Campion the Kilkenny CBS ace
Both attacks struggled to impress in difficult weather conditions as defences dominated. Evan Coady and Eoin McGrath shone for the winners while Sean Murphy and James Cash were outstanding for the Wexford outfit.
Campion and Andrew Kenny (free) exchanged points inside the opening three minutes, before a huge Kenny free into the wind edged his side 0-2 to 0-1 ahead after 12 minutes. The struggle for scores was evident even at this early stage, but Campion cut into the centre on the quarter hour to fire home and send his side into a 1-1 to 0-2 lead. A James Langton point handed the Kilkenny side a 1-2 to 0-2 interval lead.
Kevin Doyle increased the lead within a minute of the restart, but St. Peter’s responded with three unanswered points, from Colm Heffernan and Kenny (2), to leave a point between the sides, 1-3 to 0-5.
Substitute Benny Bolger fired over two crucial points for the winners but Kenny kept his side in touch. St. Peter’s sub Eoin Wright couldn’t convert a goal chance two minutes from the end as Kilkenny CBS held out for victory.
KILKENNY CBS: D Houlihan; C McGrath, E Coady, S Cassin; N Mullins, E McGrath, M Clifford; J Langton (0-1), D Sheehan; K Kenny, J P Treacy, E Fennelly; P Campion (1-1), K Doyle (0-2 frees), R Fitzpatrick.
Subs: B Bolger (0-2) for Treacy; E Cantwell for Sheehan.
ST. PETER’S COLLEGE: L White; S Donohoe, S Murphy, S Doyle; A Butler, J Cash, P Foley; C Heffernan (0-1), C Devereux; D Shanley, A Kenny (0-5, 3f), A Ryan; B Eviston, E O’Byrne, C O Donaghain.
Subs: E Wright for Eviston; T Cambell for O’Byrne; B O’Brien for O Donaghain; J Rossiter for Cash (inj).
Referee: P Murphy (Carlow).
