We’ve seen this one before.
Kilkenny were just a step above Wexford in Sunday’s Allianz League semi-final. Brian Cody’s Cats were clued in from the word go, they were hunting in packs from the minute the ball was thrown-in and it was all too much for Davy Fitzgerald’s Wexford.
The travelling side crowded the Slaneysiders out of it on their home patch, they sucked the life out of them in front of their faithful supporters, they schooled them in their own back garden.
Kilkenny were up for this one, so up for it that they forced Wexford into one of their worst displays since Davy Fitz’s arrival to the county.
It was a ruthless destruction from the men in black and amber and one that we’re so used to seeing from them. Brian Cody will have been very pleased with how his youngsters acquitted themselves once again, and he now, after a tough last two years, appears to have found the replacements to fill the holes left by former greats of the famous jersey.
These youngsters have grown into that famous jersey as the league has developed, and they were again on form today https://t.co/Gxenllu0rq
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) April 1, 2018
The best thing about all of those great Kilkenny teams wasn’t their aggression or their intensity and that’s saying something because they were always a cut above in that way too. It was instead their ability to remain cool when the pressure came on, their ability to be clinical when it really mattered.
They know how to win these games when it comes down to it.
Every team has their own way of doing that. On this occasion, Kilkenny’s team work set them apart. Their short passing game worked a treat.
So many times down through the years, we’ve seen Kilkenny pull off the sideline move where the taker chips a ball into the path of his teammate. He runs onto it and either gives it back or finds a spare man for an easy score.
TJ Reid is always involved. He’s done it in League finals against Tipperary. Michael Fennelly’s goal in the 2011 All-Ireland final against the same opposition came from a similar move.
It works so well because the opposition aren’t expecting it. Teams switch off for sidelines and Kilkenny exploit that.
This time, one of the new breed, Richie Leahy cut an inviting ball into TJ’s path.
TJ picked the perfect pass to his wing back Enda Morrissey, who had all day to land the blow.
Enda Morrissey with a fine score for Kilkenny! pic.twitter.com/engQLcjSj7
— The GAA (@officialgaa) April 1, 2018
So astute, so cute.
