2 weeks Ago By Robert Cribbin
Kilkenny produced a highly polished attacking display as they blew away the challenge of near neighbours Wexford in the opening round of the Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Hurling Championship on Sunday afternoon. With eight starters and one sub involved from the Kilkenny team that lost out to Tipperary in last year's All-Ireland Final, this always looked an above average bunch and while it's very much early days, the first signs were very positive. Wexford were hampered by the first half dismissal to Joey Tobin for an off the ball incident but even at that stage, the home side were very much in the ascendancy.
After Kevin Buggy and Sean O'Brien exchanged the first two points, Wexford then had a great goal opportunity but Kilkenny full back and captain Larry Phelan made a great hook on Eoghan Whelan to offset the danger. The Cats then hit the following four points with both Eoin Brennan and Ollie O'Donovan finding their range. Wexford hit back with another O'Brien free but by the halfway mark of the half, it was the Noresiders who were very much in charge as efforts from Brennan, Jake Mullen and Diarmuid Behan left the score at 0-8 to 0-3 in Niall Bergin's team favour.
Wexford then suffered the blow of the straight red card to full forward Joey Tobin but to their credit they rallied for a period with Sean O'Brien and Eoghan Whelan both splitting the posts. Kilkenny all but ended the game as a contest in the final few minutes of the half when they hit 1-4 without reply as Brennan, Mullen and O'Donovan all continued to do damage up top in a match they scored 0-19 between them as they added to an expertly taken goal by Conor Holohan. That gave Kilkenny a 1-13 to 0-5 lead at the break and predictably, the second half proved to be a bit of a non event even if the Cats did score 1-18 over the course of the 30 minutes which is impressive no matter the circumstances.
Jake Mullen and Kevin Buggy even had further goal attempts well saved by Wexford's Martin Dempsey but with the visitors very reliant on Sean O'Brien and Ryan Doran in attack, Kilkenny could go through the motions even if they will be disappointed with a huge number of wides. Four points from three players off the bench in the shape of Kealan Barcoe x2, Sean Hanrahan and Adam Maher will do wonders for the belief in the squad and in this form, it will take a very good to live with them in Leinster at least. The Cats will be back at home again next Saturday as they face Galway where a win will all but seal their place in the Leinster Semi-Finals.
Teams and Scorers Kilkenny: Jake Mullen (0-7, 2fs and 1 '65); Eoin Brennan (0-7, 3fs); Ollie O'Donovan (0-5); Conor Holohan (1-0); Diarmuid Behan (0-3); PJ Mackey, Kevin Buggy, Kealan Barcoe (0-2 each); Oisin Henderson, Sean Hanrahan, Adam Maher (0-1 each) Wexford: Sean O'Brien (0-6, 4fs); Ryan Doran (0-2); Darragh Ryan, Eoghan Whelan, Enan Quinlan, Jack Cullen (0-1 each) Kilkenny: Jake O'Doherty (Mooncoin); Oisin Henderson (Dicksboro), Larry Phelan (James Stephens), David McGee (O'Loughlin Gaels); Ben Nevin (Thomastown), Josh Dowling (Erin's Own), Darragh Hickey (Emeralds); PJ Mackey (Rower-Inistioge), Cian Byrne (O'Loughlin Gaels); Kevin Buggy (Erin's Own), Diarmuid Behan (James Stephens), Eoin Brennan (Erin's Own); Ollie O'Donovan (John Lockes), Jake Mullen (Shamrocks Ballyhale), Conor Holohan (O'Loughlin Gaels). Subs- Brian Hickey (Dunnamaggin) for Byrne, 42 mins; Adam Maher (O'Loughlin Gaels) for Holohan, 50 mins; Killian Ryan (Shamrocks Ballyhale) for McGee, 54 mins; Kealan Barcoe (Young Irelands) for Hickey, 54 mins; Sean Hanrahan (Tullogher Rosbercon) for Mackey, 58 mins. Wexford: Martin Dempsey; Paddy O'Neill, Padraig Devereux, Conor Rochford; Jamie Downey, Ciaran Gethings, Tomas Fenlon; Darragh Ryan, Eoin Kinsella; Jamie Kennedy, Ryan Doran, Eoghan Whelan; Sean O'Brien, Joey Tobin, Alfie Whelan.
Subs- Kenny Murphy for Kennedy, h-t; Enan Quinlan for Whelan, h-t; Rhys Wickham for Whelan, 41 mins; Jack Cullen for Downey, 41 mins; Wally Kelly for Kinsella, 50 mins. Referee: Rory Hanley (Dublin).
