Kilkenny In Easy Win Over The Dire Wexford Hurlers
Wexford's Ciaran Kenny with Eamon Walsh of Kilkenny (INPHO)
Kilkenny 0-23
Wexford 1-5
By Dermot Kavanagh
The real losers of this one sided affair were the diehards who paid the €15 per head entrance fee. As the score line suggests there was only one team in it as Kilkenny collected another pair of league points to top the league table without in any way exerting themselves. Wexford's manager John Meyler has now seen his team lose to Kilkenny four times within the last 12 months by an aggregate score of 48 points. Meyler's players just seemed to throw in the towel against Kilkenny. This is a frightening development as, if Wexford's teams down the years were noted for anything, it has been their battling "no surrender" attitude, irrespective of the challenge.
Of Kilkenny's total of 23 points 21 came from play. It seems that the Wexford defence were unable to even foul the Kilkenny players not to say out-hurl them.
Another statistic which demonstrates the disparity between the sides is that Kilkenny scored 17 points with the wind behind them while Wexford scored 1 goal when similarly assisted. A sad day for Wexford hurling
Galway 0-16 Tipperary 0-16
Despite a division of the points one suspects that Tipperary left Pearse Stadium in a happier mood than their opponents. Playing with only 14 men from the 35th minute Tipperary never let Galway out of sight and were thus in a position to get the levelling score when the opportunity presented itself.
A fair result, but a valuable away point for Tipperary.
Despite the strong wind (which favoured Tipperary) in the first-half both sides were equipped with a sufficient number of quality hurlers to play as if the wind was not an issue. Thus Galway would have gone in at half time relatively satisfied only 3 points in arrears (0-11 to 0-8) However Galway were also aware that in the second half the assistance of the wind alone would not win them the game. Thus they had to work hard for their scores and were never able to put any distance between themselves and a determined Tipperary.
As the 3 minutes of injury time were being played out Galway led by a solitary point.
Tipperary never lost sight of the belief that the game was always salvageable and when Galway transgressed almost 70 mins from their own goal Eoin Kelly stepped up to dissect the Galway posts for a well deserved draw in difficult conditions this was a very high quality game played at near championship pace. Full credit to both sides.
Waterford 3-29 Antrim 3-9
Antrim would have left Waterford on Sunday evening with mixed feelings. Their attack shot 3-9 past a full Waterford defence but their own defence conceded 32 scores against an under strength Waterford attack.
The game was effectively over at half time when Waterford led by 2-20 to 1-5.
It was clear that the second half would be one of damage limitation by Antrim who looked only a shadow of the team that defeated Wexford in the last round.
Waterford are now second in the league table behind Kilkenny and seem destined to make the knockout stages at least.
Limerick 2-15 Clare 0-12
Clare's wastefulness in attack when wind assisted in the first half was their undoing in this uncompromising game at Limerick. Clare shot 6 unopposed points in the first 15 minutes. Thereafter it was disappointment all the way as in the remaining 20 minutes they had 11 wides and only one solitary point, to more or less hand the initiative to Limerick. Thus when Clare went in at the break leading by only 2 points (0.7 to 1.2) the game was as good as over. Limericks goal by Sean O'Connor in the 32nd minute was the decisive score.
That Limerick scored 1.13 in the wind assisted second half as against Clare 0.7 in the first half clearly defines the difference between the two sets of forwards.
For the first time this year Limerick had the majority of their All Ireland Final team on duty. Their greater experience was telling, allowing them to weather Clare good start before inguiting their own case in the second half.
Whatever hope Clare had of holding out were well and truly finished in the 45th min when O'Shaughnessy shot Limericks second goal. Thereafter the game deteriorated as a spectacle, Limerick using the occasion as target practice and for giving the bench some playing time. Clare looked a long way off the pace, potentially in relation to basic hurling skills and the little flicks that Cork and Kilkenny display as if by magic.
Cork 3-18 Dublin 2-16
At half time in this thrilling game at Parnell Park a shock result looked on the cards. Dublin led by 1.11 to 1.3 and were looking comfortable against Gerard McCarthy's men. In fact Dublin's lead could have been much greater, a Corks goal was a gift from the Dublin goalkeeper while in the last minute of the half Declan Carton missed a gilt edge goal opportunity from no more than 5 metres out. With the benefit of the strong wind Cork dominated the second half. In that period they outscored Dublin by 2.12 to 1.4 but nonetheless Dublin were still level when the game entered the final 10 minutes. Corks ability to score long range points with relative ease was a notable difference between the teams.
Cork will be satisfied with the wind, their first two points of the league campaign. With games against Antrim and Wexford to come Corks relegation fears are almost diminished.
Dublin should be well satisfied with their efforts. They pushed Cork all the way, the losing margin not doing them justice. They do seem to have a goalkeeping problem which will have to be addressed as a matter of urgency
Laois 1-17 Offaly 2-13
Laois gathered their first league points following their last gasp win over Offaly at Portlaoise. Playing hurling of a fine quality were very impressive in the opening quarter and with accurate shooting built up a 0.6 to 0.1 lead. Holohan for Laois and Oakley for Offaly then exchanged goals but the momentum stayed with Laois who built up a half time lead of 1.10 to 1.6.
The opening stages of the second half saw points being exchanged for both sides. Then Offaly had their second goal by Oakley to set the game up for a dramatic finish. Further points were exchanged and with the game into injury time a draw seemed the most likely result. Then in the final passage of play, James Young, the best forward on view sent over the winner to send the large home following home in good spirits.
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