“Less than a minute remains on the clock, as I tighten my boot lace, and turn down my sock/Is that the crowd I hear, or is it the ghosts, of men who before me had faced the same test, and never once failed to give of their best? “
This corner would never claim to be an aficionado of poetry, but the above quotation forms part of what will rank as the finest exhibit of the genre ever encountered in this seat – The Beautiful Game.
Someone once asked me had I written it. Oh to be able to piece together such emotion stirring stuff. But it strikes a chord for reasons maybe this writer cannot even explan. However, what will be said is that Tony Kelly has been the personification of the hero in the poem over the past couple of weeks.
The prodigiously talented Ballyea man exploded onto the scene in 2013 when being the catalyst for Clare’s unlikely but epic All Ireland win. On foot of which he was awarded both the Young Hurler of the Year award and its senior equivalent.
The following spring, those who were then Davy Fitzgerald’s charges added the National Hurling League title to their silverware haul. However, that was as good as it got for Kelly and his colleagues at that time. Largely because the mesmeric forward has been plagued by injuries ever since.
That said, towards the end of last season, there were signs the wizardly citog was at least beginning to approach those stratospheric levels again. His ultimately futile efforts earning him a midfield berth on the All Star selection.
However, in a scenario that has sadly typified Kelly’s career, he then ended up missing the end of the Clare club season and the early part of this one with what, as far as can be recalled, was an ankle ailment. If there was any doubt – which there wasn’t – about what hurling had been missing we were gloriously reminded by his gargantuan efforts in the Munster final against Limerick.
Indeed, it was his moment of incalculable artistry in essaying goalwards the line ball which ended up saving the Banner’s skin as normal time elapsed which prompted utilisation of the poetic quote at the start of this offering.
Now, he may not have been at his jaw-dropping best on Saturday last, but still, when Clare’s need was greatest against Wexford last Saturday, it was he who stood tallest. Though whilst not in any way trying to dilute the influence of the audaciously brilliant T.K., it must be acknowledged that Lohan’s lads are far from one trick ponies.
With their main man subdued by his own exceptional standards, others needed to stand up, and did, once Darragh Egan’s team got off to a flying start as Jack O’Connor – one of three players of the same name to feature in Championship 2022 – netted after about 26 seconds. Thereafter, purple and gold scores flowed from Lee Chin and Oisin Foley and Diarmuid O’Keeffe.
In one sense, the men from Munster were quite fortunate to go in level a half time, 0-10 to 1-07, but from another angle they must have wondered how they weren’t in front. The reason they weren’t of course was down to errant shooting from Peter Duggan and, of all people, Kelly.
Mind you, by all accounts, the man who used to wear a helmet the same colour as his head gave them quite the rev up at the midway point. That said, did he not heap pressure on himself by withdrawing Rory Hayes so quickly after going to the bother of getting his suspension quashed?
As it happened, it turned out that several masterful decisions meant that giving the corner back the curly finger early on was allowed slip off the radar. Include the half time rallying cry therein if you like, but even without it, the introductions of Aron Shanagher and Shane Meehan were headline gold in themselves. Through the brought in pair, 1-4 was added to what ended up being an epic rescue mission.
Before all that though, the eventual winners had begun the second half as if fuelled by Lohan’s roasting ringing in their ears. Outstanding wing back Diarmuid Ryan drove forward and pointed twice, David Fitzgerald and David Reidy raised white flags before the redoubtable Shane O’Donnell put his head where a hurl wouldn’t go to effect a turnover and win a free which was converted by Duggan.
Equally as crucial as any of the aforementioned however was the manner in which Ryan Taylor and, most significantly, Kelly, thundered into the action.
Yet the pendulum kept swinging quicker than an umpire’s head at a tennis match. Thus, just as it appeared the men from the home of traditional Irish music were about to tune up the fiddles in celebration, their counterparts from the land of the strawberry refuelled and hit back again.
Custodian Mark Fanning, Chin and Mikie Dwyer all netted to leave the purple and gold six clear with the clock clearly in their favour. However, suddenly, in an instant Fanning went from hero to villain when misjudging an Aron Shanagher shot which ended up nestling in his net.
Again, however, I find myself reaching for a nugget of wisdom imparted in this direction by the late, great Paddy McIntyre Snr of Offaly, Dublin and Dunboyne – “You find your good players when you’re getting beat.
Cue the deputising double act – Shanagher and Meehan – and the great T. K. grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck and eventually seeing off a typically brave Wexford challenge.
While never inclined to write off Kilkenny and also fully aware that Clare were extremely flattered by the eventual winning margin, the 15/2 about them taking home Liam Mac Carthy and Tony Kelly being pick of the players again available about ten days ago looks great value now.
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