50
The Kilkenny Observer Friday 04 March 2022
kilkennyobserver.ie
Hurling matters
Sport BY NIALL SHERRY SPORTS EDITOR SPORTSEDITORKILKENNYOBSERVER.IE
Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Group B Kilkenny 2-28 Laois 0-17 @ UPMC Nowlan Park
BRIAN Cody’s men got back to winning ways at home last Sunday, as they put the slim defeat away to Tipperary behind them, by putting Laois to the sword with the minimum of ease. A 17-point victory didn’t flatter the Cats, as they made best use of the elements in the second half to inflict a 3rd Allianz National League loss on the O’Moore County hurlers this season. While ‘Cheddar’s’ charges were somewhat wasteful with the chance they created in the opening period, they was a clear gulf in class between the two outfits throughout the encounter. Graigue-Ballycallan forward, Billy Ryan opened the scoring within the first 20 seconds, but Laois settled quickly after that score and registered four points of their own, via midfielder Jack Kelly (2) and their main danger man, Stephen ‘Picky’ Maher, who fired over a pair of placed balls to give his a 3-point lead by the 6th minute. All Laois’s good work was swiftly undone following a nice move by the home side just after. A long searching angled ball into the visitors defence eluded their sweeper, the less famous John Lennon and allowed Mossy Keoghan and Conahy Shamrocks Tom Phelan to exchange passes, before Phelan dispatched his shot to the net from about 15 metres out, for the first green flag of the day to level matters. Phelan’s goal appeared to stun the Laois team, and they quickly found themselves behind, when Tullaroan’s Mossy Keoghan rifled over a nice point to give the home side the lead once again, and one they never relinquished for the rest of the game. Billy Ryan added another point for the Cats, and again, the lively attacker looked dangerous throughout, as he finished the day with a tally of 0-4. Seamus Plunkett’s team did respond, but some wayward shooting with the aid of the wind didn’t help their cause, indeed his charges would record some eight wide’s in the opening period, compared to their hosts six, and this proved costly by the short whistle. Glenmore’s Eoin Murphy was busy man in the opening period, but this was more a result of Laois efforts dropping short, rather than any serious threat to his goal. One would imagine ‘Cheddar’ was livid with his side dropping EIGHT efforts short in the first half. By contrast, Kilkenny kept the scoreboard ticking over, Murphy No.2, Alan fired over 7-points, six of which came from his accuracy via the placed
Cats canter to Laois victory
All pix: Danny Lahart
Phelan hits 2 majors in facile win
Walter Walsh and James Maher take flight
Cody & Co have plenty to ponder
