On this day, Kilkenny and Tipperary played out an epic National Hurling League final - It took 90 minutes to separate the sides in an extra-time thriller at Semple Stadium.

The day was May 03, 2009

The score? Kilkenny 2-26 Tipperary 4-17

May 03, 2009

NHL: Cats take Division One crown

Kilkenny are national hurling league champions after a spectacular 2-26 to 4-17 victory over Tipperary after extra time in a Thurles thriller. The two best teams in the country produced a thrilling encounter, at the end of which extra time was needed to settle the issue.

Tipperary stood toe-to-toe with the mighty Cats in the first half and goals from James Woodlock and John O'Brien had them five points to the good at the interval, 2-7 to 0-8.  There were no late changes to the Tipperary side, while Kilkenny manager Brian Cody brought John Tennyson in at midfield in place of Michael Fennelly.

The All-Ireland champions made a purposeful start with two Henry Shefflin points inside the opening two minutes but James Woodlock gave Tipp a massive early boost when he kicked a loose ball to the Kilkenny net following a scramble in the Cats' defence.

There was pandemonium in the Kilkenny rearguard again next time the Premier County came forward and this time it was midfielder Shane McGrath who improvised well to knock the sliothar over his head and between the posts with his back to goal.

Amazingly, Tipp captain John O'Brien crashed another shot to the net on eight minutes and the holders led by 2-1 to 0-1. In the build-up to that goal, Kilkenny centre back Brian Hogan was flattened by a shoulder challenge from his opposite number Seamus Callanan.

Hogan had to be stretchered off as a result of that heavy hit and Martin Comerford came on to replace him. But a wrestling match broke out between Comerford and Declan Fanning, both of whom were yellow-carded, to be replaced by Michael Grace and Brendan Maher respectively.

Liam Sheedy also threw Hugh Maloney into the fray in place of Shane Maher and there was a real niggly edge to proceedings. Woodlock swivelled to knock over a second Tipp point and the Munster county led by 2-2 to 0-2 with 16 minutes played.

Eddie Brennan and Aidan Fogarty both clipped over Kilkenny points in the 19th minute and Fogarty seemed to have followed up with a goal in the 20th minute. Much to Kilkenny's dismay, however, the 'goal' was ruled out as Henry Shefflin was adjudged to have carried the ball out over the sideline in the build-up to Fogarty's excellent finish.

Play was therefore brought back for a Tipp sideline ball. Callanan converted a long-range free and O'Brien was marginally wide with a brave effort from the right wing. On 27 minutes, Callanan stretched the gap to two goals, 2-4 to 0-4, when he thumped over another long free from a central position after a high tackle on Padraic Maher was penalised.

Shefflin fired a low free over the bar from distance into the wind and Paul Curran got back well to deny TJ Reid a possible goal. From the resultant 65, Shefflin was as unerring as ever and his point made it 0-4 to 2-4.

The sides traded points when Callanan - with another booming free - and Fogarty hit the target and the latter registered his second successive score to reduce the gap to just three points in the last minute of first-half normal time, 2-5 to 0-8.

Shane McGrath delivered his second point in the second of three added minutes and Brendan Cummins made a spectacular diving save from Shefflin seconds before Noel McGrath closed the first-half scoring with the Premier County leading by 2-7 to 0-8.

Tipperary's Paddy Stapleton gets away from Kilkenny's Eoin Larkin. ©INPHO/Cathal Noonan.

There was an electrifying start to the second half when Callanan and Richie Hogan knocked in a goal at either end. Callanan had Tipp momentarily eight points clear but Hogan replied instantly: 3-7 to 1-8. Cats captain Henry Shefflin was dismissed with a yellow card for a stray pull in the 41st minute and was replaced by James Cha Fitzpatrick.

Just before that, Callanan had converted a Tipp free to leave the gap at six. Kilkenny pulled back a point from a Hogan free; Noel McGrath missed one at the other end; and the Tipp No.13 - operating effectively as a third midfielder - then made amends with a spectacular point from open play.

