Two from two in Leinster campaign
BY NIALL SHERRY, SPORTS EDITOR
SPORTSEDITOR@KILKENNYOBSERVER.IE
Leinster SHC – Round 2
Antrim 2-12 Kilkenny 2-30
Corrigan Park, Belfast
The Kilkenny changing room in Corrigan Park would have been an interesting place to be at halftime last Sunday afternoon with Antrim holding a one-point lead over the current provincial champions. Derek Lyng and his management team, probably along with senior players must have decided that the first half showing couldn’t be repeated if the Cats were to leave the North with a second win of the 2025 Leinster Championship. The Noresiders upped the ante after the interval and ran out 18-point winners against a gallant Saffrons side.
The visitors took to the Naomh Eoin pitch without Adrian Mullen and Shane Murphy, who both limped out of the round 1 clash with Galway. Tommy Walsh and Stephen Donnelly started the second group fixture for Derek Lyng’s charges, and both contributed to the travelling sides tally of 2-30. Kilkenny came out of the traps quickly, and raced into an early 5-point lead, in as many minutes, thanks to scores from Thomastown’s Stephen Donnelly (2), the irrepressible, Martin Keoghan, a booming placed ball effort from Fionan Mackessy and a quality point from former skipper, Paddy Deegan, as the home side struggled to keep tabs on those in black and amber.
Davy Fitzgerald’s outfit did get the scoreboard moving in the 6th minute, courtesy of their top scorer, James McNaughton who struck over the first of nine placed balls for the Ulstermen, but this didn’t halt the Kilkenny train as the next three scores all came from the Marble City side and all were from open play. Mossy got his second of the afternoon, while the hard-working Jordan Molloy notched his first and Stephen Donnelly hit his third white flag raiser, as the away team opened up what appeared to be a very comfortable 7-point lead after ten minutes of action in Corrigan Park. A large travelling support were enjoying their sides start in Belfast, while Davy Fitz was barking orders to his troops, asking for more.
The Saffrons appeared to awaken and became a lot more competitive against their more illustrious opponents. Loughgiel’s James McNaughton popped over his second free of the game and this was built on by nice scores from Dunloy’s Keelan Molloy and a cracking long-distance strike from Naomh Eoin’s Conal Bohill. Antrim full forward McNaughton tagged on a third placed ball to reduce the Cats lead to three, before adding a major score for his side. The lively Conor Johnston showed skill and determination to gain possession in the left corner and had the presence of mind and ability to play a lovely ball to McNaughton who rifled home from a tight angle to raise a green flag, but more importantly, draw the sides level with 17 minutes on the clock in Belfast. Indeed, The Naomh Eoin player almost added another 3-pointer shortly after, but was denied by the woodwork.
With TJ Reid still absent, the majority of placed balls are the responsibility of his Shamrocks Ballyhale clubmate, Eoin Cody, and the twice former Young Hurler of the Year hit three on the bounce to edge the Noresiders ahead by the same number. A Shamrock of the Loughgiel kind, James McNaughton added two more of his own, before Cody fired over a fine score before the Saffrons breached Eoin Murphy’s line again. Dunloy Cuchullains Keelan Molloy raced onto a long ball into the danger zone and struck the sliotar to the Kilkenny net. Antrim now led and the home crowd were enjoying the spectacle unfolding. McNaughton and Cody traded frees before Galway whistler, Shane Hynes brought the first half to a close, with Davy Fitz’s side one point ahead.
When the second half got underway, Cody and McNaughton converted frees while Derek Lyng made his first change of the game, Dicksboro’s Harry Shine replacing O’Loughlin’s Fionan Mackessy. The impressive Eoin Cody added a brace of scores before sub Shine split the Antrim posts to edge the Cats two ahead. Loughgiel’s attacking talisman, McNaughton fired over another score before captain Nigel Elliott pointed after his goal bound effort was deflected over by Kilkenny netminder Eoin Murphy, to level things once more with about 22 minutes of normal time remaining, but little did the home side know that they would add only one more point to their tally before the long whistle.
