To be fair to the hurlers of Kilkenny and Galway they did their best to stage a classical outdoor drama for supporters of the Cats and the Tribe.
The state was brilliant. The outdoor arena was in pristine condition. But while they did well for the time of year both sets of performers still failed to cut the muster with their respective fans.
Yes the teams did serve up some exciting fair and yes there were times when the game threatened to develop into a thriller.
For whatever reasons, reasons that are no doubt now well known to team bosses Derek Lyng and Henry Shefflin, the best made plans of mice and men too often had a piece missing from the jigsaw.
Supporters will have returned home with mixed feelings. Galway could have won. Kilkenny should have won.
Consensus has to be that the dress rehearsal went reasonably well. What happened in UPMC Nowlan Park on Sunday will hardly be mentioned should or rather when the teams meet again in the Leinster Final later in the season.
Agatha Christie’s work of detective fiction Cat Among the Pigeons should bring a thunder and lightning encounter that will test the mettle of both counties and perhaps lead to an All-Ireland Final.
God is good.
The Devil can break hearts.
