All-Ireland SHC final - Kilkenny v Waterford All roads lead to Croke Park on Sunday, September 7 for the showpiece of the hurling year which pits near neighbours Kilkenny and Waterford against one another in the All-Ireland final for the first time since 1963. With Kilkenny going for the three-in-a-row and Waterford bidding to end a 49-year wait for Liam McCarthy Cup glory, the stakes couldn't be much higher. And with local bragging rights also on the line, there is more than just an All-Ireland title to play for. While Kilkenny's appearance at this stage comes as absolutely no surprise, Waterford's involvement after a 45-year lapse could not have been predicted back in June when a disastrous Munster championship first round exit at the hands of Clare led to the removal of Justin McCarthy as manager. By forcing the Corkman to step aside, the Waterford players backed themselves into a corner. That they came out fighting and finally broke their semi-final hoodoo at the sixth time of asking is testament to their character. It also speaks volumes for the contribution of new manager Davy Fitzgerald, who has overseen their Lazarus-like revival. All year, the talk in Kilkenny has been of nothing else but the quest for three-in-a-row. Not since Cork in 1978 has any team achieved such a magical feat, though both Cork and Kilkenny have come close in recent years. The Rebels denied Kilkenny in 2004 of what would have been their first three-in-a-row in almost a century, while two years later, the Cats got their back on Cork when they put paid to their hopes of a place in the record books. With memories of their failed 2004 bid still fresh, Kilkenny will be highly motivated to ensure that there is no slip-up this time. So far this year, everything has gone according to plan for Brian Cody's charges, which wasn't the case four years ago when they were forced to take the backdoor route after suffering a shock defeat to Wexford, and were then taken to a replay by Clare in the All-Ireland quarter-final. In the end, they ran out of steam and the three-in-a-row proved beyond them. If anything, Kilkenny have improved since then and they would also appear to be able to deal with expectations better which is bad news for Waterford, who are hoping to defy their underdogs' tag and win only their third title (Kilkenny, by contrast are going for title number 31). The bookies seem to think Kilkenny have the treble in the bag, having installed them as 2/7 favourites, while odds of 10/3 are available on Waterford. The draw is available at 11/1. The Cats have once again been magnificent this year, qualifying for their eighth All-Ireland final in 10 years in a canter. Their ruthless annihilations of Offaly and Wexford en route to their 65th Leinster triumph, coupled with their stunning All-Ireland semi-final victory over Cork, would suggest that Waterford will have it all to do. They defeated Offaly by 18 points and had 19 points to spare over Wexford in a typically one-sided provincial decider which attracted just 18,825 spectators to Croke Park. In both games, the All-Ireland champions were given a searching examination in the first half before they came out after half-time and blew the opposition away. Wexford gave their long-time tormentors a right rattle in the opening 35 minutes, and must have fancied their chances of causing an upset when they trailed by just two points at the break. But within seven minutes of the restart, Eddie Brennan had hit them for 2-1 and it was just a question of how much Kilkenny would win by after that. After a quiet first half by his standards, the All-Star corner forward burst into life when he somehow squeezed the ball past Damien Fitzhenry and a posse of Wexford defenders for his first goal. If that had been a scramble, his second was a thing of beauty. An easy point presented itself from 25 metres, but not content with that, he placed a precision shot in the top right corner of the Wexford net and suddenly Kilkenny were 11 points to the good and out of sight. Richie Power also got among the goals in the 50th minute and Aidan Fogarty capitalised on a mistake by James Tonks to ram home a fifth (Henry Shefflin netted a penalty in the first half) to put the seal on a 10th provincial win in 11 years. Cork were expected to ask more serious questions of the Cats in the All-Ireland semi-final, but they had no answer to the power, skill and craft of the champions who were simply awesome. After an evenly contested opening period, Kilkenny gradually pulled clear and an Eoin Larkin goal helped them to a 1-12 to 0-7 interval lead. There was no let up from Brian Cody's charges in the second half