Galway next up for Lyng’s men

BY NIALL SHERRY, SPORTS EDITOR

SPORTSEDITOR@KILKENNYOBSERVER.IE

LEINSTER GAA HURLING SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

Round 1, UPMC Nowlan Park

Kilkenny 5-30 Antrim 0-13

The Cats went goal crazy in their round 1 provincial clash with Antrim, hitting five majors in a game that was done and by halftime. While TJ ruled in the opening period, it would be subs including Owen Wall (2-2), Gearoid Dunne (1-1) and Billy Drennan (1-6) that really fired the home side to victory. Worryingly for Derek Lyng and his management team, both Adrian Mullen and Eoin Cody were forced off through injury, but he will hope to have both available for this weekend’s trip west.

TJ Reid, back in the starting line-up, having missed the Allianz league final, opened the scoring in the opening seconds with a free, after Galway whistler Shane Hynes penalised Antrim captain Eoghan Campbell for an illegal hand pass. The legendary Shamrocks forward doubled the home sides lead a minute later, again from the placed ball, having taken a slap across the arm from a Saffrons defender. The Ulstermen got the scoreboard moving shortly after via Conal Cunning who split the posts from a free following an infringement by David Blanchfield.

Mossy Keoghan and John Donnelly then combined to set up Adrian Mullen for a fine point after five minutes before Richie Reid picked up a loose ball in space and made no mistake in pointing from out the park. Tom Phelan, who was in for his first appearance of the season, then gave a lovely pass to John Donnelly who fired over a nice point to push the Kilkenny lead out to 4 points. Then a bit of a let off for the home side, when after a foul, the referee consulted with his umpires awarded Antrim just a free when it could have possibly been a penalty and black card. Conal Cunning slotted the placed ball for his side’s second score of the game after 9 minutes of play at UPMC Nowlan Park.

Darren Gleeson’s side then hit two further scores without reply, a lovely effort from Loughgiel’s James McNaughton built on by another free from Dunloy’s Cunning. Derek Lyng was then forced to make an early change, when Adrian Mullen left the field to be replaced by Gearoid Dunne, with a possibly knee injury. The Village’s Cian Kenny was then put in by Eoin Cody and the former registered his first point of the game. Mossy Keoghan rifled over a quality score having taken a nice pass from Richie Reid to leave the Noresiders lead at 3 points.

The next score was a big one and gave the hosts some breathing space. A long delivery into the danger zone was collected by TJ who struck his shot past Ryan Elliott in the Antrim goal, to make it a 6-point game. Kilkenny kept the pressure on from the restart, securing possession through Richie Reid who found his brother who did the rest for another lovely point. Captain Paddy Deegan then picked out TJ who moved the sliotar onto Mossy Keoghan who struck over a sweet point.

Then came a big blow for Antrim. Referee Hynes awarded a penalty to Kilkenny and also gave a black card to the visitor’s keeper Ryan Elliott. It may have been a little harsh, considering the earlier incident. Antrim sent on sub keeper Tiarnan Smyth for his championship debut – and his first action was to face a penalty from the record scorer in championship history – TJ Reid. Credit to the Ballycastle man, he managed to save the penalty and give the Ulstermen something to cling to. Indeed, they registered the next score of the game, a fine effort from Creggan’s Conor McCann to reduce the Kilkenny lead to seven points.

The Cats recorded the next three scores, another placed ball from TJ and two nice efforts from Gearoid Dunne and Cian Kenny. Dunloy’s Conal Cunning to his credit, was keeping the scoreboard ticking over fired over another free before Kilkenny’s captain Paddy Deegan struck over a trademark score to leave ten points between the sides. Thomastown’s John Donnelly and Young Ireland’s Mikey Carey tagged on further points for Lyng’s men before Antrim’s main man, Cunning notched the final score of the opening half to leave the scoreline at UPMC Nowlan Park reading Kilkenny 1-15, Antrim 0-7.

The Kilkenny management sent on Lisdowney’s Aidan Tallis in place of Eoin Murphy, who needed treatment late in the opening period, following a high challenge on the Glenmore man. The first notable action of the second half saw another Shamrocks Ballyhale man leave the field injured, this time it was Eoin Cody. Owen Wall was sent on to replace the 2-time former young hurler of the year, and what an impact the O’Loughlin’s man would go on to have.

The Marble City men hit the first three scores after the interval, another free from TJ and two from play via John Donnelly and Shane Murphy. Like the opening period, it would be Dunloy’s Conal Cunning that opened the Saffrons account, again via the placed ball. The home team’s next score was crafted just a stone’s throw from Nowlan Park. The returning Mikey Butler played a lovely pass to club mate Owen Wall who finished with aplomb. The men from the North got just their third score from play courtesy of the hard-working Nigel Elliott to reduce the Cats lead to 13 points.

Kilkenny then withdrew the first half’s chief protagonist, TJ Reid for a well-deserved rest, having finished his day with an impressive 1-5 and causing lots of problems to a beleaguered Antrim defence. Reid’s replacement, Billy Drennan got his first point of the game, not long after entering the field, having been well picked out by John Donnelly. Midfielder Cian Kenny, who was enjoying his day at the office then fired over his 3rd of the game for his sides twenty-first point of the provincial opener before Antrim skipper Eoghan Campbell burst forward to notch a well-taken score for his sides 10th point of the game.

