Injury to Village’s Cian Kenny mars Walsh Cup win
BY NIALL SHERRY, SPORTS EDITOR
REVIEW
Dioralyte Walsh Cup 2024
Carlow 0-9 Kilkenny 5-22
Netwatch Cullen Park
Referee: Eamonn Furlong
At the second time of asking Carlow and Kilkenny got their inter-county seasons underway at Netwatch Cullen Park in the 1st round of the 2024 Dioralyte Walsh Cup. Sunday’s fog had departed the southeast and a vocal crowd was in attendance as Tom Mullally’s charges pitted themselves against the Cats. Carlow lined out as per Sunday’s selection, but Derek Lyng made two changes with Padraic Moylan and David Blanchfield coming into the starting line-up.
The home side got off to a flyer with a lovely point from the talented Chris Nolan, but their lead was short lived as Billy Ryan picked up the ball just outside the ‘D’ and the Graigue Ballycallan man only had eyes for goal, and he delivered just that for the perfect start for the visitors. Kilkenny built on the goal with two nice points courtesy of Kevin Blanchfield and Billy Drennan. What Derek Lyng didn’t want was early season injuries, but the unlucky Cian Kenny appeared to tweak a hamstring and pulled up sharpish and was replaced by Tullaroan’s Mossy Keoghan.
Billy Ryan then got his first point of the day before Paul Cody benefited from Carlow giving the ball away and punished the error by striking over an easy score. Liam Blanchfield then struck a quickfire 1-1 to push Kilkenny into a very early 10-point lead. Carlow had been very wasteful in the opening 10 minutes as they dropped a number of efforts short and some others wide’s. Clara’s Paul Cody then fired over his second point of the game after 12 minutes of action at Netwatch Cullen Park.
The experienced Martin Kavanagh then popped over a free to get his sides second score of the evening, but the Cats hit back straight away with a lovely point from Mossy Keoghan. Kavanagh then struck a brace of points with a classy Billy Ryan score sandwiched in between. Clara’s Paul Cody who was having a busy evening, then popped over his third effort to leave the gap at eleven points after 24 minutes on a frosty Tuesday night in Carlow.
The most dangerous looking of the Cats attacking unit, Billy Ryan then notched two more classy points before the Barrowsiders scorer-in-chief, Martin Kavanagh sent over another placed ball effort for his third and his sides fifth point of the night on 31 minutes. The final score of the first half came from the third Blanchfield on the pitch, David who rifled over a beautiful effort from way out the park to leave the half-time score, Carlow 0-5, Kilkenny 2-12.
Derek Lyng made two changes at the interval, Billy Reid and Paddy Langton replacing Kevin Blanchfield and Joe Fitzpatrick respectively. The changes didn’t change the momentum and Dicksboro’s Timmy Clifford got in on the scoring act in the opening moments of the second half.
Carlow made multiple changes for the second period, and they went close to registering a major but somehow Kilkenny managed to deflect James Doyle’s goal bound effort behind for a ‘65. Billy Drennan then hit 3 placed balls on the trot to extend the visitors lead to 17 points. Tom Mullaly’s men then shot themselves in the foot again, when they presented a third major to the Cats, this time The Village’s Eoin Guilfoyle who had only just entered the fray benefited from some sloppy defending to finish to the host’s net.
Another of the substitutes, Glenmore’s Billy Reid then struck over a mighty effort from distance before Galmoy’s Drennan sent over a ‘65 to extend the Kilkenny lead to a massive 22 points. Derek Lyng then sent on three sets of fresh legs in the shape of Bill Hughes, Andy Hickey and Ted Dunne.
