National joy for Kilkenny champs
Thursday, March 17, 2005

Raging hot underdogs James Stephens tore up the script as they careered to a brilliant All-Ireland club hurling title win with a convincing victory over competition kingpins Athenry at sun-kissed Croke Park.

James Stephens 0-19
Athenry 0-14

A rock-solid defence, some ’big’ displays by their ’big’ players and far greater punch up front all conspired to catapult the Kilkenny and Leinster champions to the title.

Athenry were beaten by the better team, failed to find the winning formula in the last third of the pitch and hadn’t quite the hunger to match their opponents on the day.

The match was played in perfect playing conditions with the first half being a high-tempo, fiercely-fought affair.

There was never anything more than two points between the sides in the opening moiety with the sides being locked together on no less than eight occasions.

The first half saw the major part of the scores coming off placed balls with Eoin Larkin (James Stephens) and his Athenry counterpart Eugene Cloonan having a major say in that respect.

Man of the match Larkin, in particular, was key to his side’s influence on proceedings with the in-form attacker accounting for all but two of his side’s first half tally.

Larkin’s impact was such in fact that it took James Stephens all of 25 minutes to notch their first point from open play with midfielder Paddy O’Brien doing the business to level matters at 0-8 apiece.

Playing towards the Hill 16 end of the pitch, Athenry had marginally the better of the opening ten minutes of play and a great a point each from play by David Donoghue (6th) and Donal Moran (9th) added to the westerners’ lustre.

And when Eugene Cloonan converted a free in the 14th minute, Athenry looked good as they enjoyed a two point lead, 0-6 to 0-4, for the first time in the match.

But with Brian McEvoy and Philly Larkin coming more and more into the game for the Kilkenny champions, the maroon and whites came under increasing pressure in trying to keep their noses in front.

Thanks, in part, to the accuracy of Eoin Larkin, James Stephens duly got back on terms and then went in front with a converted free by Larkin in the 20th minute putting his side 0-7 to 0-6 in front.

One minute later the same player burst through with a goal on his mind but Athenry ’keeper Michael Crimmins saved with some comfort.

The game continued to mirror the proverbial see-saw encounter but one sensed that James Stephens weren’t reaping the return on the scoreboard that their yield from open play warranted.

Still the enjoyment of the game was, if anything, exacerbated by the inability of either team to steal a march on their opponent.

And terrific blocks by a range of combatants but especially Tomas Kelly and some brilliant striking, especially by Brian McAvoy and Philly Larkin, added to the growing sense of excitement and tension.

The first half proceeded to race to a frantic finish with David McCormick putting ’Stephens ahead by the odd point in seventeen in the 26th minute only for Eugene Cloonan to level matters yet again on the half-hour.

The Adrian Finan-managed James Stephens crew kept pushing forward though to the break and they got their just deserts one minute into added-on time when the outstanding Eoin McCormick pointed to give the Kilkenny champions a 0-10 to 0-9 interval lead; one which was hardly reflective of their superiority from open play in the first moiety.

James Stephens were much more efficient in going forward, much sharper on the restart and a hat-trick of unanswered points by Joe Murphy, Eoin McCormick and Richie Hayes left Athenry four points adrift after 37 minutes.

Gradually the superior hunger and cohesiveness of the Kilkenny men became all the more conspicuous.

Amazingly though, despite playing second fiddle for the major part of the third quarter, Athenry - with a point from a Cloonan free - were still only three points behind, 0-11 to 0-14, after 45 minutes.

But the greater momentum remained with James Stephens and as Martin Phelan continued to do a great job in policing Eugene Cloonan and little going right for Joe Rabbitte, Athenry’s punch up front continued to be suspect.

Indeed once James Stephens’ ’keeper Cantwell intercepted a Cloonan pass in the 48th minute after a move which had goal written all over it, the writing was on the wall for the westerners.

Eoin Larkin popped over his ninth point in the 51st minute to counter a brilliant Brian Higgins point but then Eoin McCormick hit a purple patch to fire over four consecutive points to all but nail Athenry’s coffin.

Athenry, trailing by 0-12 to 0-19 with 53 minutes on the clock, went for broke but when they hit the crossbar and saw David Donohoe’s shot skim the butt of the ’Stephens’ post, they must have known their time was up.

James Stephens seemed to know it too and they proceeded to canter their way to the finishing post.

The Kilkenny team’s amazing odyssey, which was kick-started with their county final win last October, had reached a beautiful climax.