Kilkenny kept their Leinster Senior Hurling Championship hopes firmly on track on Sunday with a 2-30 to 2-12 win over Antrim in Belfast – but it wasn’t all plain sailing for Derek Lyng’s side.
The Cats started brightly at Corrigan Park but were pegged back by a determined Antrim team, who edged in front by a point at half-time. However, Kilkenny responded in style after the break, outscoring the hosts by 2-18 to 0-7 in the second half to come away with a comfortable victory in the end.
Speaking to KCLR’s Oisín Langan after the game, Kilkenny boss Derek Lyng said the players knew themselves that the first-half performance wasn’t good enough.
“Players were disappointed with themselves and it’s an honest dressing room,” Lyng said.“It was pretty straightforward at half-time – it was just about how we responded in the second half that was the most important thing. When we switched off, our intensity dropped a bit, and you can’t do that against anybody. We just upped it, got back to basics, and that was it. Plenty of learning in it, and we have to work hard over the next couple of weeks and be ready for Offaly.”
There were plenty of positives for Kilkenny fans, especially the form of Cian Kenny (James Stephens) and Eoin Cody (Ballyhale Shamrocks), both of whom were named on the GAA’s Hurling Team of the Week after their standout displays against the Saffrons.
What made the win even more impressive was the absence of several key players through injury. TJ Reid, Adrian Mullen, David Blanchfield and Shane Murphy all missed the trip north, and Lyng gave an update on their recovery.
“We won’t see Shane the next day,” Lyng said. “Adrian and David have a chance, I’d say, but the next week is important. It’s tight at this time of year – any little injury can keep you out. Thankfully, those two aren’t too serious but enough to rule them out for a few weeks. Shane – we’ll know more in the next week or so, but he’s feeling good, thankfully. Fingers crossed it’s not a long-term one.”
Next up for Kilkenny is a meeting with Offaly, and with plenty of competition for places and lessons learned from Belfast, Lyng’s side will be looking to build momentum as the Leinster Championship heats up.
