Kilkenny are 2006 All-Ireland senior hurling champions following a comprehensive 1-16 to 1-13 defeat of Cork in a claustrophobic decider at Croke Park. More than 82,000 spectators packed into Headquarters to witness a tough physical struggle and the Cats held the edge throughout as they deservedly dashed Cork's three-in-a-row dream. The Noresiders led from the 15th minute and were on Cloud Nine at sun-kissed Croker as they added the Liam McCarthy Cup to their Leinster championship and national hurling league haul, capping a magnificent year for the Black & Amber brigade. Unbelievable defending from Kilkenny never allowed the Cork forwards time or space to settle, while Aidan Fogarty and Henry Shefflin provided the scores that proved decisive at the final whistle. Kilkenny had the better of the first half and led thanks to Fogarty's opportunist goal six minutes from the break. The Cats were sharp and aggressive during those opening 35 minutes and were full value for their 1-8 to 0-8 half-time cushion. Cork, on the other hand, weren't on song and John Allen's men were frustrated by a combination of Kilkenny willingness to hunt in packs as well as the referee's determination to prevent them from taking quick puck-outs. Thus, the defending champions never found their rhythm and were probably rather fortunate to be so close at the break. Kilkenny's general all-round superiority was let down only by some wayward shooting. Shefflin opened the scoring when he converted a free after 40 seconds and Joe Deane levelled matters with another converted free 90 seconds later. The inimitable Shefflin arrowed another free between the Canal End posts on six minutes and the Cats led by two following a wonderful individual score from Fogarty, who beat two men and found the range with ease. Niall McCarthy raised Cork's spirits with a spectacular strike from distance and Ben O'Connor equalised when he latched onto Ronan Curran's precise free to slip the sliothar accurately over the bar from the left. McCarthy's third stellar catch of the opening quarter set Deane up for the lead score, which the diminutive corner forward took brilliantly across his left shoulder. With eleven minutes on the clock, the Rebels led by 0-4 to 0-3. It was the only time the Munster champions would lead in the entire match. When Jerry O'Connor fouled Fogarty, Shefflin got his third point from another free and the deadly No.11 followed up instantly with a clever score from play. Thanks to four Shefflin points, the Black & Amber led by 0-5 to 0-4 after 15 minutes. Martin Comerford opened his account via a post when he might well have been penalised for taking too many steps, while the Kilkenny full forward and his marker Diarmuid O'Sullivan both received yellow cards for some off-the-ball antics. Deane popped over a 25th-minute free and Cork's leveller a minute later was simplicity personified: Donal Óg Cusack's puck-out found Deane, who picked out Jerry O'Connor. The unmarked Newtownshandrum midfielder knocked over a trademark score to tie proceedings up. Shefflin and Deane (free) traded scores, with Cats full back Noel Hickey seeing yellow for a wild pull. Fogarty's goal arrived in the 29th minute: O'Sullivan seemed destined to gobble up a huge delivery into the Cork goalmouth but the ball bounced out of the Cork full back's hand and was seized upon by Fogarty, who sent a deceptive shot over the off-balance Cusack to the roof of the net. Kilkenny's unbelievable tenacity prevented Cork from getting any foothold in the first half but there was nothing anybody could do to prevent Ben O'Connor's excellent 34th-minute effort from sailing majestically between the posts. A bad mistake by Brian Murphy gifted Derek Lyng Kilkenny's eighth point and the Leinster champions might well have been further ahead at the break but for disappointing wides from Shefflin (2) and James Ryall. Brian Cody had his homework done as his team were winning most of the personal duels in addition to some very clever zone play. Kilkenny had a great chance to stretch their lead 20 seconds after the restart but Shefflin shot uncharacteristically wide - his third successive miss and another let-off for the champions of the past two years. Cork appeared to be overplaying the ball, but there was no such messing from John Gardiner as he sidestepped his man and then ran at the Kilkenny defence before registering a good point. But the in-form Fogarty cancelled that score out in similar no-nonsense fashion. Cork introduced Kieran Murphy (Sarsfields) for the ineffective Neil Ronan but were disappointed as Deane's difficult free flew wide and the three-point gap remained intact. The Rebels suffered another psychological blow when the raiding Jerry O'Connor was brilliantly dispossessed by Ryall. Cork captain Pat Mulcahy received a booking for striking Comerford and continuous dithering in possession certainly wasn't helping the Rebels' cause. A routine Deane free closed the gap on 47 minutes but, yet again, Kilkenny's response was immediate - this time a great point from James 'Cha' Fitzpatrick. In 15 second-half minutes, the teams had managed to add just two points apiece to their respective interval tallies - 1-10 to 0-10. Gardiner, Fogarty and Murphy were all guilty of inaccurate shooting as the match stuttered towards its final quarter. The heavily congested midfield sector meant that the game was a very poor spectacle but the Cats didn't mind at all as Richie Power extended their lead in the 53rd minute. Deane converted another free after he himself had been fouled but, disappointing, the Rebels continued to overplay and surrendered possession meekly on numerous occasions. Their shortpassing game was putting them into trouble and it gifted Shefflin another point from a free. With just over ten minutes remaining, Ben O'Connor knocked over an inspirational point to bring Cork back within three but Eddie Brennan's point on the stroke of the hour made it 1-13 to 0-12. When Fogarty drove over his third point of the evening and Shefflin added a pointed free, Kilkenny looked to be home and dry as they led by 1-15 to 0-12 with seven minutes remaining. Ben O'Connor (free) and Shefflin swapped points but O'Connor's brilliant 67th-minute goal gave the holders renewed hope. It was a great goal. Brian Corcoran and Niall McCarthy showed remarkable determination and persistence and worked the ball into Ben, who drove a low shot to the back of the net - 1-16 to 1-13. It was to be the last score of the 2006 SHC, however. Shefflin surprisingly sent a free wide and Gardiner also missed the target at the end of normal time. Two minutes of added time were announced but there was no further incident as Kilkenny held on to complete a fantastic clean sweep. Cork: D Óg Cusack; B Murphy, D O'Sullivan, P Mulcahy; J Gardiner (0-1), R Curran, S Óg Ó hAilpín; T Kenny, J O'Connor (0-1); T McCarthy, N McCarthy (0-1), N Ronan; B O'Connor (1-3), B Corcoran, J Deane (0-6). Subs: K Murphy, W Sherlock, C Naughton, C O'Connor, C Cusack Kilkenny: J McGarry; J Tyrell, N Hickey, M Kavanagh; J Ryall, J Tennyson, T Walsh; D Lyng (0-1), J Fitzpatrick (0-1); R Power (0-1), H Shefflin (0-8), E Larkin; E Brennan (0-1), M Comerford (0-1), A Fogarty (1-3). Subs: W O'Dwyer, R Mullally Tweet

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