Kilkenny back in business as Waterford are swept aside

Kilkenny 4-11 Waterford 0-12

For half the game Waterford’s depleted troops put up stern resistance against the league and All-Ireland champions.

Waterford’s injury problems were well posted in advance, but when flu victim Tony Browne and his Mount Sion clubmate Eoin Kelly (fractured thumb) were late withdrawals, eight of their Munster championship winning team were unavailable.

Kilkenny paraded 10 of their All-Ireland starting line-up and when Waterford were reduced to 14 players with the dismissal of defender Brian Flannery the writing was on the wall.

“The goals were crucial,” Kilkenny manager Brian Cody conceded afterwards.

“They gave us a huge lift, but while we won handily in the end we were never really comfortable until the game was in its closing stages.”

Their opening goal, on 14 minutes, came when Waterford wing back James Murray made a hash of clearing a ball that should have been comfortably swept to safety and John Hoyne accepted the gift to hammer the ball to the back of Stephen Brenner’s net.

The goalkeeper had no chance of keeping that one out, but he must share culpability for two of the other three Kilkenny goals.

in what was an overall shaky display by him. Until Hoyne’s goal there was nothing between the sides, with the fans revelling in what had already become a razor keen and competitive game.

Waterford wing back Eoin Murphy was emerging as one of the stars of the day, and comparative newcomer Pat Fitzgerald was also settling in well at centre forward on Peter Barry.

Superb points by an ultra busy Dave Bennett and Ken McGrath brought Waterford level by the 17th minute, but five minutes later full back Tom Feeney was very lucky to escape with only a yellow card after a reckless pull on Martin Comerford.

That incident seemed to ignite the champions into action and Eddie Brennan’s 24th-minute point could have been a goal but for a great reflex effort by Brenner in deflecting the ball over the bar.

A pointed free by Shefflin and a great goal by impressive league debutant Diarmuid Mackey put the Cats in a very strong position, but Waterford finished the half on a high with minors from Bennett (two) and Ken McGrath) and they trailed by just two, 2-5 to 0-9, at the interval.

JJ Delaney stood out The home selectors reshuffled their line-up on the restart, and while Ken McGrath came into the game somewhat more in that second half the Cats’ defence continued to rule the roost.

Within 30 seconds Fitzgerald narrowed Waterford’s deficit to the minimum with a sweetly struck point, but that was as good as it would get for the homesters.

Henry Shefflin pointed a free to restore the winners’ interval advantage, and then a hitherto subdued D. J. Carey took centre stage.

It was typical Carey opportunism, standing in the right place at the right time as Shefflin’s effort came back off an upright and in a twinkling the ball was in the back of Brenner’s net.

Seconds later a deteriorating situation worsened for Waterford when Flannery was sent packing for a second bookable offence after a very strong challenge on Mackey.

Waterford’s faint hopes cause had become a lost one, and any lingering doubts their fans might have had in that regard vanished completely when Eddie Brennan waltzed through for his side’s fourth goal in the 49th minute.

Ken McGrath’s unsuccessful goal attempt from a 20-metre free six minutes later all but summed up Waterford’s lost cause, despite the continuous splendour of Eoin Murphy’s hurling at right half back, the tireless endeavours of Eoin McGrath on the other flank and the solid play of Peter Queally between them.

The champions provided a champagne finale with a string of superbly struck points from Carey, Lyng, the hugely impressive Mackey and an equally effective substitute Brian Dowling, all from play, and another from a Shefflin free.

Scorers for Kilkenny: D. J. Carey (1-2); D. Mackey (1-2); E. Brennan (1-1); H. Shefflin (0-4); J. Hoyne (1-0); D. Lynch, B. Dowling(0-1) each.

Waterford; D. Bennett (0-4); K. McGrath (0-4); P. Fitzgerald (0-2); D. Shanahan, B. Phelan (0-1) each.

KILKENNY: J. McGarry; T. Walsh. A. Cummins. P. Larkin; R. Mullally. P. Barry. J.J. Delaney; D. Lyng. S. Dowling; J. Hoyne. H. Shefflin. M. Comerford; D. Mackey. E. Brennan. D. J. Carey.

Subs: A. Geoghegan for S. Dowling; B.Dowling for Brennan.

WATERFORD: S. Brenner; A. Kirwan. T. Feeney. B.Flannery; E. Murphy. P. Queally. J. Murray; M. Walksh. E,. McGrath; D.Shanahan. P. Fitzgerald. D. Bennett; B. Phelan. K. McGrath. P. O’Brien.

Sub: C. Watt for Phelan.

Referee: Ger Harrington, Cork.