3rd league loss as three Cats see red
BY NIALL SHERRY, SPORTS EDITOR
SPORTSEDITOR@KILKENNYOBSERVER.IE
Allianz Hurling League Division 1A
Kilkenny 1-19
Tipperary 2-25
UPMC Nowlan Park
Referee: Sean Stack (Dublin)
Tipperary became the latest team to claim maximum points Marble City men in this season’s Allianz Hurling League Division 1A as Kilkenny finished the game with 12 men, having had three players dismissed after the short whistle by Dublin referee, Sean Stack. In fact, the Cats had more players sent off than they had scorers from play as they fell to their third defeat of what has been a disappointing league campaign. With one game remaining for Derek Lyng’s outfit, they will know that getting something from the clash with John Kiely’s Limerick could be crucial, with both Clare and Wexford beneath them, locked on two points.
There proved to be no home comforts for the black and amber last weekend as the hosts coughed up a couple of majors and 25 points as the Premier County headed for Thurles, top of the table having secured their 4th win in Division 1A. Kilkenny had the wind advantage in the opening period, but took until almost the 15th minute to register a score from play, courtesy of this season’s stand-out forward, Mossy Keoghan. It was the latest in young Tipp stars, Darragh McCarthy who opened the scoring un UPMC Nowlan Park with just over a minute played from the first of his 11-point placed ball haul. TJ responded shortly after, after the ref blew Tipp up for a spot of overcarrying.
Liam Cahill’s side would hit the next three scores, all from play with Sam O’Farrell, Darragh McCarthy and Alan Tynan all raising white flags for the visitors. Another free from TJ, after Cian Kenny was fouled, saw the Cats reduce the Tipp lead to two points. Jake Morris was then blown up for one too many steps, and this gave David Blanchfield the chance to send over a monstrous score from deep inside his own half. Darragh McCarthy then pointed a placed ball from distance before a nice dummy from John McGrath gave him the time to split the posts from tight to the right sideline. TJ replied with a free of his own before Bryan O’Mara became the second member of the Tipp rearguard to get on the scoresheet. David Blanchfield and Billy Ryan then combined to give Martin Keoghan the chance to fire over from close to the sideline, the umpire signaled wide, but the linesman alerted referee Stack to the error and the point was rightly awarded. Two more Premier County points followed, Toomvara’s McCarthy with a free and a second of the day for Loughmore Castleiney’s John McGrath. Jordan Molloy was then shown a yellow card for a swipe across the chest of Michael Breen, a booking that would have bigger consequences later on. Again, Darragh Mc Carthy slotted over the placed ball, making it look very easy on Noreside.
Tipp’s 3-point lead was about to be doubled. A wayward clearance from Eoin Murphy, saw the line ball hit in the direction of Craig Morgan. The big midfielder collected the ball and burst clear of the struggling Tommy Walsh before rifling his shot through the Kilkenny netminder. The visitors built on this with a second score of the game from Nenagh’s Sam O’Farrell to make it a double score game with less than 10 minutes of the first half remaining. A brace of placed balls from TJ (one free and one ‘65) and Mossy’ second of the afternoon reduced the deficit to four points, but another green flag was about to be raised by Cahill’s charges. Darragh McCarthy outwitted and outfought Tommy Walsh before passing to the supporting Oisin O’Donoghue who fired to the net to restore Tipperary’s 7-point lead. Like with the previous major, the away side notched the next score also, a nice point from midfielder Joe Caesar. Lyng’s men needed something before the break and they got a major of their own. Cian Kenny sent a ball towards Billy Ryan and the Graigue Ballycallan man took it nicely before turning on the burners. The pacey Ryan looked up and gave a pass to Gearoid Dunne and the Tullaroan player shortened his grip before batting the sliotar past Barry Hogan in the opposition goal. The final score of the opening period saw Darragh McCarthy add to his growing tally with another accurate placed ball to leave Tipp up by six at the interval.
The Kilkenny management team had clearly not been impressed with the first half showing, as they made a triple change during the break. Richie Reid, Shane Murphy and John Donnelly replacing Peter McDonald, Tommy Walsh and Billy Drennan respectively. The teams shared the first four scores of the second period, before things became a little heated. The first player to head for an early bath was Tipp’s Alan Tynan. The Roscrea man came in to shoulder Cian Kenny, but appeared to catch The Village man high, slightly. Replays would probably suggest Tynan was a little unfortunate, given what was deemed ‘yellow’ in the Limerick vs Galway game. TJ popped over the free, the Noresiders still 5 points in arrears. The second player to leave proceedings was David Blanchfield. The Bennettsbridge man making contact with the head of Tipp sub, Andrew Ormond in a passage of play that also saw Mikey Carey booked.
