KILKENNY RELY ON TRUE GRIT
Cats made to dig deep by Limerick as they keep their summer dreams alive
EEKING out this tight victory might just help cure Kilkenny of what has been ailing them over their long winter and spring. TJ Reid led the line scoring eight points in a leader’s display, while Michael Fennelly made a successful return to a Cats side back in a qualifier pot on Monday morning alongside Dublin, Tipperary and Waterford.
Wally Walsh’s four points from the half forward line, three from Paddy Deegan at midfield, and a two-point impact of Lester Ryan hauled them across the line. Not that it was pretty.
Richie Hogan was taken off scoreless, Colin Fennelly was subdued, while Ger Aylward also failed to find the target. In truth, it was a triumph of grit that sent Brian Cody’s men through to the next round.
For a Limerick team that has only beaten Westmeath (twice) in the past 24 months of championship action, it’s a familiar feeling. Summer holidays good and early.
The first half was a feast of missed chances. Of the 46 created, just 18 returned scores. Reid and Deegan – with his first of two in the opening half – split the posts early on before goalkeeper Eoin Murphy sent his first free attempt short.
Shane Dowling could’ve been in for a goal after four minutes but he couldn’t quite get his stick on a pass by David Dempsey. Dowling did knock over a free just after before both sides hit a couple of wides each.
The returning Fennelly started the game at wing-forward but moved out to midfield and began to influence the game – though rarely did he go on a gallop with it, simply receiving it and delivering.
Reid snapped several balls over Seamus Hickey during the first half and, as well as converting three frees, he also scored a beauty in first half injury time.
Well before that, the Cats had left a couple of open goals behind them. Firstly, Sean Finn got lost under a high ball on 11 minutes and let Chris Bolger sneak in behind. The Clara man soloed at goal but when he got inside the 14, instead of going for the net, he spooned over the bar. Kyle Hayes showed great pace and precision to pull one back, but then the wides began to add up, before Hegarty and a Dowling free levelled at 0-4 apiece.
A second Kilkenny goal chance came the way of Michael Fennelly on 23 minutes. Reid had pulled a puckout from the clouds and fed his clubmate, but the latter sent the ball directly at goalkeeper Nickie Quaid. Another escape. Peter Casey hit his first of the game to cancel out another Reid free but a lack of interplay upfront was costing the Treaty.
Too often their attackers had no one running off the shoulder. Too frequently their forwards threatened to take on the man only cut back, never quite testing the Kilkenny rearguard.
Paddy Deegan then claimed his second of three points while Wally Walsh necklaced together a hattrick of points inside seven minutes before the interval. Without either side playing particular well, the Cats had a couple of points to spare to go in 10-8 ahead at the break. When Brian Gavin threw the ball back in at the start of the second half, there was a sense of ‘game on’.
Peter Casey notched his second and third within five minutes of the restart while Dowling added a free and his first from play too to level. Deegan and a placed ball from Reid had ensured Limerick wouldn’t go ahead though, and at no stage in the game did they do so. From the 46th minute to the 64th, it was moving day for the Marble men. They turned a game that was level at 12 each to their advantage.
Wasteful Kilkenny also watched on as Bolger drew a save from Quaid to see a green flag go abegging once again. On the plus side, Reid (two frees), substitutes Liam Blanchfield, Kevin Kelly and Ryan, not to mention Wally Walsh, all threw the ball over the black spot in that Cat surge.
Only Dowling could do likewise for a Treaty side that was reeling. Not to mention a side that was hitting aimless ball upfield into the forward line.
Declan Hannon was getting onto a huge amount of ball from centreback and Cian Lynch began to make an impact, but their were swimming for a shore that always seemed too far away.
Dowling (free), substitutes Barry Nash and Pat Ryan narrow the gap to 18-16, but up stepped TJ Reid when few others seemed capabl
Joey Holden gave a low ball down the line, the Ballyhale man turned, and then checked back around the ’65 before firing over.
Dowling brought it back to two once more but Lester Ryan had the final say, turning over the Treaty defence before popping it over.
Kilkenny were never going to let a goal in, as highlighted when Hayes had a sniff of a run on goal but Paul Murphy cynically hauled him back. The old dogs for the hard road.
Back on the charge, and back in the pot on Monday morning for a another huge clash. KILKENNY: E Murphy; P Murphy, P Walsh, J Holden; C Fogarty, C Buckley, J Lyng; M Fennelly, P Deegan (L Ryan 55); C Bolger (M Bergin 64), W Walsh, TJ Reid; R Hogan (L Blanchfield 52), C Fennelly, G Aylward (K Kelly 45) Scorers: TJ Reid 0-8 (6f); W Walsh 0-4; P Deegan 0-3; K Kelly, L Ryan 0-2 each; C Bolger 0-1. LIMERICK: N Quaid; S Finn, R McCarthy, M Casey; D Morrissey, D Hannon (G O’Mahony temp 72-73), S Hickey; P Browne (P Ryan 59), D O’Donovan (J Ryan 50); D Dempsey (T Morrissey 54), C Lynch (G Mulcahy 68), G Hegarty (B Nash 46); P Casey, S Dowling, K Hayes. Scorers: S Dowling 0-8 (0-6f); P Casey 0-3; G Hegarty, K Hayes 0-2 each; P Ryan, B Nash 0-1 each. Referee: B Gavin (Offaly)/