Kilkenny 2.21 - 0.21 Waterford
The game opened up with an extended midfield shemozzle after the throw-in - Kilkenny came out on top with Alan Murphy pointing from the placed ball.
There was an early wide for Waterford after two minutes - the first of ten - despite Colin Dunford chasing the rolling ball until it went dead.
Dessie Hutchinson worked well with Michael Kiely for Waterford's first score, the Abbeyside man opening his shoulders and striking over the black spot. Pauric Mahony returned to free-taking duties with Stephen Bennett absent - he got on the scoreboard after 4 minutes for his first of the day.
Martin Keoghan delivered a tidy cross-field pass to Walter Walsh for Kilkenny's second point of the afternoon, leveling the score at two points apiece after five minutes, but moments later Pauric Mahony would punish Kilkenny carelessness when the pointed from a free. With Waterford one point in the ascendency, Austin Gleeson was the man to finish off a sequence of play started by Darragh Lyons to put Waterford two points up. Having pointed just seconds previous, Gleeson was back in the mix when he sent Dessie Hutchinson through for his first score back in a Waterford jersey.
Waterford early on looked like a team who were really up for the contest as they chased and fought for every ball, leading 0.5 - 0.2 after 8 minutes. That high-paced intent held true when Neil Montgomery became the fifth Deise forward to score before the game was ten minutes old. With Liam Cahill's team starting to lay down a strong early lead, Kilkenny called on Walter Walsh once again as the Tullagher-Rosbercon club man sent over his second point.
Carthach Daly found himself with a supreme chance of sending the ball to the back of the net, but unselfishly hand passed to Hutchinson with Eoin Murphy intercepting to deny Waterford an opening goal. Some lovely interplay with the Pauric Mahony, Colin Dunford, and ultimately Austin Gleeson saw the Mt Sion ace looking at an open goal as he stood just on the left flank; his strike for the Kilkenny net drifted just right and wide.
Kilkenny made inroads to restore the contest to a level score with both Walter and Padraig Walsh pointing to bring the deficit back to three points after 16 minutes. With Kilkenny within a green flag of balancing the game, Jack Fagan sent the ball between the posts with ease to return to the scoreboard to a more pleasant sight for Waterford fans. After seventeen minutes, the visitors were good value for their score which doubled that of Brian Cody's side (0.8 - 0.4).
Padraig Walsh began to drift from his selected position at half-forward, finding himself out on the wing looking for the ball. A move that proved profitable as Tullaroan man pointed twice in quick succession. A free awarded to Kilkenny for Carthach Daly's less than obvious hand pass allowed Kilkenny to reduce the gap back to two points, with Waterford 8 points to Kilkenny's 6.
After pointing from the placed ball, Kilkenny also got the next score when Huw Lawlor provided the sliotar to Padraig Walsh, making it a one-point game around the twenty-minute mark.
Lismore's Carthach Daly earned Waterford another free having been caught in a swarm of Kilkenny jerseys, the young contender emerged with the face of a man playing Championship - Pauric Mahony easily sending over the free. That was followed by Neil Montgomery pointing against the run of play, but Kilkenny weren't to be denied as Cillian Buckley found some open field and surged toward Billy Nolan's goal. He struck from distance through a gang of blue and white jerseys, but the ball slipped through and ended up cradled in Nolan's netting to bring the game back to level score 1.07 - 0.10. Adrian Mullen then pointed to make to take a one point lead for the home side.
Colin Dunford - who had been working hard off the ball throughout the first half - got his first scoring chance just before halftime when he had to shorten his grip at close range and dinked it over Murphy's bar making it a level contest once again. Kilkenny recovered their lead in the last moments of the first half with goalkeeper Eoin Murphy sending over a long-range free as they headed for the changing rooms with the home team narrowly in front 1.10 - 0.11.
The second half began with Liam Cahill swapping in DJ Foran for Pauric Mahony. Much like the first half, Kilkenny started quickly. Straight off the throw-in, Billy Ryan pounced on a loose ball to send it over the bar to make it a three-point advantage.
