Semple Stadium drama a great boost for hurling
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It was quite simply an extraordinary day's hurling in Thurles yesterday and just the sort of boost the game needed.
Two great teams proved there is life left in them yet. Waterford declared that they are back to the sort of form that has made them one of the country's top teams for the last number of years before Cork confirmed their place among the great teams with a comeback the Harlem Globetrotters would be proud of.
And that's not taking into account the minor match between Galway and Wexford that started the day's action!
In the opening senior match, Wexford hit the Deise hard and often in the first half, so much so that Davy Fitzgerald's men didn't know where to turn. The Slaneysiders showed that they are way better than they produced against Kilkenny in the Leinster final and can be proud of a gutsy display, but in the end it was Waterford's greater experience that showed.
Like so many times before, their senior men like Tony Browne and Ken McGrath came into the game in the last few minutes to see Waterford over the line. And even at that, if Damien Fitzhenry had goaled from that late penalty we could be talking about Wexford heading into the last four.
But it's particularly satisfying for Davy Fitzgerald that Waterford can clearly improve from this. They have come on in each of their matches under the Clare man and with the full forward line they have, they always have a chance. And another plus for them is that Dan Shanahan is showing signs of a return to form. They head into the clash with Tipperary with absolutely no fear and nothing to prove and that makes them a dangerous proposition for Liam Sheedy's side.
Cork took their place in the pantheon of great teams with a second half display that is almost beyond explanation. Whatever magic words were uttered in the dressing room at half-time did the trick as they pulled off one of their greatest feats.
In the first half, Clare were completely on top and Niall Gilligan was having the game of his life.
Hammer blow
At that stage, a revival from the Leesiders seemed completely out of the realms of possibility but, after the restart, they quickly cut the eight-point deficit to just two before they were hit by another hammer blow when Diarmuid McMahon trickled the sliotar into the net. Incredibly, Cork found another gear and finished with two points to spare.
Gerald McCarthy deserves huge credit for the turnaround as he made the hard calls and switches to turn the game in his side's favour. He took off Diarmuid O'Sullivan and deployed John Gardiner at full-back and Cork hit the front approaching the hour mark and never looked back.
That sets up the mouth-watering prospect of a Kilkenny-Cork clash. All season, it has looked like the Cats would be facing Tipp in the All-Ireland final, but with the momentum both Cork and Waterford have garnered, it really is wide open.
And after yesterday's drama, there will surely be more twists and turns before Liam McCarthy knows where he will be spending Christmas.
- Cyril Farrell