as they coasted to a 1-23 to 0-17 victory. Waterford's path to the final hasn't been as smooth, but this won't worry them in the slightest as they gear up for their biggest game in decades. They've emerged from the chaos of a worst championship defeat in 10 years and the consequent coup against Justin McCarthy's management to end their 45-year wait for a crack at the big prize. The outpouring of emotion which followed their shock All-Ireland semi-final win over Tipperary showed just how much it meant to them to finally get the chance to play in an All-Ireland final after faltering at the semi-final stage five times in the previous nine years, including twice against Kilkenny in 1998 and 2004. The irony of it is that when it was least expected, they succeeded at long last. There had been little to suggest beforehand that Waterford would end their semi-final jinx against a Tipperary team that had captured the National League and Munster titles, and had remained unbeaten since the start of the year. But realising that it was probably the last chance for this team to reach an All-Ireland final, they put their patchy form behind him to win in thrilling style and they now find themselves just 70 minutes away from adding the Liam McCarthy Cup to the National League and three Munster titles they have won since 2002. It is all a far cry from the Gaelic Grounds on June 1 when they crashed to a 0-23 to 2-26 defeat to Clare. While short a number of key players due to injury, it could hardly be used as an excuse for Waterford's lacklustre display which saw them surrender their Munster crown with a whimper. Apart from John Mullane and Dave Bennett, none of the Decies' big names covered themselves in glory and they were a beaten team after Niall Gilligan's 20th championship goal made it 2-17 to 0-16 with 20 minutes remaining. Little did anyone know at the time that within days one of the Banner County's most famous sons, Davy Fitzgerald, would be charged with the task of reviving Waterford's championship interests. The recently-retired Clare goalkeeper has brought unity to the squad and also has the Waterford playing as a team rather than as individuals, which they have been accused of in the past. The likes of Eoin Kelly, Eoin McGrath and John Mullane have been given a new lease of life, as has talisman Ken McGrath, who now looks to pick out a team-mate with his clearances from defence, rather than just leathering the ball down field. Fitzgerald was fortunate in that All-Ireland qualifier draw allowed Waterford to gradually build their confidence back up after the disappointment of the Clare defeat. They had an easy one to start with against Antrim (who they beat by 6-18 to 0-15 at Walsh Park) before overcoming Limerick's surprise conquerors Offaly by 2-18 to 0-18 at Thurles. That game is best remembered for Eoin Kelly's magnificent contribution of 2-13 from full forward, while Jamie Nagle made his first championship start and has been Michael 'Brick' Walsh's midfield partner ever since. Waterford received a big scare from south-east rivals Wexford in the All-Ireland quarter-final, edging a tight contest by 2-19 to 3-15. Once again, Eoin Kelly was highly influential as the Deise recovered from the concession of an early goal to lead by 1-10 to 1-6 at half-time. Wexford scored two goals in a 90-second spell after the restart to turn a four-point deficit into a two-point lead. But a Dan Shanahan goal, which was followed by three unanswered points, put Waterford back in the driving seat and they withstood a late Model County rally to prevail. Tipp represented another step-up for Davy Fitzgerald's men in the All-Ireland semi-final, and they showed the necessary improvement to pull off a shock 1-20 to 1-18 victory. The underdogs signalled their intention by racing into an early 0-6 to 0-0 lead, but Tipp recovered well to go into the break on level terms, 0-10 each. Four times after the resumption the favourites stretched two points clear and appeared to be on the verge of seizing control. But Waterford responded with yet another goal from Eoin Kelly, only to allow Seamus Callinan in for a similar score within 60 seconds at the other end. Once again, Tipp were expected to kick on, but Waterford never lost sight of the prize and finished the stronger. This is the fifth meeting of Waterford and Kilkenny in an All-Ireland final when the replayed final of 1959 is taken into account. Kilkenny were victorious in 1957 and 1963, while Waterford triumphed at the second attempt in '59. Kilkenny have had the upper hand in recent championship clashes, but Waterford will take hope from their victory over the Cats in last