Colin Fennelly says it took guts for Richie Hogan to deliver Kilkenny redemption

Last Saturday evening was the ultimate redemption story for Richie Hogan, 15 months on from his red card in the first half of the All-Ireland final, which Kilkenny lost to Tipperary by 14 points.

The Cats returned to Croke Park last weekend for their first major final since their defeat to the Premier, and it looked to be slipping away from their grasp in the second half.

But the introduction of former Hurler of the Year Hogan swung the contest, as the Danesfort man scored 1-2 to help the Nore-siders win their first Leinster Championship since 2016.

Colin Fennelly was thrilled for his team-mate.

"Last year he was going from game to game and he was struggling with injuries. This year, I'm not sure if the break did him good, but he's in every session now and you can see that from the match the other day, any match he got near his movement was excellent. And the goal he created was unbelievable," said the Ballyhale man.

"To have him there as an option to come off the bench is unbelievable and he changed the game on Saturday, everybody saw that. It's great to see that recognition because last year I thought he had a good year for Kilkenny and it was clouded by that final. I don't think there was much in it, but it was just clouded by that.

"A lot of players might have hung up the boots at 32/33 after something like that, with all the injuries they had. It takes a lot of guts to come back and to be on the bench and come on and do what he does."

Hogan's goal was one to remember, but it was of little surprise to his fellow players.

"He's outrageously skilful," commented Fennelly. "The things you see him doing in training, you'd wonder how he's not playing. But there's loads of lads in training and you're wondering how he's not playing and that's probably a good thing for Kilkenny that we have that at the moment, there's serious competition there for places.

"Brian Cody has that option where he has Richie to come off the bench to change the game. He's a completely different player to some of us and it's a huge turning point in a game. You could see when he came on against Dublin he was unfortunate with two scores. And if he was to get those two scores and normally he would, he would have changed that game as well."

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Kilkenny are back winning championship silverware after a 'drought' by their impossibly high standards - four years was their longest run without a Bob O'Keeffe Cup triumph since 1993-1998.

"It was massive because I think it's four years since we actually won a Leinster [or] All-Ireland," said Fennelly.

"We had been so close over the last five years and as time goes on it keeps on going all of a shot and you could be another few years away from it. So if you let those chances slip by it could be another while before it happens.

"So it's very important from getting to the final last year and getting to the final this year to get a win this year was huge. I know we won the League last year which was huge, but to get a Leinster back in our pocket was a good achievement for us and a good step going forward to the All-Ireland."

As focus now turns to delivering the biggest prize of the lot, a two-week lead-in to their semi-final will benefit Brian Cody's team.

"I definitely find it's a huge advantage," he continued.

"I know with the club it was week after week and you'd really feel it. Whereas now with the county you have that two-week break. We'll have Wednesday and Saturday of good hurling sessions in and for players like me who didn't have a good game at the weekend I can follow up with trying to get my form back in training.

"Whereas if we were playing this weekend again I wouldn't have that opportunity and it's the same for other players as well.

"And for those players who were in form at the weekend they want to brush on their skills too and it gives you that break for guys like Richie Hogan who need that time just to recover. It's a huge advantage as well."

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