Kilkenny survive first-half scare to see off brave Antrim challenge in Leinster hurling championship battle
Derek Lyng's men trailed by one at the break and the gap could have been more, but they were in no mood to contemplate a shock as they out-scored the hosts by 2-13 to 0-1 from the 48th minute.
1
James McNaughton of Antrim in action against Cian Kenny of Kilkenny during the Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship
Credit: Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile
Eoin Cody top-scored for the Cats as he finished with 1-13 as his free-taking and ability to lead the charge from play helped get his side right on top, while Martin Keoghan's goal in the 51st minute was a blow Antrim never recovered from.
Lyng, however, later conceded that the hosts were the better team at times.
He said: 'We got back into it in the second half and found our groove a little bit more. We got the result we needed and we move on to the next game.
'We got a good lead at the start and just sat back.
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'That's something we will be working on for the next couple of weeks as it won't be good enough as we go along.'
Kilkenny flew out of the traps and were 0-8 to 0-1 ahead after 11 minutes before Antrim settled to rattle off four of their own and get level, with good work from Conor Johnston putting James McNaughton in for a goal.
The Loughgiel man almost had a second three minutes later, only to be denied by the post.
But three Cody scores seemed to settle Kilkenny.
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Two was the margin when Antrim got a second goal in the 33rd minute as Keelan Molloy did well to whip home under pressure and the Saffrons took a 2-8 to 0-13 lead into the break.
Kilkenny upped the pace in the second period with Cody frees and a score from Harry Shine putting them two up, only for McNaughton to point a free and Nigel Elliott seeing a rasping drive tipped over by Cats keeper Eoin Murphy.
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Then the Marble County completely took over with Billy Ryan and Cian Kenny landing points to ensure the starting front eight were on the board.
From the restart in the 51st minute, Keoghan overturned Paddy Burke and galloped through for the goal, which put his side 1-21 to 2-11 ahead.
That was the game-breaker as Antrim's resistance was broken and Kilkenny scored 1-12 without reply as Mikey Butler and Tommy Walsh added their names to the board. McNaughton finally ended a barren 25 minutes for Antrim in added time, but Kilkenny finished with a flourish as Billy Drennan pointed.
And with the last act of the game, Cody got a goal from a free to put the cap on a fine second-half display.
A disappointed Antrim boss Davy Fitzgerald said: 'That wasn't an 18-point defeat. We had six goal opportunities but that margin was the last 15 minutes, conceding most of that.
'For 45-48 minutes, we showed what we can do.
'They got a seven-point lead early but from then on we were good. But after we made the mistake that led to their goal, we lost confidence.
'They weren't even good goals. The first was a mistake and the second we switched off.
'When we penetrated through the middle, we looked good and as good as I've seen us for 45 minutes. Our tackling was good, shape was good, everything was good, but just when that first goal went in, the buzz went out of us.'
Next up, Kilkenny face Offaly at Nowlan Park on May 10, while Antrim are also back at home on the same day when they welcome Dublin to Corrigan Park.
KILKENNY
: E Murphy; M Butler 0-1, H Lawlor, T Walsh 0-1; M Carey, R Reid, P Deegan 0-1; C Kenny 0-2, J Molloy 0-2; F Mackessy 0-1f, J Donnelly 0-1, B Ryan 0-1; S Donnelly 0-3, M Keoghan 1-2, E Cody 1-13, 1-9f.
Subs
: H Shine 0-1 for F Mackessy 40 mins, L Hogan for S Donnelly 64, B Drennan 0-1 for J Donnelly 67, K Doyle for M Carey 67, E Lyng for C Kenny 70.
ANTRIM
: R Elliott; S Rooney, N O'Connor, P Burke; C Boyd, J Maskey, C Bohill 0-1; E Campbell, G Walsh; K Molloy 1-1, N Elliott 0-1, S Walsh; R McCambridge, J McNaughton 1-9, 9f, C Johnston.
Subs
: C McKeown for C Johnston h-t, S McKay for R McCambridge 52 mins, J McLaughlin for S Walsh 55, E O'Neill for E Campbell 69, A McGarry for G Walsh 69.
REFEREE
: S Hynes (Galway).
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