Mullally’s men face stern Cats test
BY NIALL SHERRY, SPORTS EDITOR
SPORTSEDITOR@KILKENNYOBSERVER.IE
LEINSTER GAA HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP
Round 3, Netwatch Cullen Park
Carlow vs Kilkenny
Saturday, Throw-in 4.30pm
Referee: Chris Mooney (Dublin)
Derek Lyng will take his Kilkenny team on the road once again tomorrow as they look to secure a second win in this year’s Leinster Senior Hurling Championship.
Having dismantled Antrim with ease, the Cats were unable to hold off Galway’s late comeback in Salthill a fortnight ago, meaning that they find themselves locked on the same number of points as four of the six teams in the table, following Wexford’s merited win over the Tribesmen last weekend. This result coupled with The Saffron’s unexpected win over Wexford has left this year’s provincial title wide open and Emerald’s clubman Lyng will know that maximum points from the trip to Carlow are essential with games against the Metropolitans and Wexford to come.
While Kilkenny would have been disappointed not to hold on the win out in the west, they put in a decent shift while missing Shamrocks duo, Adrian Mullen and Eoin Cody, along with All-Star keeper Eoin Murphy who were absent through injury. The Cats management team will have taken plenty of positives from the Galway game, especially the performance from the likes of Mossy Keoghan and Tom Phelan, who between them contributed seven points to the visitors total in Pearse Stadium. John Donnelly and Cian Kenny who have been more regular starters for the black and amber notched the same total also, further proof of their growing influence in the post-Brian Cody era. Two players sprung from the bench also provided interesting cameos for the Noresiders, in the shape of O’Loughlin Gaels duo, Jordan Molloy and Owen Wall. The former struck two well-taken points and added lots of energy to the Kilkenny cause, while Owen Wall showed glimpses of the havoc that his pace and movement can bring to the team.
Despite conceding two majors against Henry’s Tribesmen, championship debutant, Aidan Tallis didn’t let the side down and pulled off some important saves as the spoils were shared in Salthill. Richie Reid, who went off late on after taking a heavy hit, showed his class and quality, with excellent game reading and distribution and also rifled over a brace of points while assisting his brother TJ for a couple of scores for good measure. The Cats defence was worked hard in their last outing, with long direct balls constantly being sent into the likes of Conor Whelan as the opposition sought stretch the Kilkenny rearguard and take on their men at every opportunity.
You would imagine that Carlow will perhaps attempt to be quite direct in their style and avoid getting bottled up in the central areas of Netwatch Cullen Park. Tom Mullally’s side have lost both games in this seasons Leinster campaign, an 11-point defeat in Pearse Stadium to Galway followed up by a battling performance against the Dubs, at tomorrow’s venue which they lost by five. Last year’s Joe McDonagh Cup winners acquitted themselves well against Shefflin’s side for periods of the round 1 fixture, with the Nolan’s heavily involved alongside the accurate Marty Kavanagh and might have fancied their chances of claiming the scalp of the men from the Capital, but an error by goalkeeper Ciaran Abbey who let the sliotar slip through his hands along with the introduction of Dublin subs, Fergal Whitely and Darragh Power saw the boys in blue register an uncomfortable win.
As usual, Naomh Moling’s Martin Kavanagh was the main man in their opening two defeats, notching 0-8 in Salthill and 0-13 against Micheál Donoghue’s outfit. The Kilkenny defence will know that any silly frees conceded are likely to be punished by Kavanagh. Backboned by a sizeable Mount Leinster Rangers and St Mullins contingent, tomorrow’s hosts will give everything to hang onto the Cats coat tails and hope that their neighbours have an off day as they seek to record their firsts points in 2024 provincial championship. To do that, they will need to convert every placed ball look to Jon and Chris Nolan, the lively Conor Kehoe and energetic Fiachra Fitzpatrick to bring the quality needed to trouble their illustrious opponents. It is likely that Glenmore native Mullally will call on his first choice netminder, Naomh Eoin’s Brian Tracey to stand tall between the sticks and expect a busy day at the office from a Kilkenny team that appears to have goals on its mind every time they attack.
The Carlow boss has a wealth of coaching experience and knowledge, built up over years, taking Mount Leinster Rangers to provincial glory, only to lose out to a talented Portumna side in the All-Ireland club final. He has also helped drive Naas on in Kildare, leading them to provincial intermediate glory having beaten his own parish, Glenmore in the semi-final. Players who have worked under Mullally credit him with being a great motivator and the manager will need to bring all of that and more when his troops take to the Netwatch Cullen Park pitch tomorrow.
Derek Lyng knows that he will be navigating the remainder of this Leinster campaign without the services of former two-time young hurler of the year Eoin Cody. The Shamrocks Ballyhale dynamo left the pitch in the early stages of the second half in the rout over Antrim in round one and it has been confirmed that the talented attacker has suffered ankle ligament damage. His club mate Adrian Mullen also departed the fray early that day, with a groin injury, and it remains to be seen if the flame-haired All-Star will be risked in a fixture that in truth, should be comfortable for the Marble City side. Another All-Star, goalkeeper Eoin Murphy sat out the stalemate in Pearse Stadium due to concussion, again sustained in the routine win over the Ulstermen, and the Cats manager may stick with Lisdowney’s Aidan Tallis, to give him a little more experience at senior level, just in case his services are required later in this condensed championship season.
The likes of Luke Hogan, Billy Drennan, Gearoid Dunne and Owen Wall will hope for more minutes against the Barrowsiders, while Jordan Molloy enhanced his growing reputation during his substitute appearance in Salthill. While not wanting to take his eye off the ball, the Cats management team may use tomorrow’s game to shuffle the pack a little, but in this years Leinster Championship, things don’t always go as planned. Antrim beating Wexford, Wexford beating Galway. Kilkenny beware.
