44
The Kilkenny Observer Friday 25 February 2022
kilkennyobserver.ie
Hurling matters
Sport
Paddy Deegan
Billy Ryan has looked lively
BY NIALL SHERRY SPORTS EDITOR SPORTSEDITORKILKENNYOBSERVER.IE
Allianz Hurling League Roinn 1B Kilkenny vs Laois Sunday February 27th, UPMC Nowlan Park, 2pm
Kilkenny will take to the UPMC Nowlan Park turf on Sunday, looking to bounce back from their injury-time defeat to Tipperary, when they face-off against Laois in round 3 of the Allianz Hurling league. Brian Cody will be eager to see his charges dust themselves off and get back to winning ways against a team that has lost both games in their campaign to date. While the game in Thurles a couple of weeks ago, wasn’t high on quality, it was certainly a very entertaining affair, and while Colm Bonnar’s team won by the minimum, the result could have gone the other way, or even a share of the spoils. The victory in round 1 over Antrim was no walk in the park either, but the Cats held on to claim full points at UPMC Nowlan Park, against Darren Gleeson’s battling Saffrons. The early rounds of the league, historically, are the training ground for counties. They get to blood new players, try some out in different positions and generally have a blank canvas with which to experiment. This year however, is a little different, as the championship comes hot on the heels of the Allianz league. If you suffer a bad league campaign, it can be very difficult to re-group quickly and build any momentum for the business part of the season. Winter hurling, and yes, it is very much still winter, can be very unpredictable. Conditions underfoot on many pitches will test the best of hurlers, but put that together with the weather elements and one never knows what the outcome might be at the end of many games! Let’s take a look at Sunday’s opponents, Laois. As we said earlier, The O’Moore County have started this year’s league with two defeats. Their opening day defeat, at home to Tipp saw Cheddars men battle well, but come up 4 points short at the long whistle. It’s worth noting that Laois played the last 25 minutes of that game with 14 men, having had Paddy Purcell redcarded following an off the ball incident with Craig Morgan. Six points behind and a man down, that could have spelt disaster, but to their credit, Laois dug in and ensured that Tipp had to work hard to claim the points. Stephen ‘Picky’ Maher was again the main contributor of scores, hitting 8 points, including 5 from frees. Enda Rowland finished with 1-3, and was unlucky when his late free from the ‘21 was tipped over by Tipp keeper Hogan. There was also a very impressive cameo from James Keyes, who notched 0-3 from the bench. How Laois battled against Tipp wouldn’t be indicative of what would happen in their round 2 match with Waterford in Walsh Park. Cheddar’s charges suffered a heavy 33-point defeat to the Deise men, who don’t forget, fielded without any of their Ballygunner contingent. Enda Rowland would see his net breached some SEVEN times as a four-goal salvo in the four minutes leading up to halftime, proved to be Laois’s undoing. Despite playing with wind advantage in the first-half,
Kilkenny seek home comforts Laois next up for Cody’s Cats
Brian Cody will want to get back to winning ways
The Nowlan Park faithful will hope to on their feet on Sunday!
the O’Moore County found themselves 5-12 to 0-11 down at the short whistle, with 4-5 of Waterford’s half-time score coming in the last 8 minutes of the opening period. Once again, Laois saw an improbable task turn into an impossible one, when Slieve Bloom club man Ben Conroy was then sent off for a challenge on Tom Barron early in the second half, meaning that unless there’s a last-minute appeal. Conroy won’t be available to line out against the Cats on Sunday. Picky Maher hit another 0-8 in the defeat
to Waterford, while wing-forward Ross king notched 0-4, but Laois only registered 8-points in the second period, playing against the elements. Laois will look to the Clough/Ballacolla men when they roll up to UPMC Nowlan Park this weekend. Picky Maher, Willie Dunphy, Aidan Corby, Stephen Bergin and Jordan Walshe all have recent experience of Kilkenny opposition, and it didn’t end well that day when Shamrocks Ballyhale inflicted a 27-point defeat on them in the Leinster Final. Picky Maher was kept very
quiet that day in Croker, thanks to a wonderful man-marking job by Darren Mullen. Cheddar will know that it will be imperative that Laois keep their full quota of players against Cody’s Cats, if they are to stand any chance of a positive outcome on Sunday. Indeed, Plunkett made reference to the red cards dished out to his team this season recently, when he questioned if physicality was being taken out of the game and dismissed any suggestions that his side are ill-disciplined. Turning our attention to the black and