It was back-to-back-to-back scores then for Kilkenny as Walter Walsh followed on from Billy Ryan, and Padraig Walsh hit his fourth point of the day extending their lead to five. Austin Gleeson took over the free-taking duties with Pauric Mahony sitting in the stand - his first effort was a huge strike from his own 45 sailing through the posts. That point was soon balanced on the ledger when Cian Kenny registered his first score for the Cats.
Waterford found the going tough in the early stanzas of the second half with Gleeson's free the only score of after 10 minutes, Kilkenny easily the more dominant side in Nowlan Park - in the same space of time Cian Kenny, Billy Ryan Walter Walsh, and Padraig Walsh all sending over singles. Conor Dalton was the first Deise man to add to the scoreboard after the break with 12 minutes played.
With Kilkenny still holding a four-point lead, Billy Ryan found himself in an ocean of space - the Graigue-Ballycallan attacker comfortably finding the back of the Deise net for Kilkenny's second green flag. Leading by seven, Kilkenny were reeled in somewhat with Austin Gleeson sending two frees between the posts. The next run of play saw Colin Dunford break-in on the Kilkenny goal, but he was blown for steps and a free-out awarded to Kilkenny.
Alan Murphy hit his first point from play off the back of that free with Brian Cody's team once again leading by six - it was then Eoin Cody who added to that tally with a white flag raised.
Looking to replicate his immense point against Tipperary, Tadhg De Búrca opened his stride and soloed upfield, as he turned his body to strike, the ball looked certain to sail through the uprights, but it faded left and went wide. Neil Montgomery did manage to reduce the gap to six, with Dessie Hutchinson unlucky to strike wide moments later.
Liam Cahill began to draw on his bench midway through the second half with Shane Bennett replacing Micahel Kiely and his brother Kieran on for Colin Dunford.
Darragh Lyons was everywhere today. The Dungarvan man, while small in stature is massive in presence. Never backing down and never taking a backward step. He made life hard for the Kilkenny midfield at every opportunity.
Gleeson restored the five-point margin with about 12 minutes to play, but Eoin Cody slotted his second of the afternoon from the left sideline making it a comfortable 6 point lead once again. While Kilkenny had emerged from the changing rooms determined to finish their league campaign with a win, Waterford struggled to string together passages of play. Too few passes went to hand and a wide count far in excess of Kilkenny's all helped to keep Brian Cody's team's noses in front.
DJ Foran was shown a red card in the last ten minutes for a high challenge on Mikey Butler. While the letter of the law would say that he had to walk, mitigating circumstances could have seen Foran remain on the field as Butler has been falling into the contact.
Michel Harney who had entered the field for Cian Wadding, worked well to set up Hutchinson for his second point. Waterford managed to bring it back to three points seconds later as Austin Gleeson was able to find enough space to run clear of the Kilkenny defence and pointed on the run.
It was back to four points as the game reached the final three minutes - a free from Alan Murphy drilled low and hard over the bar for Cody's charges.
Austin Gleeson had the chance to bring that gap back to three with only one score needed to claim a draw, but for the first time, Gleeson's radar was off as he sent it right and wide.
James Maher and John Donnelly both sent singles over the bar in added time to extend the lead once again to 6 points, with the game well and truly over for Waterford by that stage. While the game was lost, Carthach Daly wasn't going to be happy ending the day without a score; the Lismore man pointing in the 72nd minute. The insurance score for Kilkenny came from Padraig Walsh seconds before the referee Liam Gordon called a halt to proceedings. The Tullaroan man notching his fifth point in all.
Scorers for Waterford: Austin Gleeson 0.7 (5f), Pauric Mahony 3f, Neil Montgomery 0.3, Dessie Hutchinson 0.2, Michael Kiely 0.1, Colin Funford 0.1, Darragh Lyons 0.1, Carthach Daly 0.1, Conor Dalton 0.1, Jack Fagan 0.1.
Scorers for Kilkenny: Alan Murphy 0.5 (4f), Padraig Walsh 0.5, Billy Ryan 1.1, Cillian Buckley 1.0, Walter Walsh 0.3, Cian Kenny 0.1, Adrian Mullen 0.1, Eoin Murphy 0.1.
