Kilkenny empire fights back in epic All-Ireland semi-final

Only Kilkenny can do this. Only Brian Cody’s perpetual empire has the power to loom in the minds and wrists of a team that is trying to end them. If you’re wondering how they manage it, they’re already in your head.

They are the crack from the sniper’s rifle you hear far off in the distance when you know the bullet is for you. This time Waterford got away with a flesh wound. This time.

It ended 0-24 to 1-21, the sort of ground-out draw where you needn't bother asking which side got the goal. Kilkenny were done and then they weren't. And then they were again when Pauric Mahony potted a late free and then they weren't again when Conor Fogarty landed another equaliser. In the end they damn nearly won – but Paul Murphy's 75th-minute shot from midfield tailed wide. Rumours aren't this hard to kill.

For 63 minutes here, Waterford were just about foot perfect. They were positive in formation and attitude, colossal in the close exchanges, dead-eyed with just about everything they aimed at the posts. In those 63 minutes they put 0-23 on the board and spilled only four wides. They mixed the cake, baked it, iced it, showered it in cherries and took it to the table. Only problem was the candle refused to be blown out.

Puncher’s chance

They did the one thing you can’t do against Kilkenny – leave them with a puncher’s chance going into the final round. From the 63rd minute on, Waterford pucked six wides.

Two of them were straight-forward enough from central areas but first Austin Gleeson and later Kevin Moran just dragged their shots ever so slightly and Hawkeye rapped them on the knuckles for it. When the day was presented to them, they couldn't seize it.

In those circumstances, Kilkenny gonna do what Kilkenny gonna do. Walter Walsh’s goal as the clock ticked 70 came from a one-two of thoroughly improbable dexterity between himself and Colin Fennelly.

The margins were measured in centimetres and yet it felt inevitable as a sunrise. They were always going to get a chance, ergo they were always going to get a goal. They are Kilkenny. You are not.

It was hard to know whether to clap Derek McGrath on the back afterwards or offer him a hug. His merry young band of wizards could hardly have done more to honour him. He gave them their head and set up more traditionally, keeping three forwards up at all times. They responded with the best display of his reign.

But the brutal reality is that it wasn’t enough. When a replay against Kilkenny is the reward for leaving the best of themselves out on the pitch, it’s worth asking should we be congratulating or commiserating.

“I don’t know, you decide,” said McGrath. “It’s a mixture of emotions, definitely. You’ve answered the question yourself, I suppose. I think we should congratulate our lads for the nature of the performance. It was heroic. It was epic. They gave everything inside their soul. Anytime you have that, there’s a level of congratulations that is merited, if you like.

“There’s obviously a small tinge of disappointment based on being in the position to win the game, if you like. So I don’t believe in hiding disappointment for the sake of psychological advantages that will be gained the next day.

Body language

“I think we’re disappointed we didn’t close it out. But we’re not portraying any bad body language by doing that in my opinion. We feel we’ve a different Waterford team that’s able to recover. The general consensus will be that Kilkenny don’t lose replays, that you don’t get a second chance, etc. So we’ll be coming in as much under the radar as we did today.”

Hmmm. The graveyard is bursting with teams who thought they were going into a replay against Kilkenny under the radar. Austin Gleeson had one of those dreamy afternoons where he dominated in the air and seemed always to be able to find room for his shot. He ended it with five majestic points from play. History suggests he may not be afforded such latitude to impress the next day.

For that matter, it will be no surprise either if a reckoning is in Pauric Mahony’s future. His haul of 0-13 was a brilliant exhibition of striking, money in the bank from placed balls and open play throughout. Kilkenny usually take a dim view of such extravagance if given the chance.

“It was a serious game that’s for sure,” said Cody afterwards. “Obviously we were chasing the game, you could say that for certain and we never really got ahead in the game or anything like that. Probably the first time we weren’t behind was at the final whistle really. So it took huge effort to stay in touch in the game, to fight it out and to grind it out.

“As the game went on, it was becoming a bit apparent that we needed a goal to really strike a blow because whenever we got within a point or two points or three points, they picked off some terrific long-range points and really just kept that breathing space there.”

Just not enough of it. Kilkenny are never gone until you’re on the bus home. Waterford thought they had them but came out to find their tyres slashed. They have six days to get pumped again.