Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng praised his team’s character after their 23-21 victory over Clare at Cusack Park yesterday.
The Cats overcame a late Clare surge to open their Division 1A campaign with a hard-fought win against the reigning All-Ireland and National League champions. The Banner County, chasing a place among the rare group of counties to win back-to-back league titles this century.
Lyng said, “I think when you come to Ennis, there’s a score either side of it. To come out the right side, you have to be pleased with that. Clare got four on the trot within that last ten minutes when it looked like we were maybe about to take control of it. How we finished the game was really strong. That takes a bit of character. The most pleasing thing was the attitude.”
One downside for Kilkenny was Fionán Mackessy going off injured, with Lyng confirming The Cats will assess the injury over the next few days.
In other Division 1A action, Tipperary cruised to victory over Galway in Salthill, winning by 12 points.
For further analysis, the new KCLR Hurling Podcast features Adrian Ronan, Michael Walsh, and Eddie Scally breaking down Kilkenny’s win, along with Tom Mullally’s insights on Carlow’s opening-day draw.
