Waterford 0-15 Kilkenny 1-10One small step for Waterford, one small stumble for Kilkenny. Forget about any giant leaps. The opening scenes of the hurling season have a slightly different plot to recent years but if it's a new weakness in the Kilkenny team you're looking for then move along. Nothing nearly as significant here.
Not that this result won't matter a little in the short term. Victory over the league and championship holders is still rare enough to send a stir around the country, and Waterford didn't do it by accident. They hurled from the start with the intention of a team meaning business, and Kilkenny just weren't up to it.
Waterford were well deserving of their two-point victory, and could have won by even more. But the fact is Kilkenny could have won just as easily too. They were within striking range throughout the second half and had newcomer John Maher buried his glorious goal chance in the final 10 minutes, then Waterford probably wouldn't have survived. That they did was down to their sharper hurling and purer determination.
Still they didn't have Kilkenny beaten until the final whistle. The champions drew level at the end of normal time, and only two late scores from Paul Flynn, a long-range point and then a 65, cemented the result.
Afterwards the Waterford manager Justin McCarthy was determined that no one got carried away. Someone pointed out that it was the first time he'd walk away from Nowlan Park with a victory in his 40 years as either player or manager but he wasn't getting excited by that either.
"Don't forget it's only the first league game, and we were both short a few players. And it could have gone either way. Our work rate was quite good so I'm pleased enough, but I'd be always looking for more."
Like McCarthy, Kilkenny manager Brian Cody knew that hurling on cold February afternoons should only read like a short story, not some sort of extravagant epic.
"Waterford certainly deserved the win," he said, "though I'm not surprised. They'd put up some great scores in recent challenge matches, and are a good team any time you play them. But I wouldn't say they totally out-hurled us.
"We might be behind a little bit on previous years, but we don't have any excuses. Physically we're not too bad, but we'd liked to have done a little more hurling. And the effort is still good. But still I'd always prefer to be winning matches."
Kilkenny had arrived yesterday with only two league or championship losses in the last two years, and this defeat is not the ideal start in their quest to win an unprecedented third successive league and championship double. But it was in no way like watching a team who had reached the end of their time.
Three forwards were making their first starts, and the new design just didn't click. Maher did well to collect two points and James Fitzpatrick was lucky to collect one.
There was also some uncharacteristically slack free-taking from Henry Shefflin and at midfield Derek Lyng and Paddy Mullally had to work hard for all they got. Defensively though there were no problems and Waterford had only themselves to blame for a series of missed goal opportunities, with the exception of Flynn's missed penalty on 40 minutes, which was brilliantly saved by James McGarry.
What Kilkenny did struggle with was Waterford's ability to get forwards into scoring positions, and whose ability to convert those chances was most impressive. They jetted into a 0-6 to 0-1 lead thanks to sparkling scores from John Mullane, David Bennett and Flynn, and the creativity of Séamus Prendergast. Tony Browne was also faultless at centre back.
Kilkenny did briefly draw level, helped mainly by Eddie Brennan's goal on 24 minutes. Mullally's long-range free had confused the Waterford defenders and Brennan slipped the loose ball into the net. But it was Waterford who went into the break two points up.
There was even more sting to the second half as both teams shifted into a higher gear. Kilkenny though couldn't get their noses in front and that proved crucial.
WATERFORD: I O'Regan; T Feeney, D Prendergast, D O'Brien; E Murphy (0-1), T Browne, B Phelan; D Bennett (0-4, two frees; two sidelines), M Walsh; E Kelly, D Shanahan, P Flynn (0-7, three frees, one 65); J Mullane (0-3), S Prendergast, S Ryan. Subs: B Wall for Murphy (44 mins, inj), L Lawlor for Phelan (67 mins, inj).
KILKENNY: J McGarry; M Kavanagh, N Hickey, W Burke; R Mullally, JJ Delaney, J Tyrrell; D Lyng, P Mullally; C Phelan, H Shefflin (0-5, four frees), T Walsh (0-2); J Fitzpatrick (0-1), E Brennan (1-0), J Maher (0-2). Subs: DJ Carey for Fitzpatrick, J Hoyne for Brennan (both 58 mins).
Referee: D Kirwan (Cork).
