Kilkenny retain Walsh Cup

Wexford 0-10 Kilkenny 1-13

Kilkenny collected their first silverware of 2007 as they retained the Walsh Cup with a 1-13 to 0-10 win over their Leinster rivals Wexford in sunny conditions at Wexford Park today.

However the Cats had a good deal of fortune in their third straight Walsh Cup final win over Wexford.

Their goal came from a deflection off returning Wexford full-back David 'Doc' O'Connor.

Eoin Larkin hit four early frees for the holders but scores from Pat Doran, Paul Carley, Michael Jacob and Ritchie Kehoe had Wexford level at 0-7 apiece at half-time.

The crucial goal arrived on 38 minutes when a long range free from PJ Delaney defied the otherwise solid O'Connor and found the net.

John Meyler's Wexford side started with the wind behind them but they were 0-5 to 0-1 down midway through the first half as Larkin found the target on four occasions and Rory McCarthy hit the hosts' sole reply.

Kilkenny, who started with Seaghan O'Neill at full-forward, struggled to find points from open play and despite shooting some poor wides, Wexford came back into the tie with neat scores from Jacob and Carley and O'Connor, who is back from three months' travelling, offering his side a strong defensive platform.

Kilkenny boss Brian Cody threw John Dalton, Michael Rice and Eoin McCormack into the fray for the second half and those changes had the desired effect as the Cats upped the gears.

After Delaney's shot beat both O'Connor and Damien Fitzhenry, an Aidan Fogarty point and three scores from Kilkenny's midfield pairing of Derek Lyng and Peter Cleere saw Cody's side burst clear.

Wexford could only muster one point from play in the entire second half, that score came 27 minutes in when Rory Jacob rifled over, but their overall performance was still an improvement on last week's league showing against Waterford. Meyler admitted so.

Fogarty flung over the game's final point to confirm Kilkenny's 19th successive win in all competitions. Right corner back Noel Hickey accepted the cup for the Cats.