At that stage of the match, Na Piarsaigh looked to be repeatedly running into red and black brick walls. Two minutes later, Downes came raiding again but was hunted down once more and his pass ended up in the hands of Barry Coughlan for another turnover.

Na Piarsaigh were chasing goals when handy points were available but, up to that point of the second half, their shot count was barely believable for a side with their class and firepower – in that opening 21 minutes of the half, Na Piarsaigh had only got off four shots, which amounted to one point. In the same period, Ballygunner got off 15 shots, eight of which they converted.

Na Piarsaigh’s main strike forwards were consistently struggling to escape the clutches of the Ballygunner rearguard. Up to that point of the match, Casey, Downes, David Dempsey and Adrian Breen had got off just seven shots combined, only one of which was converted.

Casey finally came into the game in the last ten minutes, when winning two frees and playing the pass into Conor Boylan, which led to a close-in free, which was saved, and which resulted in the 65 that led to Breen’s goal. Na Piarsaigh did have two more late goal chances, which stemmed from long, high balls, but they were reduced to that tactic – which nearly worked – because they were struggling so much to convert from play out the field.

In total, Na Piarsaigh only nailed three scores from 15 shots from play. They would expect far better but much of that credit has also to go to the Waterford side; four Na Piarsaigh shots in the first half were either blocked, hooked or there was enough pressure applied to ensure the shot dropped short.

Na Piarsaigh’s overall conversion rate was just 38%, compared to Ballygunner’s 55%. Similar to last year’s game too, Pauric Mahony’s influence was again massive; as well as nailing eight points from 12 placed ball attempts, Mahony also scored three points from three shots in open play.

Mahony and Ballygunner were just more clinical all day – both on the scoreboard and in the tackle and turnover count.

Corofin look a class above – again 

In his RTÉ TV interview after Saturday’s Connacht semi-final against Ballina Stephenites, Gary Sice painted a neat picture of how the younger and talented generation of Corofin players are desperately chasing the glory of their predecessors, of how much they are craving the challenge of meeting the merciless standard that Corofin have set in the province.

“In fairness to the young lads, they’re hungry,” said Sice. “They were asking a lot of questions after the county final about what happens next, and what it looks like, what it's like to go to a Connacht level.” 

Corofin have made a habit of cutting loose when they get out of the county. Everything Corofin did, especially in the first half looked a class above Ballina. The comparative differences between both team’s styles was also very evident, especially Corofin’s kickpassing and movement. Ballina were more direct after the break but they were still too slow and ponderous in their build-up play, which enabled Corofin to hammer them on turnovers; 11 of Corofin’s 16 scores stemmed from Ballina turnovers.

Corofin’s speed of transition was reflective of their speed of thought – anytime they forced a turnover, they were instantly looking to attack and make something happen. That style also negated Ballina’s press in the middle of the field in the first half, but Ballina finally began to get some joy off the Corofin kickout in the second half, winning five of those restarts and translating that possession into three points.

Corofin went 12 minutes without a score, but they refused to panic. Ballina had put so much energy into that third quarter too that Corofin just picked them off down the home straight. Gary Sice was outstanding while Micheál Lundy came off the bench and kicked two points, while he also had a key hand in two more scores, one of which was finished by the outstanding Jack McCabe, who ended with 0-5 from play.

A vintage Corofin performance was exemplified by a 76% conversion rate in dire conditions. As Corofin get set to appear in a seventh Connacht final in ten years, the young players certainly know now what is expected off them.

Kiladangan are heroic but Tipp’s club record remains long sorrowful mystery 

Before Kiladangan embarked on a maiden Munster club campaign yesterday in Semple Stadium, against Clonlara, manager John O’Meara said that their inexperience in the competition was offset by their huge experience in the Tipperary championship. Between semi-finals and finals in just the last five seasons, Kiladangan had played 11 massive games in Semple Stadium, which included six county final appearances (including two replays). “The group themselves are experienced enough,” said O’Meara.

Kildangan needed every bit of that worldliness given the struggles of Tipperary clubs in Munster over the last decade. Kiladangan were heroic, especially with how they fought with their lives after being reduced to 13 men in the second half, but they just came up short. The latest result means that Tipp’s record in the competition in the last ten years is now just 27%, with just three wins from 11 games. And two of those wins – by Borris-Ileigh – came in the one season.

There is devil in the detail though, because the Tipp clubs have been highly competitive. Removing the only two poor results in the last ten years – Clonoulty/Rossmore’s 18-point whipping at the hands of Na Piarsaigh in 2018, and Kilruane MacDonagh’s 17-point hammering by Ballygunner last year - the average margin of defeat is just 3.3 points.

Two of those defeats came after extra time. Yesterday’s match almost went to extra-time again but Kiladangan’s pain added to the agony of Tipperary clubs’ recent record in Munster.