MOSTLY HURLING:In tight games the team which makes the most economical use of the ball increases its chance of winning, writes JOHN ALLEN

HOW OFTEN are the words “first touch” used when comment is being made on the performance of the better hurling teams? We referred last week to the use of the hurling wall and its role in allowing the player to develop correct technique and then to use that technique at speed.

The Galway/Kilkenny game last Saturday was played at such frenetic pace for an hour, and it was then the top touch player came into his own. This was an excellent game played at such a high tempo, in which players got the absolute minimum of time on the ball, and only the top touch players were the difference between the teams. Top of that list comes, and not for the first time, Kilkenny’s Eoin Larkin.

Only Lar Corbett comes near to Larkin in terms of speed of execution. I presume that the Army man from the Marble County is the crack marksman of his unit. I’d say he’d be some man at the Space Invaders on the computer.

When the game was in the balance going into the final quarter, up stepped that hero Shefflin to deliver a score that top commentator Ger Canning described as “audacious”. It was all of that and more. From about a hundred metres out he delivered a shot that Tiger Woods or Pádraig Harrington would have been proud of.

Re-enter ace Larkin to deliver a millimetre-perfect handpass to Aidan Fogarty, who didn’t have to break stride before receiving the sliotar and popping over to leave just a point between the sides.

Then Larkin himself takes a pass from Derek Lyng and strikes perfectly off his left to tie up the game. A spilled ball (nice description) is collected by the Army man and with the minimum of touches he puts the Kilkenny men ahead. He then fires over another off his right to put some daylight between the sides with time ticking down.

In tight games the team which makes the most economical use of the ball certainly increases its chance of winning. Eoin Larkin was, once again, the main exponent of that economy of touch and his contribution was the difference between the sides.

Galway will have learned much from the game, and we all witnessed that they are as good as the best of the rest. Their downfall, though, might be an almost total reliance on Joe Canning. If Joe is outplayed or is injured on a given day, has Galway a plan B? If they don’t they are very beatable.

At the same time, many teams (Clare) won’t fancy playing them in the qualifiers.

Down the road in Thurles earlier last Saturday, one of the other masters of the first touch, John Mullane, put on his own exhibition for the second week in a row. He finished four top-class first-touch scores the previous Sunday. Last weekend he increased that by two. His modus operandi is simple. He’s out first to the ball, then he applies that touch, which separates the good players from the great ones. It’s usually only one touch.

Then the great player makes the creating of space look easy before striking from either side. Mullane does this with ease, in fact with so much ease that you’d be inclined to wonder why many other players can’t copy. But then not every player has the feel in the hands that Mullane and Larkin have. Dónal Óg Cusack and Ben O’Connor also have it. It’s a learned awareness of feeling that maybe a kinesiologist might be better able to explain.

On Sunday young Noel McGrath showed how he is fast becoming a member of the touch elite. His touch and striking was immaculate. Séamus Callinan is also displaying evidence of having a well-above-average touch.

Tipperary, though, have not convinced us so far that they are ready to take the champions’ crown yet. Their lack of consistency has to be a major source of concern for the management. The forwards are over-elaborating too often, particularly when the team look like pulling away from the opposition.

The forwards are not working hard enough. They have good enough backs, and a top midfielder in Shane McGrath, but the forwards’ work rate is just not good enough.

Their opponents, Clare, earned a huge amount of respect from the hurling public. I hope their followers travel in much bigger numbers when they face Galway. Considering their almost total lack of success at under-age, it’s incredible that they can be so competitive at senior level. It was wonderful to see the scoring heroics of Colin Ryan and the performance of James McInerney and substitute John Conlon. Three new names in a side, which badly needs a few new, top players. What a loss Colin Lynch is to the team. He has been a constant top performer for so long that he will be very difficult to replace.

Dublin, under new manager Anthony Daly, made hard enough work of defeating Wexford. It’s progress, though, and they deserve great credit. And while the prize might have a silver lining, be warned, it’s wrapped in a cloud, a black and amber one. Kilkenny, on all known form, will raise the Liam McCarthy again this September. Dublin just happen to be the latest fodder.

But for the Metropolitans getting to a Leinster final is progress. I just hope it’s a pleasantish experience with a touch of luck.