The crowd in attendance at UPMC Nowlan Park knew that Antrim were quite a bit off the pace and that the possibility of a comeback was highly unlikely, and unfortunately for them, the next score would sap any remaining positive energy out of the Ulstermen. Owen Wall showed blistering space to race clear before striking an unstoppable shot past Tiarnan Smyth in the Antrim goal on 49 minutes. Tullaroan’s Martin Keoghan then pounced for another lovely point as Graigue Ballycallan’s Billy Ryan came on for Conahy Shamrocks Tom Phelan.

Captain Paddy Deegan then found himself with acres of space and took the opportunity to fire over his second score of the game which Antrim replied to with yet another free from the reliable Conal Cunning. The next three scores came from the Cats, two placed efforts from Galmoy’s Billy Drennan and a sweet point from play by the irrepressible Owen Wall. Another change for the home side saw Tommy Walsh replace Mikey Butler, who will be all the better for 60-odd minutes action and be more ‘match ready’ for the trip to Galway next week.

Goal number three for the Cats came on 65 minutes. Billy Drennan forced the turnover to allow Owen Wall and Mossy Keoghan the chance to set up a well taken major for Gearoid Dunne, who has been in impressive form for the U20’s this season. Drennan tagged on another score before James McNaughton registered his 2nd point of a disappointing afternoon on Noreside, that was far from over for Darren Gleeson’s charges. O’Loughlin’s Owen Wall showed his predatory instincts to rifle home his second and his sides 4th major as the game reached additional time, something the Ulster side could have done without.

Antrim’s final score of very challenging Bob O’Keefe opener came via a nice point from Naomh Eoin’s Conal Bohill, but the Cats were rampant and there was still time for another 1-2 to be added to the scoreline. Mossy Keoghan looked certain to raise a green flag, only to be halted illegally, penalty given, penalty converted by Drennan. Influential midfielder Cian Kenny split the Antrim posts with his fourth effort from play and the scoring was completed with a placed ball from Billy Drennan. Final score in UPMC Nowlan Park, Kilkenny 5-30, Antrim 0-13.

Kilkenny scorers: Billy Drennan 1-6 (1-0 pen, 0-2f, 0-1 65), Owen Wall 2-2, TJ Reid 1-5 (0-3f), Gearoid Dunne 1-1, Cian Kenny 0-4, John Donnelly 0-3, Martin Keoghan 0-3, Paddy Deegan 0-2, Adrian Mullen 0-1, Richie Reid 0-1, Mikey Carey 0-1, Shane Murphy 0-1,

Antrim scorers: Conal Cunning 0-7 (0-7f), James McNaughton 0-2, Conor McCann 0-1, Nigel Elliott 0-1, Eoghan Campbell 0-1, Conal Bohill 0-1

Kilkenny: Eoin Murphy; Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor, Shane Murphy; David Blanchfield, Paddy Deegan, Mikey Carey; Cian Kenny, Richie Reid; Adrian Mullen, John Donnelly, Tom Phelan; Martin Keoghan, Eoin Cody, TJ Reid.

Subs: Gearoid Dunne for Mullen 15, Aidan Tallis for Murphy h/t-f/t blood, Owen Wall for Cody 39, Billy Drennan for TJ Reid 45, Billy Ryan for Phelan 54, Tommy Walsh for Butler 62.

Antrim: Ryan Elliott; Paddy Burke, Ryan McGarry, Phelim Duffin; Scott Walsh, Eoghan Campbell, Conal Bohill; James McNaughton, Niall O’Connor; Michael Bradley, Nigel Elliott, Niall McKenna; Conal Cunning, Conor McCann, Seaan Elliott.

Subs: Tiarnan Smyth for McKenna 21, McKenna for Ryan Elliott 33, Joseph McLaughlin for Bradley h/t, Rory McCloskey for Walsh 58, Conor Boyd for McKenna 60.

Referee: Shane Hynes (Galway).

> SHERRY SAYS…

It was always going to be a gentle introduction to their provincial campaign, and so it proved for Derek Lyng and his Cats. To my surprise TJ started, as did Mikey’s Butler & Carey. All did well, TJ – what more can be said about this Great?

While the Cats were wasteful at times, they still racked up 5-30, which will help build confidence ahead of their trip to the west this weekend. While there were telling contributions from TJ, Cian Kenny and John Donnelly, it would be the impact from the bench that really caught the eye in UPMC Nowlan Park.

Owen Wall, Billy Drennan & Gearoid Dunne hit an impressive 4-9 between them, with the seriously pacey O’Loughlin’s man notching 2-2. These three young men definitely laid down a marker and did their causes no harm at all with eye-catching cameos against a poor Antrim side.

The Black and Amber head west to tackle Henry’s Galway, the other side to pick up maximum points during round one in Leinster. The Tribesmen heavily rotated their squad for the victory over Carlow and got minutes into many players that won’t start against the Cats. Dublin’s last gasp draw with Wexford leaves things very interesting and the winners of the clash out west this weekend will fancy their chances of topping the table. I’d say Cillian Buckley has been getting some shooting practice in ahead of the game in Pearse Stadium just in case! Let’s hope the Cats continue to purr.