Brian Barry
GAA Editor @BrianGBarry
Kilkenny manager Brian Cody revels in 'massively satisfying' win over Limerick
Cody: "I said at the start of the year that we'd huge confidence in the players we had"
Last Updated: 27/07/19 9:40pm
Brian Cody expressed his delight after Kilkenny's All-Ireland semi-final win over Limerick.
Cody has won 16 of 19 All-Ireland semi-finals in charge of Kilkenny - losing twice and drawing once. That record isn't likely to be toppled anytime soon. But perhaps Saturday's victory over reigning champions Limerick was the most pleasing of the lot, given how the Cats were so widely written off.
"The prize is huge - getting to the All-Ireland final," he said after the one-point win.
"Obviously we knew the opposition was serious, All-Ireland champions, outstanding champions. We came up here to be competitive, to give ourselves a chance and we were obviously competitive but we had to keep it going, grind it out and to finish ahead at the final whistle is massively satisfying.
"I said at the start of the year that we'd huge confidence in the players we had, I know we had injuries, but I continued to say we'd huge confidence in our players, and I still have because they're very, very honest."
The 11-time All-Ireland winning manager was pleased with how his side executed their game-plan, nullifying the Treaty's main threats.
"It was a question of everybody applying themselves to whatever responsibility they had," he continued.
"All the players took responsibility because individually all the Limerick players are capable and give great leadership and have done so many times so it was a question of knuckling down and applying ourselves. We had that in abundance throughout the field and had there been any slackness from anybody, it was going to be damaging for us the way the game went.
"They got a goal very, very late in the first half and very late in the second half and that sets you back and you need a response. After the first goal we went straight up and got a point and that's a serious thing to do. Then near the end, it's a question of 'grind it out', 'grind it out' and keep it going and it's a great tribute to the players."
The Cats burst out of the traps, storming into a 1-8 to 0-2 lead. Given that Munster champions have only twice won their ensuing All-Ireland semi-final this decade, many are suggesting that the Treaty were sluggish following their long lay-off, and Cody went along with the theory.
"Possibly," he mused. "I don't know from their point of view. From our point of view, the matches definitely helped us because all year you don't get an awful lot of matches so there was a two-week gap to a really serious game under our belts, massively competitive and up here (Croke Park) as well, which didn't do us any harm. We started very well and our first 15 minutes was really, really good and that stood to us in the end because every score we got counted in the end."
However, it wasn't a view held by opposite number John Kiely, who was eager not to make excuses.
"Not at all no," said Kiely, when asked if the break affected Limerick's performance levels. "No impact and no regrets on anything we did.
"We gave the lads a week off, we trained hard. We were ready for tonight, we were absolutely ready. Kilkenny brought a ferocious intensity to the first 15 minutes but we responded to that in kind in the second quarter. We dominated it. We felt very comfortable at half time that we had the resolve to push on in the second half but we probably struggled a little bit with our efficiency in front of goals. They had eight wides, we had 15. You only need one of those, but that's just sport.
"I don't think they had a greater level of intensity than us throughout the whole game. I disagree with that. There were phases of the game where we had the ascendancy with regard to the intensity and phases where they had the ascendancy. I just think that they got a greater outcome from their periods where they dominated than where we dominated."
Make sure to tune into the second semi-final of the weekend, as Tipperary face Wexford on Sunday afternoon, live on Sky Sports Arena from 2.30pm!
You can also stay up to date with all the action by following us @SkySportsGAA and get all the latest news, previews and interviews at www.skysports.com/gaa.