year's National League final. They will also take encouragement from Offaly's All-Ireland winning achievements of 10 years ago after they too changed manager in mid-season. While it's been said that Waterford have nothing to lose, try telling that to Davy Fitzgerald or the likes of Tony Browne and Ken McGrath who will finally grace Croke Park on All-Ireland final day. These guys are born winners and will be doing everything in their power to finish the careers with All-Ireland medals. The fact that Dan Shanahan has been performing well below his 2007 best is a worry for Waterford, but even so, a big performance from the Lismore man cannot be discounted. He isn't the only Waterford player to have struggled this year, which is something that can be viewed in a positive light as it means they can still go up another gear. But for all that, it is very difficult to look beyond a Kilkenny victory. They have reached new heights this season with their strength and skill, and ominously for Waterford, neither Brian Cody nor the players have lost any of their hunger or desire. Their panel is considerably stronger than Waterford's, while their performance against Cork was arguably the finest of the Cody era. Waterford are certain to put up a better fight than Limerick did 12 months ago and there could be one massive performance left in the tank. They have the advantage of being involved in close games, but Kilkenny have been a cut above everyone else in recent years and should confirm this with another winning performance. All-Ireland Minor Hurling final - Kilkenny v Galway Kilkenny's hugely impressive victory over three-in-a-row chasing Tipperary makes them favourites to overcome an improving Galway team in what has the makings of a cracking ESB All-Ireland minor hurling final. Kilkenny and Galway meet in the All-Ireland minor hurling final for the first time since 2004 in the curtain raiser to the Kilkenny-Waterford senior decider, and early comers to Croke Park should be treated to a marvellous contest between two extremely talented sides. Both teams have displayed impressive form en route to the final, with Kilkenny putting paid to Tipperary's treble bid with surprising ease, and Galway - after a shaky first outing against Wexford - showing a big improvement to topple Munster champions Cork in their All-Ireland semi-final. Kilkenny's stunning performance against Tipperary makes them favourites to regain the Irish Press Cup after a five-year lapse, but Galway have had a fantastic recent record in this grade and are sure to revel in their underdogs' role. The Tribesmen had to wait until 1983 for their maiden victory in the grade, but since then they've produced a long line of brilliant minor teams. Should they triumph on September 7, it would be their seventh All-Ireland success in 16 years and their first since 2005 when they defeated Limerick. This year's final is a re-run of the 2003 and 2004 deciders which saw honours divided. An injury-time point from current senior star Richie Power gave Kilkenny a dramatic victory in 2003, but Galway exacted revenge when they defeated the Cats after a replay in Tullamore 12 months later. Several players from both teams have since gone on to represent their county at senior level with John Dalton, John Tennyson, Michael Fennelly, James 'Cha' Fitzpatrick and the aforementioned Power all involved with the Kilkenny senior squad which is bidding to secure a three-in-a-row of Liam McCarthy Cup victories. Managed by Richie Mulrooney, Kilkenny have played one game more than Galway in reaching this stage. They opened their Leinster campaign with a 1-16 to 0-7 victory over a Carlow team that simply didn't perform in the second half after giving their illustrious opponents plenty of problems in the opening period. The sides were level on 0-6 apiece after 23 minutes, but the Barrowsiders managed just one further point in the remaining 37 minutes as Kilkenny took control. The decisive score came six minutes before the interval when Mark O'Dwyer fired home the only goal which helped the Cats to a four-point interval lead while also having a demoralising effect on the underdogs. Kilkenny hit six points without reply on the restart as O'Dwyer, Joe Brennan and Michael Moloney all found the range. Denis Murphy replied from a free for Carlow, but the game was over as a contest by then. In the Leinster final, Kilkenny produced a superb second half display to overwhelm Wexford by 1-19 to 0-12. Seven points from chief marksman Joe Brennan, along with a combined tally of 1-6 from inside forwards Thomas Breen and Martin Gaffney, powered the Noresiders to a 10-point win. Wexford made