Followers of Graigue-Ballycallan may have regarded it as a miraculous intercession when David Fitzgerald's penalty flew over the bar in injury-time, but it would have been more of a miracle had the Clare champions robbed this match at the death. From start to finish, the Kilkenny team were sharper and more impressive as their opponents struggled to match the pace and movement of this AIB All-Ireland club semi-final replay.
As in the drawn match, the Leinster champions lost the initiative in the closing stages, and although Sixmilebridge failed to reproduce the menace of five weeks ago, they inched back into the match, through the familiar agency of Niall Gilligan's free-taking. With Graigue scoreless for the final 10 minutes, the Bridge trimmed the fivepoint deficit to two, and two minutes into injury-time their final attack saw Niall Gilligan send Robert Conlon clear on goal.
He rounded Johnny Ronan in the Graigue goal and was fouled by the goalkeeper. Having scrambled to his feet, he was fouled again for good measure as referee Dickie Murphy spread his arms wide to signify a penalty. But Fitzgerald was unable to repeat the stroke-of-time deliverance that earned Clare a draw against Tipperary two years ago in Cork.
When they have celebrated with feelings of relief and satisfaction, and refocused on the Easter final against holders Athenry, the winners will soberly reflect on how close they came to losing a match in which they were manifestly superior.
Thurles was splendid in the sun as a modest crowd of 5,046 turned out for the resumption of senior activity after a month of foot-and-mouth restrictions. From the start, Graigue's livelier forwards set a different agenda to the first day. They moved quickly and incisively, and within 10 minutes had established a commanding lead.
Adrian Ronan sparkled in the drawn encounter, bagging 1-5 from play, but this time around he was more subdued. Credit must go to Cathal Walsh, drafted in at corner back by Sixmilebridge, who never allowed his man the sort of freedom he had enjoyed in February. Even a sojourn on the wing failed to ignite the veteran corner forward, but his colleagues weighed in with a more complete performance than they had managed the first day.
Denis Byrne, in particular, registered improvement. Having opened the scoring with a impressive sideline cut, he added a swaggering, 55-metre point from play minutes later.
These scores sandwiched a more serious slice of trouble for the Bridge. In the fifth minute, Eddie Brennan flashed through the centre onto a break and into the heart of the Clare side's defence. His finish was emphatic and spectacular.
The Kilkenny champions led by six, 13, before Sixmilebridge got on the score-sheet. The agenda was set. All the Munster champions' vulnerabilities were laid bare. No sooner had they plugged the gap in Ronan's corner than leaks sprang everywhere else. Tomas Dermody at full forward was constantly on the ball. His pace and reading of the ball were betrayed by limp finishing but for which - and some acrobatic shot-stopping by Fitzgerald - the Graigue full forward would have scored four (literally) goals.
Just before half-time the carnival slowed down a bit as a couple of miss-hit clearances ended up with Stiofan Fitzpatrick touching the sliotar into Brian Culbert who needed just two touches to squeeze in a goal which kept the match nicely balanced at 1-8 to 1-4. But Sixmilebridge's problems were running deeper than just a lack of pace at the back.
The turning point came with another goal chance for Dermody. He struck it too close to Fitzgerald, who bravely smothered the shot and took the consequences - which duly arrived in the shape of John Hoyne. Dermody claimed the ball had squeezed over the line, and Hoyne's attempt to make sure triggered a fracas (not the only time self-restraint was lost as both teams seemed to live more than a little bit on the edge of their nerves).
This passage of play ended with a free pointed by Ronan. It was to be the winners' final score.
Of concern to coach Jim Neary will be the fact that his team lost their bearings late in both matches. Gilligan and substitute John Chaplin chipped away at the scoreboard as reservations about the Graigue defence hardened. Johnny Butler again posted a strong application for any corner back vacancy on the county team, but those around him were less assured.
Anyway, they've two weeks from today to work on it.
Graigue-Ballycallan: J Ronan; J Butler, P O'Dwyer, J Ryall; P McCluskey, T Comerford, A Hoyne; James Young, E O'Dwyer (0-1); D Byrne (0-3, one sideline), J Hoyne (0-1), M Hoyne (0-3, one sideline); A Ronan (0-3, all frees), T Dermody (0-2), E Brennan (1-0). Subs: Joe Young for O'Dwyer (49 mins). Sixmilebridge: D Fitzgerald (0-2, one free, one penal- ty); K McInerney, J O'Connell, C Walsh; A Mulready, P Hayes, A Chaplin; M Conlon (0-2), C Chaplin; S Fitzpatrick, J Reddan, B Kennedy; B Culbert (1-0), N Gilligan (0-7, all frees), J O'Meara. Subs: J Chaplin (0-1) for O'Meara (43 mins); R Conlon for Kennedy (46 mins); P Fitzpatrick for Hayes (53 mins).
Referee: D Murphy (Wexford).
