Cats in full flow as Clare crumble

Kilkenny 2-22 Clare 1-13

Brilliant sunshine, perfect hurling conditions, two unbeaten teams, this repeat of last September's All-Ireland final pairing would tell us exactly how far Clare have progressed since then, how keen the appetite remains down Kilkenny way.

Both questions answered, but not to the satisfaction of Lyons. "Our hurling today would have reflected what would have been concerning us; we're still not good enough. Even though we won our last three matches, we were lucky to win the last one (against Galway). The second-half today showed we still have a huge amount of work to do".

So true, but then on the evidence of yesterday, so does any other team with ambitions of ending Kilkenny's reign as either league or All-Ireland champions, this game stretching an unbeaten competitive run that goes back to spring of last year when they lost their only game all season, to Galway.

This was Kilkenny at their hungry, title-chasing, relentless best. No sign of complacency, last year's feast of titles well digested, the best indication of their utter determination in this game the fact that in a second-half on such a perfect hurling afternoon, Clare managed just a single point from play.

"We were labouring to get possession, to get scores, while Kilkenny were able to do that with more ease," the Clare manager continued.

"The game was gone after 10-15 minutes of the second half. Kilkenny got a few points, brought on a few subs which added to their impetus, pulled away from there."

But for the first quarter of this game, it had all threatened so different. Nineteen minutes gone, Clare led 1-6 to 0-3, looking good for the visitors. Having formed a guard of honour to welcome Kilkenny onto the field, that was all the respect Clare were going to show the double champions, and the hitting was hard from the throw-in. At full-forward, big Tony Carmody had Noel Hickey under pressure, 1-1 from play in this opening phase, while bustling centre-forward Fergal Lynch, corner-forwards Niall Gilligan and Barry Murphy, all got in on the scoring act.

There were signs, however, that Kilkenny were about to come good. A truly brilliant save by Clare keeper Davy Fitzgerald from Eddie Brennan in the 11th minute was the first of several he was forced to make, but when he was finally beaten, Henry Shefflin racing onto a long free from Kilkenny keeper James McGarry in the 22nd minute, this game turned. Clare did have the next point, from Tony Griffin, but from there to half-time, it was all Kilkenny and a minute into injury-time, courtesy of Brennan (whose pace caused fierce problems for first Conor Harrison, then Frank Lohan), the Cats took the lead for the first time. They would never let it go.

Speaking of James McGarry, he has such an outstanding defence that the Kilkenny keeper doesn't often get a chance to show his ball-stopping skills. However, three times in the second-half the quiet man from Bennettsbrige made outstanding saves, at a time when goals might have given Clare the lift needed to get back into this game. Might, but doubtful, such was the humour of the home brigade. 1-13 they notched in the second period to 0-5 for Clare, with captain Charlie Carter's industry finally rewarded with 1-1 and full-forward Martin Comerford continuing his outstanding form of last year with three points.

Even the Kilkenny subs, John Hoyne and Jimmy Coogan, looked a step above anything on the opposite sextet, Coogan with a hat-trick of points in 20 minutes of action. Want to know where the Kilkenny urgency, the lack of complacency comes from? Look to manager Brian Cody, still demanding more from a panel other managers would salivate over. "Well it's reasonably strong, I'd like it to be stronger. The club games will swing into action shortly, there are still players out there with potential, we'll be watching them carefully. We'll just keep driving on as best we can."

Scorers for Kilkenny: H. Shefflin 1-11 (0-8 frees, 0-1 65); C. Carter 1-1; M. Comerford 0-3; J. Coogan 0-3; E. Brennan 0-2; D. Lyng, R. Mullally (free), 0-1 each.

Clare: N. Gilligan 0-6 (0-5 frees); T. Carmody 1-1; S. McMahon 0-2 (free, 65); B. Murphy, F. Lynch, T. Griffin, C. Lynch, 0-1 each.

KILKENNY: J. McGarry; M. Kavanagh, N. Hickey, P. Larkin; R. Mullally, P. Barry, J J Delaney; T. Walsh, D. Lyng; S. Grehan, H. Shefflin, W. O'Dwyer; C. Carter (c), M. Comerford, E. Brennan.

Subs: W. Burke (Larkin, inj. 35); J. Coogan (O'Dwyer 50); J. Hoyne (Grehan 50).

CLARE: D. Fitzgerald; C. Harrisson, B. Lohan, F. Lohan; C. Plunkett, S. McMahon (c), G. Quinn; C. Lynch, J. O'Connor; T. Griffin, F. Lynch, A. Markham; N. Gilligan, T. Carmody, B. Murphy.

Subs: R. O'Looney (Harrison 35); D. O'Connell (Griffin 52); D. Hoey (Quinn 55).

Referee: P. Ahearne (Carlow) poor game, premature whistle, far too eager to get involved.