an encouraging start with some early points from Paul Morris, but a 10th minute goal from Gaffney put the Cats in the driving seat and they went into the break leading by 1-9 to 0-7. Three unanswered points following the resumption extended Kilkenny's advantage, and despite the best efforts of Eoin Moore at the back, Wexford had no answer to the scoring power of Brennan and Brennan who continued to be their chief tormentors up to the final whistle. Kilkenny bettered that performance when they dethroned Tipperary in the All-Ireland semi-final on a 3-17 to 1-14 scoreline. It was a case of third time lucky for Richie Mulrooney's young charges, who had lost to Tipp at the same stage in the previous two seasons. Half forwards Joe Brennan and Walter Walsh were inspirational for the Cats, scoring 0-8 (0-4 from play) and 2-1 respectively, as they ran out impressive winners. Tipp captain Noel McGrath, who was bidding to win his third All-Ireland minor medal this year, scored 0-9, but had a 17th minute penalty saved before Kieran Shelley pointed the rebound. The Premier boys established an early 0-6 to 0-3 lead, only for Kilkenny to hit back with a 14th minute goal from the fast-reacting Walsh after Brennan's penalty had been superbly saved by Bill McCormack. Walsh grabbed his second goal in the 20th minute to give the Cats a 2-6 to 0-8 interval lead. Kilkenny upped the ante after the resumption and opened up a 3-15 to 0-13 lead with 11 minutes remaining. Corner forward Martin Gaffney's 49th minute goal ended the game as a contest, although Tipp did manage a consolation strike from substitute Kieran Morris with seven minutes left. As usual, Galway didn't enter the championship until the All-Ireland quarter-final stage and their lack of competitive action almost cost them dearly against Wexford. Mattie Murphy's latest crop snatched victory from the jaws of defeat when late points from Domhnaill Fox and Niall Quinn gave them a fortuitous 0-16 to 0-15 win. The Tribesmen, who finished the game with just 13 players, could never quite shake off the challenge of their opponents with the sides being level on no less than eight occasions. They led by 0-9 to 0-6 at half-time, but were thankful to goalkeeper Fergal Flannery, who made two outstanding saves in each half. The beaten Leinster finalists rallied on the restart and took the lead before Galway's late surge pushed them over the finishing line. Mattie Murphy called for a 100 per cent improvement against Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final and his players duly delivered a top-drawer performance to win by 1-18 to 0-17. Richie Cummins' 46th minute goal proved the game's turning point as the sides had been level 10 times before the corner forward's crucial strike. A cagey opening from both teams saw the scores level at half-time, 0-8 apiece. Niall Quinn's 37th minute point tied up the scoring for the 10th and final time before efforts from David Burke, Richie Cummins and Niall Burke, and then Cummins' goal, propelled the Tribesmen into a 1-13 to 0-11 lead. Galway had surged seven points clear by the 52nd minute before Cork battled back to trail by just two going into injury-time. But late scores from David Burke and Niall Quinn sealed Galway's passage to a first final since 2006, when they were denied the three-in-a-row by Tipperary. Galway's qualification for the final has given the county a much-needed lift after the senior team's disappointing campaign this year. Their team contains some outstanding hurlers, including team captain David Burke, Niall Quinn, Niall Burke and Richie Cummins, who the Kilkenny defence will need to watch closely after he bagged 1-5 against the Rebels. But their trump card could prove to be Mattie Murphy, who has previously guided the county to All-Ireland title wins in 1992, '94, 2004 and 2005. Back in the hot-seat this year after taking a break in 2007, Murphy has been in this position numerous times before and knows what it takes to succeed. Kilkenny carry the favourites' mantle into the final and this can often prove to be too much of a burden for young players to deal with. But there is no doubting their hurling ability and if the likes of full back Michael Walsh, midfielder Cathal Kenny, wing forward Joe Brennan and centre forward Walter Walsh (who came from nowhere to scored 2-1 the last day) can repeat their All-Ireland semi-final heroics, they will be hard to stop. Galway possess good scoring forwards with plenty of movement who can cause problems for any defence, but Kilkenny look to be an exceptional outfit and they should be good enough to win a 19th title for the county. Tweet

Most Read Stories