AFTER THEY BEAT Kildare by 23 points, there was enough for the Kilkenny crowd to get worked up about.
Winning so much has left their support adept at jamming their fingers into tiny holes and pulling at treads. What might seem trivial to others is worked into a major issue for those who are concerned with Kilkenny hurling.
How else could you hold any currency in a hurling conversation?
Their slow start against Kildare is the latest raincloud hanging over Noreside. A 23-point winning margin doesn’t save them from throwing all the negatives on the table. Being one point up at half-time with Cian Kenny red-carded?
“I think we had 28 shots in the first half again and a lot of wides, but look, we weren’t helping ourselves, and you know it was an edgy performance, but really pleased with how we turned things around in the second half,” said manager Derek Lyng afterwards.
In the second half, Harry Shine and TJ Reid took flight, but the prevailing mood still isn’t great.
Context offers no relief.
On Monday night, their minors lost the Leinster final to Galway by a point.
This followed previous losses to Wexford and Galway. They are still in the All-Ireland championship and enter it at quarter-final stage, but what kind of form is three losses?
In midweek, Henry Shefflin’s U20s lost their Leinster final to Galway by nine points. Their track record wasn’t hot either, having drawn with Wexford and lost to Galway in the group stages.
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Looking at this weekend and the final group game in the Leinster round robin away to Dublin in Parnell Park, Kilkenny have a lot to do to keep alive their run of seven consecutive Bob O’Keefe Cups.
Their loss to Galway (15 points) in Round 1 before their draw against Offaly in Round 3 leaves them in a sticky position.
Dublin sit top of the Leinster group on seven points but may not reach the Leinster final if they lose to Kilkenny and Galway win at Wexford Park.
A draw against Dublin would do for Kilkenny. An Offaly win against Kildare would leave them and the Cats level on point with their head-to-head finishing level. But Kilkenny have a points advantage of +30.
A loss to Dublin?
And with an Offaly win?
Well, that would leave Kilkenny out of the Leinster and All-Ireland championships.
You have to go back to 1996 to recall a potential scenario so dire.
Losing 1-14 to 0-14 to Wexford on 2 June left them with their summer schedule free. It was little consolation to them that Wexford went on to win the All-Ireland when Kilkenny were gone at quarter-final stage.
Nickey Brennan was the manager that year. He has sensed a creeping pessimism abounding.
“We are heading into a tough spot here. It’s 11 years since we won an All-Ireland. Now, I know Cork is longer. But of the big three, two are in droughts and Tipperary are gone,” he says.
The addition of Henry Shefflin as manager of the U20 team granted them a halo effect that has since been stripped away. Losing to Galway in such a fashion, with Aaron Niland held back and Jason Rabbitte only brought on as a sub has had a grounding effect.
It’s indicative of where we are at the moment. We don’t have the talent around the county right now,” says Brennan.
Given that Kilkenny are going for seven in a row, that creates a sense of a surprise. But Dublin have been in contention. Last year there was only four points in it when Kilkenny played them in Round 4.
There is a certain irony in that two of the heaviest scorers in that game, when Kilkenny let a 16-point lead slip, will not be in action this Sunday – Billy Ryan (2-3) and Sean Currie (2-6) no longer on the intercounty scene for now.
But it’s at the other end that Kilkenny have had a major loss with Huw Lawlor’s travelling denying them of a serious physical presence on the edge of their own square.
Revisiting last weekend’s encounter in Salthill, Dublin’s late push was inspired by two substitutions. Galway were leading by four points with 12 minutes to go but Niall Ó Ceallacháin’s deployment of John Hetherton and Ronan Hayes midway through the second half brought a huge surge with Hayes firing 1-2 and Hetherton causing a complete nuisance of himself under the very direct ball.
With that formline, Ó Ceallacháin may be tempted to try out the Kilkenny full-back sector from the start by planting the flag of Hetherton at 14.
Brennan is not so sure.
“You can be as quick as you like. But the backline, Mikey Carey is still a strong guy and he might not have the same size as a John Hetherton. But if you are playing in a full-back line you don’t have to catch the ball the whole time, you have to make sure the boy you are marking doesn’t get it into his hand and create a chance,” he says.
“It could work on Sunday but there is no guarantee it could work out that way. It might be more effective coming in off the bench and adding another flurry at the end.
“But Kilkenny are vulnerable this year. You don’t have a Huw Lawlor at the edge of the square.”
There are reasons for optimism.
Last weekend they got gametime into Tom Phelan who lasted an hour. Another returnee in Harry Shine is combining well with Eoin Cody, both of them helping themselves to 1-2 and TJ Reid continues to push that scoring record upwards with 2-6.
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Harry Shine. James Lawlor / INPHO
James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO
Adrian Mullen also made an appearance and got on the scoresheet.
During their recoveries, Lyng was clever enough to let Shine and Mullen hurl away with their clubs in the Kilkenny summer leagues. They have emerged sharp enough.
John Donnelly, out through an elbow injury lately, is also expected back.
That’s a serious amount of talent to welcome back.
Dublin could still inflict a minor shock and are playing for their place in the provincial decider.
