Cody's Cats receive boost

Kilkenny manager Brian Cody has received a major boost following the return of defenders Noel Hickey and Michael Kavanagh to action in recent days.

It's a huge lift for the Cats five-in-a-row All-Ireland title hopes with Hickey playing his first full game on Sunday since the 2008 All-Ireland decider, while Kavanagh has returned to county duty following an All-Ireland Intermediate win with his club St Lachtain's in February.

Hickey, 29, lined out for Kilkenny at the weekend, as the Cats got back to winning ways thanks to a victory over Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds.

The Dunnamaggin clubman who has been blighted by injuries throughout his inter-county career lined out at full-back and showed no ill-effects of his long layoff.

Kavanagh, who turns 31 today; played his first game of 2010 for Kilkenny in a Senior hurling challenge against Wexford last night at Wexford Park.

Kilkenny selector Martin Fogarty is delighted to have Hickey back on board, after uncertainty over his future.

Hickey was also laid up for six months in 2005 due to a heart virus, and there were strong concerns that the farmer might retire from hurling over a frustration of a lack of game time due to injury.

"You could never automatically presume that he would come back, no more than you could with the three other lads who had cruciate problems last year," Fogarty said.

"With a fella like Noel he's been operating at the very top level and you're asking him to come back and reach that mark again. So it's a nervous time when fellas like him are out, you're never quite sure what way things will go.

"Thank God, Noel did fine against Limerick. It was a decent match with plenty of forward movement. He had his hands full but he came through it well."