National Hurling League: Clare 0-19 Kilkenny 0-16
Clare’s unbeaten run in this year’s National Hurling League continued after a gritty three point win over Kilkenny in Cusack Park.
In a game that won’t ever be listed amongst the classics, the Banner men showed a great deal of character to notch the last three scores of the game to clinch the victory.
Playing into the Cloister goal proved to be a difficult task for both sides, with uncharacteristic wides being the order of the day for the likes of TJ Reid, Mark Rodgers and others. Kilkenny had 14 wides, with 10 of those coming in the second period when attacking that end, while Clare accrued five of their nine wides in their opening half.
Kilkenny relied heavily on TJ Reid’s frees with 0-9 of their 0-16 tally coming from the Ballyhale man on what was his first appearance of the season. David Fitzgerald was Clare’s top scorer with 0-5 from play with eight different scorers contributing to Clare’s total.
By half time, Clare led 0-11 to 0-9 and had gone through three different free takers, with Mark Rodgers, Aidan McCarthy and Peter Duggan all trying their hand at judging the swirling wind.
Goal chances were few and far between in the game, with Adrian Mullen having the best of them in the first half for Kilkenny, but his shot flashed just wide of Eamon Foudy’s top corner.
Clare maintained that two point lead by the end of the third quarter, but with Kilkenny always answering when the home side did attempt to pull clear, it was always set up for a grandstand finish.
Parity was restored with John Donnelly’s third score following his introduction at half-time, but Clare kept their nerve in a tetchy finish to take two more points in Division 1A Group A.
Elsewhere in Clare’s group, Cork were comfortable 5-28 to 0-16 winners over Offaly, and Waterford beat Wexford.