As you would expect with January hurling, things got really scrappy, and the raft of changes made the game a lot more disjointed but even with the visitors being a little more wasteful in the second period. Much to the relief of the Carlow supporters, they did get off the mark in the second half thanks to a placed ball from Martin Kavanagh. The lively Jake Doyle popped one over the bar for his side’s 7th point of the game, but the more efficient visitors then struck goal number four, this time Ted Dunne breaching the Carlow net. The Cats were still hungry, and another major came soon after. The impressive Paul Cody went on a blistering run and popped a pass to Dicksboro’s Timmy Clifford who struck major number five.
The home side managed to tag on a couple of further points in front a dwindling crowd as the announcer declared three additional minutes to be played. Glenmore’s Billy Reid had the honour of striking point number 22 for the men in black and amber before Wexford whistler, Eamonn Furlong brought proceedings to a close. Final score at Netwatch Cullen Park, Carlow 0-9, Kilkenny 5-22.
Kilkenny: Darren Brennan, Padraic Moylan, Niall Rowe, Shane Murphy, Joe Fitzpatrick, Darragh Corcoran, Paul Henebery (0-1), David Blanchfield (0-1), Kevin Blanchfield (0-1), Timmy Clifford (1-1), Billy Drennan (0-7), Paul Cody (0-3), Billy Ryan (1-4), Liam Blanchfield (1-1), Cian Kenny.
Subs: Paddy Langton, Billy Reid (0-2), Bill Hughes, Martin Keoghan (0-1), Eoin Guilfoyle (1-0), Andy Hickey, Ted Dunne, Denis Walsh (1-0).
Carlow: Brian Tracey, Niall Bolger, Dion Wall, Sean Joyce, Paudie O’Shea, Kevin McDonald, Jack McCullagh, Fiachra Fitzpatrick, James Doyle, Jon Nolan, Chris Nolan, Martin Kavanagh, Fiach O’Toole, John Doyle, Jake Doyle.
SHERRY SAYS…
I’m not sure what either side will take from this pre-season outing on a frosty Tuesday night at Netwatch Cullen Park. An extremely comfortable victory for Kilkenny with almost 30 points separating the teams at the long whistle.
Cian Kenny’s injury will probably be the biggest concern for Derek Lyng and his management team. The James Stephens man pulled up sharpish, having felt a twinge, possibly a hamstring. Let’s hope that the players’ swift reactions mean no longer-term damage has been done.
There were encouraging cameos from the likes of Billy Ryan, Paul Cody and Paul Henebery. Graigue Ballycallan’s Ryan was in sparking form, showing his pace and ruthlessness as he racked up a decent tally in the season’s opener. Clara’s Paul Cody did his chances no harm at all with a hard-working display that yielded some lovely scores, while Mooncoin’s Henebery was secure at the back.
Billy Drennan, who announced himself onto the senior panel in the same competition last season, had another accurate night on placed ball duty and can be relied on to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
While the scoreline might not suggest it, Carlow enjoyed plenty of possession over the 70-odd minutes and created plenty of scoring opportunities, but perhaps some rustiness was in evidence following a team holiday to Morocco! Tom Mullally will know that more important challenges lie ahead and it’s a case of building towards the league and championship.
Derek Lyng will be pleased with a scoring total of 5-22 but is around long enough to know that his charges won’t be afforded the time and space they had in Netwatch Cullen Park on Tuesday night as the season builds. A solid start for the Cats, plenty to build on.
****Wishing Tullogher Rosbercon and Thomastown all the best for their club finals at Croker this weekend. Walter Walsh & Co. Take on Cork side St. Catherine’s at 5pm while Thomastown face-off against Castlelyons, also of Cork in the Intermediate final at 7pm.
Both sides have done brilliantly to reach the deciders but won’t be there for the day out – they will want to secure the titles and bring them back to Noreside.
Thomastown have swept all before them to date and will be clear favourites to claim a third piece of championship silverware on Saturday night.
For county star Walter Walsh, it’s another chance to claim a club title on the biggest stage. There is a lovely blend of youth and experience in the Tullogher side and they will look to this to drive them over the line at headquarters tomorrow.***
