Waterford's defiant roar puts Kilkenny to the sword

Waterford 0-14 Kilkenny 0-10: There are valid reasons statistics, particularly hurling statistics, should be viewed dubiously at this time of year but Waterford may care to read a little more into the figures presented by this Division 1A opener.

At the 10th time of asking in league and championship, they put Kilkenny to the sword, ending a losing streak that stretched back to March 2009. The win also pushed them further away from their last league defeat, which came against Dublin in the 2013 relegation play-off.

That the Cats were sluggish will and should qualify the relevance of the result but there was little to discount in their performance. Their wide count of 18 in such wearying conditions was quite phenomenal. Just as it pointed to wayward shooting, it indicated the close to 40 scoring opportunities they produced. For a team that’s been told it’s too defensive and limited, it was a defiant tally.