Cork hurlers and footballers back in the blood and bandage
NATIONAL HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 1A ROUND 1
Sport
Kilkenny 2-18 Cork 0-17
KILKENNY brushed Cork aside last weekend to get their defence of the title off to the best possible start.
In front of over 8,500 paying guests, the Cats showed they are much farther down the track than their opponents in a season that is likely to provide many seminal moments for both sides.
Surprisingly enough, Cork were favourites with the bookies heading to Nowlan Park last weekend however without the likes of Darragh Fitzgibbon, Seamus Harnedy, Mark Coleman and the Cadogans this was a side weakened in many positions.
There were plenty of positives for Cork before throw-in with Mallow’s Cormac Murphy and Kanturk’s Aidan Walsh returning to the side after long absences.
Any questions about whether Walsh had forgotten where the posts are were quickly answered with a tasty point on two minutes. The Kanturk man was busy early on, as was Luke Meade who was on the ball more than any other player in the early exchanges.
Murphy, like the other two, was on the ball right from the off however the Avondhu star continued throughout and really was the main star on a day to forget for the Rebels.
Walsh’s early point set Cork on their way for the year with Pa
Horgan landing the first of what will undoubtedly be a huge personal tally in 2019. Cork looked good early on with the normal January mistakes limited to an acceptable number.
A brace of close in frees for the home side tied things up by the 10thminute with Kilkenny missing two more opportunities than the men in red. Kilkenny legend Tommy Walsh lifted the roof with a brilliant take and clearance to set up another Cats attack, but when that came to nothing a magnificent side-line point from Deccie
Dalton raised gasps all over the ground.
Soon after Christopher
Joyce was caught napping in defence which set up Kevin
Kelly’s fourth score from placed balls as Kilkenny took the lead for the first time on 21 minutes – a lead the same player would extend to two moments later – again from a free.
Kilkenny looked strong in the middle period of the first half and could have moved a few more clear, but some poor shooting saw them gifting Cork’s Horgan the chance to cut the gap to the minimum – a chance he didn’t turn down.
Kilkenny hit back from the restart with a move that saw Billy Ryan sending substitute Richie Leahy through on goal and despite Nash spreading himself well the wing forward finished with aplomb. Cork were not going to be brushed aside that easily and three of the next four points from Horgan saw the gap back to two.
Cork went in at the turn trailing by just one, thanks in part to another point from Horgan and a superb score from Murphy, but it was mainly down to the fact that when Ryan was through on goal for a second time he pointed rather that raising the game’s second green flag. 1-8 to 0-10.
Cork needed a solid start if they were going to keep Kilkenny close and despite the home side striking first Murphy raised another white flag to stay well in the hunt, but that would all change in the 41st minute when Ryan burst through on goal to raise the second green flag of the day.
Murphy hit back with his third of the day but Kilkenny started taking control in most areas of the pitch and looked like they could put the away side to the sword at any minute.
Credit to Cork, they did battle on to the finish but in truth Cork never looked like reeling in their hosts and while Horgan did get through for Cork’s only real goal chance the spectacular save from Kilkenny keeper Eoin Murphy kept Kilkenny out on front and all but nailed down their opening two
points of this year’s campaign.
KILKENNY: E Murphy; P Murphy, H Lawlor, T Walsh; C Delaney (0-2), P Deegan (0-1), E Morrissey; J Maher, C Fogarty 0-1; J Donnelly 0-2, G Aylward 0-2, G Malone; B Ryan 1-1, K Kelly 0-8, (7f, 1 ‘65’), L Scanlon. Subs: R Leahy 1-0 for G Malone (inj) 18; C Browne 0-1 for Maher 44; L Blanchfield for Scanlon 56; P Lyng for Aylward 63
CORK: A Nash; S McDonnell, D Cahalane, C O’Sullivan; C Joyce, T O’Mahony, S O’Donoghue; C Cahalane, C Murphy 0-4; D Kearney 0-1, D Dalton
1, L Meade; J Coughlan, A Walsh 0-1, P Horgan 0-10 (5f) Subs: J O’Connor for J Coughlan ht; C Lehane for C. Cahalane 42; D Lowney for C O’Sullivan 52; M O’Halloran for L Meade 62
REFEREE: J Owens (Wexford)