Kilkenny spring a gentle surprise

A day of gentle surprise but not revolution on GAA fields yesterday. Kilkenny retained their Leinster hurling title, although the vagaries of the system and their opponents' mood-swings had made them outsiders against Offaly, the All-Ireland champions.

In Ulster, the football championship was pared down to two teams. Down, always the team in the province which it is most foolish to dismiss, were largely dismissed last week. A five-point win left a lot of punters looking foolish. For a team looking to underline their claim to have been the side of the decade, another provincial final appearance makes the point well.

In Croke Park, 38,310 people turned up to see another edition in the rivalry between Kilkenny and Offaly. As happened in last year's Leinster final, Offaly left their adrenalin at home in the fridge and Kilkenny skipped through into an All-Ireland semi-final.

Three first-half goals, two of them wonderful efforts from DJ Carey, was the essential difference between the sides. After the break, as Offaly made an attempt to haul back the deficit, Kilkenny added two further goals, each a thing of beauty. Brian McEvoy scored early in the half with a well-hewn solo goal, while DJ Carey's vision created the pass which led to young Henry Shefflin driving the fifth and final Kilkenny goal home some eight minutes from time.

One suspects that the abandonment of the winner takes all system of provincial finals is unsuited to the Offaly temperament. A team that likes to let the alarm clock ring and ring before they get up in the morning won't have read too much into yesterday's 10-point margin.

Indeed Brian Whelahan, the Offaly captain, was quick with the encomiums puffing up Kilkenny and their selectors.

"Henry Shefflin proved today what a great forward he is and Eamon Kennedy proved them right for having him there all year. They were great today. A great team."

In the Kilkenny dressing-room nobody was in danger of losing an eye to a flying champagne cork. Kilkenny beat Offaly in last year's Leinster championship and then lost an All-Ireland final to them. Bit more chary about wheeling in another wooden horse this year. Instead, they sought out the quality in their own performance.

"It was a good display," said manager Brian Cody. "If we hadn't played at a high standard we'd have been in trouble. I'm sure we have a talented team. They worked hard.

"I knew about my own team after the Laois match. Laois were a good team before they came to Croke Park and they didn't turn into a bad team when they came out on the pitch. The fact we beat them comprehensively made me happy. Made me feel we could go on and beat Offaly today."

A feature of yesterday's triumph for Kilkenny was the performance of the younger players, especially centre half Kennedy and forward Shefflin.

"Young players, old players it makes no difference when you go out there," said Cody quietly. His centre forward, John Power, felt only slightly differently.

"It doesn't get any easier out there. That's the helter skelter stuff out there. Just throw yourself in and hope for the best. People say I break it for the lads, but if an old score hopped out to me I'd take it. I don't care. Kilkenny is the main thing. That's another Leinster medal today and delighted to get it."

The implications of the game became clearer afterwards when the draw for the quarter-finals of the All-Ireland competition were made. Offaly will start as favourites in a fortnight to beat Antrim. It should be closer between Clare and Galway in the other semi-final. Antrim and Galway annexed their respective provincial titles on Saturday with comfortable wins over Derry and Roscommon.

The structure of the draw means that, should Offaly advance, they will meet Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final, while the winners of Clare and Galway will meet Kilkenny.

"If we're not good enough in two weeks time we won't be good enough in four weeks time," said Offaly manager Michael Bond with invincible logic.

Meanwhile, in Ulster, the miracle of Pete McGrath continues to unfold. McGrath's Down team struggled against Antrim in the first round and have since lost the services of James McCartan.

Tyrone, their opponents yesterday, whipped a slightly fancied Fermanagh team a few weeks back and the talk in the county ever since has been of All-Ireland titles.

Yesterday Down and Tyrone met in Casement Park, Belfast, and two second-half goals from Ciaran McCabe was the platform for a five-point win for Down. That sets up an Ulster final filled with local intrigue when Down play Armagh on August 1st.

"We knew we were mentally and physically ready," McGrath said. "It took us a while to settle, and I think that the incident when Finbar Caulfield took possession from Peter Canavan deep in our half was immense. It lifted the whole team.

"Peter is a hugely important player to Tyrone and can be extremely difficult to mark. I think that Finbar did as well on him as anyone has in recent years."