Kilkenny) 2-8 v Galway

1996: Francis Forde (Galway) 2-8 v Roscommon