'For spells, they were the better team,' says Derek Lyng as Kilkenny overcome Antrim
Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng and Antrim manager Davy Fitzgerald shake hands. Pic: Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile.
THE 18-point margin of victory perhaps masks how Kilkenny were tested at Corrigan Park on Sunday, but when push came to shove, Derek Lyng's men grabbed control and stormed home in the second period.
Despite starting well, Kilkenny trailed at the break and it was only when Martin Keoghan punished an error in the 51st minute to slam home his team's first goal was when Antrim's resistance was finally broken as they out-scored the hosts by 2-13 to 0-1 from the 48th minute.
Eoin Cody top-scored for the Cats as he finished with 1-13 as his free-taking and ability to lead the charge from play helped get his side right on top, while Martin Keoghan's goal in the 51st minute proved a big score as it was a blow Antrim didn't recover from.
"For spells of the game, they were the better team," Lyng said of the hosts.
"We got back into it in the second half and found our groove a little bit more and that was the most important thing. We got the result we needed and we move on to the next game.
"They caused us problems in the first half. We were getting the ball but we're just doing the basics well. Antrim were that bit sharper at that stage.
"We got a good lead at the start and just sat back. Antrim were the better team for the next 20 minutes and that's something we will be working on for the next couple of weeks as it won't be good enough as we go along. It's back to training now this week and heads down again.
"It's always a challenge coming up here and Antrim are strong at home. It's not to take anything away from them, but we upped the ante in the second half and it was more like it with our work-rate much better.
"Our first half performance was not the standard we are looking for but we upped that work-rate in the second half, got the scores on the board and came away with the win."
Kilkenny flew out of the traps and were 0-8 to 0-1 ahead after 11 minutes before Antrim settled to rattle off four of their own and got level as good work from Conor Johnston saw him put James McNaughton in for a goal.
The Loughgiel man almost had a second three minutes later, only to be denied by the post, but three Eoin Cody scores seemed to settle Kilkenny once again.
Two was the margin when Antrim got a second goal in the 33rd minute as Keelan Molloy did well to whip home under pressure and the Saffrons took a 2-8 to 0-13 lead into the break.
Kilkenny upped the pace in the second period with Cody frees and a score from Harry Shine putting them two up, only for McNaughton to point a free and Nigel Elliott seeing a rasping drive tipped ovre by Eoin Murphy.
But Kilkenny completely took over after with Billy Ryan and Cian Kenny landing to ensure the starting front eight were on the board and from the restart in the 51st minute, Martin Keoghan overturned Paddy Burke and galloped through for the goal, which put his side 1-21 to 2-11 ahead.
That was the game-breaker as Antrim's resistance was broken as Kilkenny ultimately went 1-12 without reply as Mikey Butler and Tommy Walsh added their names to the board.
McNaughton finally ended a barren 25 minutes for Antrim in added time, but Kilkenny finished with a flourish as Billy Drennan pointed and with the last act of the game, Eoin Cody went for and got the goal from a free to put the cap on a fine second-half display and victory for the Cats.
"That wasn't an 18-point defeat," a disappointed Antrim boss, Davy Fitzgerald said.
"We had six goal opportunities but that (margin) was the last 15 minutes, conceding most of that. For 45-48 minutes, we showed what we can do.
"They got a seven-point lead (early) but from then on we were good, but after we made the mistake that led to their goal, we lost confidence and an issue we need to look at. They weren't even good goals. The first was a mistake and the second, we switched off. We gave them two (goals) and we have seven goal opportunities - that's the facts of the game.
"When we penetrated through the middle, we looked good and as good as I've seen us for 45 minutes. Our tackling was good, shape was good, everything was good, but just when that (first) goal went in, the buzz went out of us."
J McNaughton 1-9 (0-9f), K Molloy 1-1, C Bohill, N Elliott 0-1 each.
E Cody 1-13 (1-9f), M Keoghan 1-2, S Donnelly 0-3, C Kenny, J Molloy 0-2 each, P Deegan, J Donnelly, F Mackessy (1f), H Shine, B Ryan, T Walsh, M Butler, B Drennan 0-1 each.
R Elliott; S Rooney, N O'Connor, P Burke; C Boyd, J Maskey, C Bohill; E Campbell, G Walsh; K Molloy, N Elliott, S Walsh; R McCambridge, J McNaughton, C Johnston.
C McKeown for C Johnston (HT), S McKay for R McCambridge (52), J McLaughlin for S Walsh (55), E O'Neill for E Campbell (69), A McGarry for G Walsh (69).
E Murphy; M Butler, H Lawlor, T Walsh; M Carey, R Reid, P Deegan; C Kenny, J Molloy; F Mackessy, J Donnelly, B Ryan; S Donnelly, M Keoghan, E Cody.
H Shine for F Mackessy (40), L Hogan for S Donnelly (64), B Drennan for J Donnelly (67), K Doyle for M Carey (67), E Lyng for C Kenny (70).
S Hynes (Galway).
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