Leinster SHC: Kilkenny 5-30 Antrim 0-13
A five-goal demolition to begin their Leinster SHC campaign with but this roaring victory came at a cost for Derek Lyng and Kilkenny.
Goals from TJ Reid and substitutes Owen Wall, Gearoid Dunne and Billy Drennan propelled the Cats to a 32-point win in the Kilkenny city sunshine.
Even with a whopping 20 wides overall, the game was as good as up by half-time with Antrim manager Darren Glesson later acknowledging his side “gave up very early in the game.”
Kilkenny will meet stiffer opposition in Salthill next Sunday when they face Galway but could be without some significant players.
Goalkeeper Eoin Murphy, 2023 All-Star forward Eoin Cody and Adrian Mullen were all taken off following knocks. Cody appeared most in bother with an ankle injury and boss Lyng could only say “hopefully it’s nothing too serious.”
They have able replacements at least with speedy Wall, U-20 Dunne and free-taker Drennan scoring 4-9 between them as subs.
Kilkenny were only one up after 16 minutes but the floodgates opened after Reid’s 18th minute goal, a simple close range finish after a long ball in from Paddy Deegan.
They led 1-15 to 0-7 at half-time and added four more goals after the break, local boy Wall impressing the 2,855 spectators with a couple of wonderful solo goals.
Kilkenny: E Murphy; M Butler, H Lawlor, S Murphy (0-1); D Blanchfield, P Deegan (0-2), M Carey (0-1); C Kenny (0-4), R Reid (0-1); A Mullen (0-1), J Donnelly (0-3), T Phelan; M Keoghan (0-3), E Cody, TJ Reid (1-5, three frees).
Subs: G Dunne (1-1) for Mullen (15 mins), A Tallis for E Murphy (h-t), O Wall (2-2) for Cody 39, B Drennan (1-6, 1-0pen, two frees, one 65) for TJ Reid (45), B Ryan for Phelan (54), T Walsh for Butler (62).
Antrim: R Elliott; P Burke, R McGarry, P Duffin; S Walsh, E Campbell (0-1), C Bohill (0-1); J McNaughton (0-2), N O’Connor; M Bradley, N Elliott (0-1), N McKenna; C Cunning (0-7, seven frees), C McCann (0-1), S Elliott.
Subs: T Smyth for McKenna (21 mins), McKenna for R Elliott (33), J McLaughlin for Bradly (h-t), R McCloskey for Walsh (58), C Boyd for McKenna (60).
Referee: S Hynes (Galway).
