Mullane again cast in role of underdog

ALL-IRELAND CLUB HURLING FINAL: WE REMEMBER talking to John Mullane the day after the most shockingly one-sided All-Ireland final in recent memory. Kilkenny clinched the three-in-a-row with an awesome show of strength and dominance in every quarter against Mullane and his traumatised team-mates.

In the months that followed Mullane went back to his club, De La Salle, and his scoring exploits were the principal reason they captured the county title.

Sarsfields of Cork were next up a week later before Limerick champions Adare were felled in a Munster final. Both margins of victory were two points. Just enough.

In the All-Ireland semi-final Ulster champions Cushendall nearly heaped further humiliation on Waterford’s proud hurling history only for De La Salle to sneak home after extra-time. The margin of victory again was two points.

“We knew Cushendall were a very good hurling team. They had seven or eight off the Antrim hurling team. They had the experience too. It was something new to us. I don’t think Cushendall got the credit they deserve.”

Still, this doesn’t bode well for what comes next. This is all new for De La Salle, having won the county honours for the first time last year. Before that they last raised their heads above the parapet when losing to Ballygunner in the 2005 final.

Mullane was in fine form yesterday picking up a provincial player award at AIB headquarters in Ballsbridge, Dublin. That there were no Portumna winners present – Ballyhale Shamrocks and Kilkenny forward TJ Reid won the Leinster prize – made it easier to shift the theme on to the more romantic underdog story.

Mullane may be hesitant to answer questions about finding redemption from defeat to Kilkenny against Portumna considering the similar status the teams hold at county and club level respectively.

Asked about last September’s humiliation, Mullane said: “You have to look at what we’re going into next week. In the space of six months here I am now having played against Kilkenny, probably regarded as the greatest intercounty team ever, and here I am playing against Portumna, who most people regard as the greatest ever club team, but we’ve only focused on what lies ahead.

“We’re just going to have to keep it tight early on, the first 15, 20 minutes because they are really an incredible side. They are a bit like Kilkenny, they don’t seem to have any weaknesses that you can go at. If we can keep out the goals and go some way tit-for-tat for the first 20 minutes; go in at half-time still believing the game is still there to be won.”

What will he do differently from last September?

“The hype leading up to last September was just crazy. It was just a hurling game but the hype probably got the better of us last September. If we get back there we would do things differently.

“Last September was just crazy. We were being paraded around as Premiership footballers or movie stars before the game was even thrown in. The hype is less for this.”

That attitude might not be enough to stop the points flowing from the Hayes brothers and Joe Canning but it may save them from being overwhelmed again.

“We’re a team now who are out of lives at this stage. No matter what, we keep going to the end. I keep drilling that into the boys. No matter what happens we keep going to the end even if we are seven or eight points down. You earn a bit of respect for that.”

Kilkenny and Leinster club hurling champions Ballyhale Shamrocks are on the search for a new manager after Maurice Aylward confirmed he has stepped down. Aylward resigned with fellow selectors John Shefflin, Tommy Phelan and Pat Aylward in the aftermath of the recent All-Ireland semi-final defeat against Portumna. Aylward stated he would have continued in the job had they defeated holders Portumna but admitted four successful seasons at the helm had taken their toll.

Under Aylward, Ballyhale won three county crowns, two Leinster titles and an All-Ireland title in 2007.