Hogan pointed from play in the eleventh minute of the second half and Fogarty carved open the Tipperary defence to drive a low shot to the net in the 50th minute. The gap was now down to two. Noel McGrath replied with a magnificent Tipperary point from close to the sideline on the right wing before Hogan tapped over another free to leave the match delicately poised with one quarter left to play: 3-10 to 2-11 in Tipp's favour.

Again, it was Noel McGrath who restored the holders' three-point advantage before O'Brien added another from play to put four in it. Hogan's free kept the Cats in touch and Lar Corbett was wide from a late goal chance. Kilkenny pulled another one back and a controversial Hogan free had the Leinster and All-Ireland champions within a point with five minutes of normal time left. Callanan pointed a free from the 21-metre line to the right and it was 3-13 to 2-14 with four minutes left.

Sixty seconds later, Hogan again reduced the margin to a point with another tidy free and substitute Grace sprinted down the right wing and cut back to place Fogarty for the equalising point in the 68th minute. With two minutes left, Tipp were awarded a lucky free in front of the posts 50 metres out and Callanan missed for a chance to leave the scores still deadlocked.

Then, dramatically, in the second minute of added time, Hogan - bringing his tally to 1-7 - kept his calm to float over a superb free from the right to give Kilkenny a one-point lead. That was the first time Tipp had trailed since Woodlock's goal and they were given a lifeline when a late, late free was awarded close to goal and Noel McGrath converted. Extra time was needed as the score at the end of normal time was: Kilkenny 2-17, Tipperary 3-14.

The Cats started extra time well with points from Reid and Fogarty and Callanan pointed a free in the fourth minute. Hogan found Reid unmarked from a 21-metre free out on the right and the Kilkenny full forward made to mistake to put Brian Cody's men two ahead again - 2-20 to 3-15. Michael Kavanagh was yellow carded two minutes from the end of the first period of extra time and Michael Webster came close to bagging a fourth Tipp goal only to see his trickling shot cleared off the line by Tommy Walsh.

Callanan popped over a free and there was just a point in it at the end of the first period of extra time. Tipp got the perfect start to the second period of added time when Noel McGrath netted within seconds but Reid replied with a Kilkenny point. Hogan pointed from play in the 84th minute to tie it up again - 2-22 to 4-16.

When Reid was fouled five minutes from time, Hogan clipped the free over and the Cats led by one again. Hogan doubled the lead with a point from play after a good Brennan run before Eoin Larkin drove over another Kilkenny point three minutes from the end.

Tipp got the sympathy vote in the shape of a late free and Brendan Cummins came up to take the free from 24 metres in front of the posts. The goalkeeper's late drive went over the bar and Kilkenny still led by two.

Tipp were awarded another soft free near the middle of the pitch but Kilkenny cleared their lines in the shape of a spectacular 100-yard Eddie Brennan point, What a finish to an incredible match!

Kilkenny - PJ Ryan; M Kavanagh, JJ Delaney, J Tyrrell; T Walsh, B Hogan, J Ryall; J Tennyson, M Rice; R Hogan (1-10), H Shefflin (0-4), E Larkin (0-1); E Brennan (0-2), TJ Reid (0-4), A Fogarty (1-5). Subs - M Comerford for Hogan, M Grace for Comerford, J Fitzpatrick for Shefflin, S Cummins for Kavanagh.

Tipperary - B Cummins (0-1); P Stapleton, P Curran, C O'Brien; Pádraic Maher, D Fanning, S Maher; T Stapleton, S McGrath (0-2); L Corbett, S Callanan (1-7), J Woodlock (1-1); N McGrath (1-5), M Webster, J O'Brien (1-1). Subs - B Maher for Fanning, H Maloney for S Maher, B Dunne for Maloney, S Hennessy for Woodlock, D Fitzgerald for Stapleton, Patrick Maher for Webste, E Buckley for Pádraic Maher.

Ref - J Sexton (Cork).

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