Eoin Cody added to his growing tally while Graigue Ballycallan’s Billy Ryan and The Village’s Cian Kenny added two in quick succession to push the men in stripes into a 3-point lead. From the restart, Lyng’s charges attacked again, and Mossy Keoghan dispossessed the usual resolute Paddy Burke, before racing clear and rifling past Ryan Elliott in the Antrim goal. This score was major in more senses than its numerical value, as it seemed to break the Ulster sides resolve and belief. The Cats sensed this and went for the jugular. Mossy notched another pair of points, while his Tullaroan teammate, Tommy Walsh got on the scoresheet also.
A second point of the round two clash then followed for Cian Kenny while more accuracy from the dead ball saw Eoin Cody notch another. Derek Lyng’s side were home and hosed and registered scores from Mikey Butler, a second of the match from O’Loughlin’s Jordan Molloy and one from sub Billy Drennan. There was still time for a fourth goal in the game, and it would be a second major for the travelling side. Eoin Cody stood over a free, fancied a goal and struck his effort past Ryan Elliott just ahead of the final whistle. Final score, Antrim 2-12, Kilkenny 2-30.
Kilkenny scorers: E Cody 1-13 (1-9f), M Keoghan 1-2, S Donnelly 0-3, C Kenny 0-2, J Molloy 0-2, P Deegan 0-1, J Donnelly 0-1, F Mackessy 0-1 (1f), H Shine 0-1, B Ryan 0-1, T Walsh 0-1, M Butler 0-1, B Drennan 0-1
Antrim scorers: J McNaughton 1-9 (0-9f), K Molloy 1-1, C Bohill 0-1, N Elliott 0-1
KILKENNY: E Murphy; M Butler, H Lawlor, T Walsh; M Carey, R Reid, P Deegan; C Kenny, J Molloy; F Mackessy, J Donnelly, B Ryan; S Donnelly, M Keoghan, E Cody.
Subs: H Shine for F Mackessy (40), L Hogan for S Donnelly (64), B Drennan for J Donnelly (67), K Doyle for M Carey (67), E Lyng for C Kenny (70).
ANTRIM: R Elliott; S Rooney, N O’Connor, P Burke; C Boyd, J Maskey, C Bohill; E Campbell, G Walsh; K Molloy, N Elliott, S Walsh; R McCambridge, J McNaughton, C Johnston.
Subs: C McKeown for C Johnston (HT), S McKay for R McCambridge (52), J McLaughlin for S Walsh (55), E O’Neill for E Campbell (69), A McGarry for G Walsh (69).
REFEREE: S Hynes (Galway)
>> SHERRY SAYS….
Maximum points after two rounds of games in our quest to be crowned ‘kings of Leinster’ for a sixth consecutive season. The gap at the long whistle against the Saffrons was 18 points, and as Davy alluded to in his press briefings afterwards, it was probably a little harsh on his side. But credit to Derek Lyng and his panel, they weathered the storm and let loose in the second half to claim the victory.
Eoin Cody was in exceptional form and took on the placed ball responsibility with class and ease, finishing his afternoon’s work with a personal tally of 1-13. Just like the round 1 win over Galway, Kilkenny had 13 different scorers on target in Corrigan Park, a good sign for the black and amber. Mossy was lively again, notching 1-2, while Thomastown’s Stephen Donnelly racked up his 0-3 before the short whistle.
Next up for the Cats is a home tie with Offaly, in just over a week’s time. The Faithful County, like the Saffrons have lost both two fixtures in the group so far and will know that a trip to UPMC Nowlan Park is fraught with more danger. Let’s hope the injuries and niggles clear up and we can keep building provincial momentum.
- Congratulations to the Kilkenny minors who recorded a great win over a tough Galway side last weekend. Jake Mullan was in fine form, hitting 1-8 in their 4-point win in UPMC Nowlan Park.
- An even bigger comhghairdeas to our minor camogs, who were crowned Electric Ireland Minor A All Ireland champions following their 9-point win over Cork. Windgap’s Ona Kennedy hit 1-1 in her sides victory over the Rebels. Plenty of talent on Noreside.