McCarthy and TJ swapped free’s before the home side were reduced to 13-men. Mikey Carey emerged from a group of players before taking a swipe across the helmet from Darragh McCarthy, free to the hosts, but Mikey reacted and pushed his hurl towards the Toomvara man’s helmet, the outcome, straight red. Kilkenny got the next score, another one from Mossy, another good one. McCarthy struck over another placed ball before the home side completed the unwanted hat-trick. As Tipperary worked the ball out of defence, Jordan Molloy attempted to halt Eoghan Connolly gaining ground, but appeared to catch the visiting full back high from behind, the outcome, a second yellow, followed by the colour red. Further punishment followed in the shape of another free from Darragh McCarthy. TJ then sent over another pair of placed balls, and the home side were now only four points behind, but the numerical advantage the travelling side had would prove crucial in the closing stages.
Willie Connors got on the scoresheet, before McCarthy converted two free’s on the trot. Another score for Sam O’Farrell followed while TJ took his personal tally to 0-13. One of Tipp’s best performers on the day, Ronan Maher pointed with a couple of minutes remaining, before a late brace of Noel McGrath points stretched the visitors lead to 9 points before the long whistle sounded. Full time score in UPMC Nowlan Park, Kilkenny 1-19, Tipperary 2-25.
Scorers for Kilkenny: T.J. Reid (0-13, 11 frees, 2 65s); G. Dunne (1-1); M. Keoghan (0-4); D. Blanchfield (0-1).
Scorers for Tipperary: D. McCarthy (0-12, 11 frees); S. O’Farrell (0-3); C. Morgan, O. O’Donoghue (1-0 each); J. McGrath, R. Maher, N. McGrath (0-2 each); A. Tynan, B. O’Mara, J. Caesar, W. Connors (0-1 each).
KILKENNY: E. Murphy; T. Walsh, M. Butler, P. Moylan; D. Blanchfield, M. Carey, P. Deegan; P. Donnelly (c), J. Molloy; M. Keoghan, C. Kenny, B. Ryan; G. Dunne, B. Drennan, T.J. Reid.
Subs for Kilkenny: J. Donnelly for B. Drennan, S. Murphy for T. Walsh, R. Reid for P. McDonald (all h-t); F. Mackessy for G. Dunne (58); Z. Bay-Hammon for C. Kenny (66).
Red cards: D. Blanchfield (straight, 45), M. Carey (straight, 49); J. Molloy (second yellow, 53).
TIPPERARY: B. Hogan; M. Breen, E. Connolly, R. Doyle; J. Caesar, R. Maher (c), B. O’Mara; C. Morgan, S. O’Farrell; O. O’Donoghue, A. Tynan, G. O’Connor; J. McGrath, J. Morris, D. McCarthy.
Subs for Tipperary: A. Ormond for O. O’Donoghue (h-t); D. Walsh for J. McGrath (52); W. Connors for J. Caesar (57); N. McGrath for G. O’Connor (64); S. Kennedy for J. Morris (70).
Red card: A. Tynan (straight, 43).
Referee: S. Stack (Dublin)
> SHERRY SAYS…
Hard to know where to begin, but another defeat is not what the doctor ordered ahead of our final Allianz Division 1A game against Limerick tomorrow. Only two scorers from play, taking almost 15 minutes to register from play. Three players getting their marching orders. All in all, it just isn’t gelling at present. The engine room continues to be a problematic area for the Cats. The management really need to find the right combination in this key area of the pitch, if things are to improve as the season continues.Yes, we were missing Huw Lawlor and Shamrocks duo, Eoin Cody and Adrian Mullen, but the players available really need to stand up and run with the responsibility that wearing the black and amber stripes comes with.The visit of Limerick tomorrow provides a chance for those selected to lay down a marker. At the time of writing, it isn’t known if Kilkenny will appeal either of the two straight red cards received in the last game. An appeal may allow both Messrs. Blanchfield and Carey to line out against The Treaty, but either way, our discipline, like our scoring and our defending, needs to be better.
