Kilkenny 4-22 Waterford 0-14: No spring shock at Nowlan Park as Kilkenny booked their safe passage into the hurling quarter-finals – the defending Allianz League champions having far too much bite and hunger for their Waterford visitors.

The result also sends Waterford into the relegation play-offs and with that prospect of playing Division 1B hurling next season. On this form it won’t be easy to survive in the top flight in their game against Dublin.

Kilkenny reserved the big scores for the second half, including goals for Eoin Larkin on 41 minutes, then two for Mark Kelly, on 47 minutes and 54. In contrast Waterford managed just six points in the second half, fading badly in a game they'd started quite well.

A series of points from Colin Fennelly, Henry Shefflin, Richie Hogan and substitute Richie Power ensured the second half played out entirely at Kilkenny's ease. Waterford failed to get a sniff of the goals they needed as Kilkenny's defence held firm.

This contrasted with a tense first half, marked by plenty of untidy hurling, and saw Waterford hit three opening points without reply, two coming from placed-balls from the ever accurate Pauric Mahony. Kilkenny’s early shooting was a lot more wayward, and included three successive wides from Shefflin.

However the first clean ball to Fennelly on 16 minutes ended with their opening point, and not long after Kilkenny were level – thanks to a more accurate Shefflin.

Then Eoin Larkin’s determined run at goal ended with Jonjo Farrell making the decisive finish, putting the home team up 1-3 to 0-3. The points swung back and forth until half-time, which had Kilkenny up by two, 1-7 to 0-8, and a slight but telling momentum.