Kilkenny - 4-17 Cork - 3-12 There was an Easter fun-fair overlooking Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday and so a few patrons must have witnessed one of the best hurling league goals ever strapped in their chairs as the big wheel went through its revolutions.
In truth, Henry Shefflin's 41st- minute chip over the stranded Donal Óg Cusack was dizzying enough to watch from ground level and was the outstanding moment of an afternoon that confirmed the suspicion that black- and-amber dominance of the sport is inching towards totality.
Kilkenny resumed the business of winning by the Lee yesterday, putting another monster score on the board and the blip against Tipperary behind them.
They have one foot in the Allianz final now, and it's a title they appear ferociously keen to hang on to. In fact, that has become the abiding sense you get watching this Kilkenny team; they will give absolutely nothing up easily, be it silverware or a sideline ball.
This was a physical and clean game and although the champions looked comfortable throughout, the performance and a series of gorgeous scores hid the economy and workrate that are the defining attributes of the Brian Cody era.
Afterwards, Cork manager Donal O'Grady, standing in front of a wall adorned with framed black-and-white photographs of former Cork league winning teams, identified the present-day difference between the counties: "The whole thing hinged on cuteness. They were very cute, very slick and we were a bit naive at times."
Easy as it is to be seduced by the stick-craft of Shefflin or DJ Carey, or the latest young maestro, Tommy Walsh - crisp, accurate and accomplished around the half-forward fringes - it is their meanness, the trademark of all great sporting dynasties, that leaves the deepest impression.
Noel Hickey, Peter Barry, Derek Lyng and Michael Kavanagh set an early tone of intensity that rarely slackened. When Philly Larkin suffered an uncomfortable 10 minutes marking Setanta Ó hAilpín - a kid with the gait and charisma of a superstar - the Kilkenny selectors promptly whipped the All Star off. James Ryle was his replacement and straight away he caught and cleared the first ball sent down towards Ó hAilpín's corner. The competition between replacements for this Kilkenny team is cut-throat.
This win was achieved without Charlie Carter, the unstoppable scoring machine. Carter, the subject of midweek controversy, travelled to Cork and watched the match from the bench. "You saw him? You saw that he was there," clarified Cody, afterwards.
"Look, Charlie is part of the panel and there is absolutely no problem. I know it is your job to hunt stories - I won't say invent stories - but there is no problem there."
Carter is one of many illustrious names hoping to make a return to the 15 before the championship begins. First, comes the conclusion of the league. "Well, this puts us back in the frame," said Cody, as he sipped from a bottle afterwards. "I thought that was a tough game out there and I am reasonably happy."
Cork had bright patches, baiting Kilkenny with a first-minute goal from Joe Deane after Seánie McGrath scampered through the back line. It took Kilkenny all of 60 seconds to reply, with Shefflin firing an awkward kind of shot at goal that eluded the back-pedalling Cusack.
The teams exchanged scores for the first 20 minutes but it became apparent Kilkenny were merely easing into their task. Between the 24th minute of the first half and the seventh of the second, they fired 3-9.
As ever, the timing of their scores damned their opponents. Carey was cancelled out by Wayne Sherlock for the first half hour but on the stroke of half-time he stole a ball from the Blackrock man and transferred a slick hand pass to Shefflin. Cusack parried his drive but Carey was on hand to clean up. It was 2-9 to 1-6 at the break.
Cork's restart mirrored their beginning. Setanta Ó hAilpín, causing ripples of excitement every time he touched the ball, made a wonderful dash and flicked the pass out for Deane to fire his second. Back to within a goal, the crowd warmed to the notion of a thriller but Kilkenny, with frightening authority, ruled that option out.
First, the hard-working Martin Comerford set up Shefflin for a point. Then Carey shimmied and passed and suddenly Shefflin was bearing down on goal, all of Cork behind him. Cusack had to advance and the Ballyhale man almost carelessly floated his shot over the goalkeeper's head and against the netting. It was a mesmerising piece of brilliance.
After that Cork, could but battle. The angular John Gardiner was never less than admirable and kept his team in touch with his distant striking. Seán Ó hAilpín returned and hurled with his customary zeal. But too often the Cork attack failed to infiltrate, with McGrath's gossamer punches doing nothing to deceive the Kilkenny defence, while Ben O'Connor and Niall McCarthy were unable to get a run on their markers.
Alan Browne hustled and was awarded with a late goal. Setanta Ó hAilpín is coltish but bright with promise.
As any manager would be, Cody hates to see the notion circulating that Kilkenny are alone in their splendour. But as the weeks roll on, all the evidence is pointing to the probability that they are.
KILKENNY: J McGarry; M Kavanagh, N Hickey, P Larkin; R Mullally, P Barry, JJ Delaney; D Lyng (0-1), P Tennyson (0-1); C Phelan (0-1), H Shefflin (2-6, 3 frees), P Walsh (0-4); DJ Carey (1-2, 1 free, 65) M Comerford, E Brennan (1-2). Subs: J Ryle for P Larkin (58 mins), W Bourke for Delaney (hallf-time); B Dowling for Comerford (61 mins); PJ Ryan for J McGarry (69 mins, inj).
CORK: D Óg Cusack; W Sherlock, P Mulcahy, N Fitzgerald; J Gardner (0-6, 3 frees, 3 65s), R Curran, S Ó hAilpín; M O'Connell, P Kenny; S McGrath (0-1), N McCarthy (0-1), B O'Connor; Setanta Ó hAilpín (0-1), J Deane (2-2, 2 frees), A Browne (1-0). Subs: T McCarthy (0-1) for O'Connell (10 mins, inj); B Murphy for Fitzgerald (half-time); P Tierney for T McCarthy (45 mins); C Murphy for McGrath (57 mins); E Fitzgerald for O'Connor (60 mins).
Referee: A Mac Suibhne (Dublin).
