Kilkenny strike late winner to bag hurling league victory away to Cork

Cork 1-17

JOHN DONNELLY SUPPLIED the critical shot in injury-time to ensure Kilkenny had a rewarding hurling league trip to Cork tonight.

Kilkenny were nine points ahead at one juncture in the first half, but Cork reeled them in to ahead on a couple of occasions in the second half. In a frantic finale, both teams saw accuracy elude them, yet after Patrick Collins pulled off a wonderful save to stop a batted effort by Walter Walsh, it was Thomastown’s Donnelly who clipped over the winner moments later.

The bulk of the first-half play was a nightmare for Cork and a dream for Kilkenny. By the 23rd minute Kilkenny had cruised 0-12 to 0-3 clear and that position was fully justified. Eoin Cody and Adrian Mullen were shooting the lights out, they would finish the half with nine points between them. Cody had sight of goal in the 4th minute, after Kilkenny had popped over the opening two points of the game, but Patrick Collins smothered his shot.

Cork had reason to complain that they were not awarded a first-half penalty for a foul on Luke Meade, yet they largely struggled in several sectors. Conor Lehane’s 8th minute shot was their solitary score from play in the opening 23 minutes.

Conor O’Callaghan found the net for Cork in the first half.

And yet remarkably Cork only trailed by three at the interval, for all the issues in their performance. They outscored Kilkenny 1-4 to 0-1 in the closing stages of the opening period, the goal ignited the home support when Sean Twomey’s injury-time pass found midfielder Conor O’Callaghan galloping through and he drilled a low shot to the net.

Kilkenny were ahead 0-13 to 1-7 at the break, a puzzlingly narrow advantage given the early excellence they had served up. Cody and Mullen pushed them five clear early in the second half, before then Cork began to play with authority.

Patrick Horgan’s free-taking drew them closer and Mark Coleman came off the bench to influence the game. A Conor Lehane point in the 51st minute saw the teams level entering the final quarter.

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Cork’s Luke Meade and Kilkenny’s Conor Heary.

Cork had coughed up goal opportunities after a couple of surging Shane Kingston runs during that time frame. Kilkenny did hit back to go two clear, before three on the spin from Cork, culminated in the Lehane score on 58 that nudged them in front for the first time on the night.

The action ebbed and flowed in the closing stages, neither team able to create significant daylight on the scoreboard. Billy Drennan entered the exchanges as a sub and rifled over three points for Kilkenny, two from frees. He traded points in that time frame with Horgan, who converted two frees.

Just as it appeared they would not be separated, Donnelly then intervened for Derek Lyng’s charges.

Scorers for Kilkenny: Eoin Cody 0-7 (0-5f), Adrian Mullen 0-5, Billy Drennan 0-3 (0-2f), Cian Kenny 0-2, John Donnelly 0-2, Mikey Carey 0-1, Shane Murphy 0-1.

Scorers for Cork: Patrick Horgan 0-9 (0-9f), Conor Lehane 0-4, Conor O’Callaghan 1-0, Tim O’Mahony 0-1, Tommy O’Connell 0-1, Robbie O’Flynn 0-1, Shane Barrett 0-1.

Kilkenny

1. Eoin Murphy (Glenmore)

2. Mikey Butler (O’Loughlin Gaels), 3. Huw Lawlor (O’Loughlin Gaels), 4. Tommy Walsh (Tullaroan)

5. David Blanchfield (Bennettsbridge), 6. Darragh Corcoran (Shamrocks Ballyhale), 7. Shane Murphy (Glenmore)

8. Cian Kenny (James Stephens), 9. Mikey Carey (Young Irelands)

14. Luke Hogan (O’Loughlin Gaels),11. John Donnelly (Thomastown), 10. Conor Heary (O’Loughlin Gaels)

13. Billy Ryan (Gragiue-Ballycallan), 15. Eoin Cody (Shamrocks Ballyhale), 12. Adrian Mullen (Shamrocks Ballyhale)

Subs

23. Martin Keoghan (Tullaroan) for Ryan (half-time)
• 26. Billy Drennan (Galmoy) for Hogan (44)
• 22. Kevin Blanchfield (Bennettsbridge) for Carey (50)
• 24. Walter Walsh (Tullogher-Rosbercon) for Heary (55)
• 21. Peter McDonald (Thomastown) for Kenny (64)

Cork

1. Patrick Collins (Ballinhassig)

2. Eoin Downey (Glen Rovers), 3. Eoin Roche (Bride Rovers), 4. Sean O’Donoghue (Inniscarra – captain)

5. Tim O’Mahony (Newtownshandrum), 6. Niall O’Leary (Castlelyons), 7. Rob Downey (Glen Rovers)

8. Tommy O’Connell (Midleton), 9. Conor O’Callaghan (Dromtarriffe)

10. Luke Meade (Newcestown), 11. Conor Lehane (Midleton), 12. Sean Twomey (Courcey Rovers)

13. Robbie O’Flynn (Erins Own), 14. Patrick Horgan (Glen Rovers), 15. Shane Kingston (Douglas)

Subs

18. Ger Millerick (Fr O’Neills) for Robert Downey (inj) (21)
• 22. Brian Roche (Bride Rovers) for Meade (half-time)
• 21. Ethan Twomey (St Finbarr’s) for O’Callaghan (42)
• 24. Shane Barrett (Blarney) for O’Flynn (44)

Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)