But whatever is left in this Kilkenny team, we are going to see it on Sunday.
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Dark clouds circling over Kilkenny as unthinkable looms
AFTER THEY BEAT Kildare by 23 points, there was enough for the Kilkenny crowd to get worked up about.
Winning so much has left their support adept at jamming their fingers into tiny holes and pulling at treads. What might seem trivial to others is worked into a major issue for those who are concerned with Kilkenny hurling.
How else could you hold any currency in a hurling conversation?
Their slow start against Kildare is the latest raincloud hanging over Noreside. A 23-point winning margin doesn’t save them from throwing all the negatives on the table. Being one point up at half-time with Cian Kenny red-carded?
“I think we had 28 shots in the first half again and a lot of wides, but look, we weren’t helping ourselves, and you know it was an edgy performance, but really pleased with how we turned things around in the second half,” said manager Derek Lyng afterwards.
In the second half, Harry Shine and TJ Reid took flight, but the prevailing mood still isn’t great.
Context offers no relief.
On Monday night, their minors lost the Leinster final to Galway by a point.
This followed previous losses to Wexford and Galway. They are still in the All-Ireland championship and enter it at quarter-final stage, but what kind of form is three losses?
In midweek, Henry Shefflin’s U20s lost their Leinster final to Galway by nine points. Their track record wasn’t hot either, having drawn with Wexford and lost to Galway in the group stages.
Looking at this weekend and the final group game in the Leinster round robin away to Dublin in Parnell Park, Kilkenny have a lot to do to keep alive their run of seven consecutive Bob O’Keefe Cups.
Their loss to Galway (15 points) in Round 1 before their draw against Offaly in Round 3 leaves them in a sticky position.
Dublin sit top of the Leinster group on seven points but may not reach the Leinster final if they lose to Kilkenny and Galway win at Wexford Park.
A draw against Dublin would do for Kilkenny. An Offaly win against Kildare would leave them and the Cats level on point with their head-to-head finishing level. But Kilkenny have a points advantage of +30.
A loss to Dublin?
And with an Offaly win?
Well, that would leave Kilkenny out of the Leinster and All-Ireland championships.
You have to go back to 1996 to recall a potential scenario so dire.
Losing 1-14 to 0-14 to Wexford on 2 June left them with their summer schedule free. It was little consolation to them that Wexford went on to win the All-Ireland when Kilkenny were gone at quarter-final stage.
Nickey Brennan was the manager that year. He has sensed a creeping pessimism abounding.
“We are heading into a tough spot here. It’s 11 years since we won an All-Ireland. Now, I know Cork is longer. But of the big three, two are in droughts and Tipperary are gone,” he says.
The addition of Henry Shefflin as manager of the U20 team granted them a halo effect that has since been stripped away. Losing to Galway in such a fashion, with Aaron Niland held back and Jason Rabbitte only brought on as a sub has had a grounding effect.
Given that Kilkenny are going for seven in a row, that creates a sense of a surprise. But Dublin have been in contention. Last year there was only four points in it when Kilkenny played them in Round 4.
There is a certain irony in that two of the heaviest scorers in that game, when Kilkenny let a 16-point lead slip, will not be in action this Sunday – Billy Ryan (2-3) and Sean Currie (2-6) no longer on the intercounty scene for now.
But it’s at the other end that Kilkenny have had a major loss with Huw Lawlor’s travelling denying them of a serious physical presence on the edge of their own square.
Revisiting last weekend’s encounter in Salthill, Dublin’s late push was inspired by two substitutions. Galway were leading by four points with 12 minutes to go but Niall Ó Ceallacháin’s deployment of John Hetherton and Ronan Hayes midway through the second half brought a huge surge with Hayes firing 1-2 and Hetherton causing a complete nuisance of himself under the very direct ball.
With that formline, Ó Ceallacháin may be tempted to try out the Kilkenny full-back sector from the start by planting the flag of Hetherton at 14.
Brennan is not so sure.
“You can be as quick as you like. But the backline, Mikey Carey is still a strong guy and he might not have the same size as a John Hetherton. But if you are playing in a full-back line you don’t have to catch the ball the whole time, you have to make sure the boy you are marking doesn’t get it into his hand and create a chance,” he says.
“It could work on Sunday but there is no guarantee it could work out that way. It might be more effective coming in off the bench and adding another flurry at the end.
“But Kilkenny are vulnerable this year. You don’t have a Huw Lawlor at the edge of the square.”
There are reasons for optimism.
Last weekend they got gametime into Tom Phelan who lasted an hour. Another returnee in Harry Shine is combining well with Eoin Cody, both of them helping themselves to 1-2 and TJ Reid continues to push that scoring record upwards with 2-6.
Adrian Mullen also made an appearance and got on the scoresheet.
During their recoveries, Lyng was clever enough to let Shine and Mullen hurl away with their clubs in the Kilkenny summer leagues. They have emerged sharp enough.
John Donnelly, out through an elbow injury lately, is also expected back.
That’s a serious amount of talent to welcome back.
Dublin could still inflict a minor shock and are playing for their place in the provincial decider.
But whatever is left in this Kilkenny team, we are going to see it on Sunday.
****
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