Kilkenny 2-19
Offaly 1-13
Paul Keane reports from Nowlan Park
LIAM BLANCHFIELD BAGGED another crucial goal as Kilkenny made it two wins from two in the Leinster SHC round-robin today.
Offaly had fought back from nine points behind to within three after 64 minutes at Nowlan Park, but the excellent John Donnelly fired over a point and then Blanchfield hit the net to seal the win for Brian Cody’s men.
It wasn’t quite as nervy as Kilkenny’s great escape of Parnell Park a week ago, when Blanchfield’s injury-time goal as a substitute that denied Dublin a shock Round 1 win, but he proved his worth again in front of 6,976.
Luke Scanlon had a strong game for Brian Cody’s Cats also and contributed four points while TJ Reid was relatively quite but still scored 1-5.
Cody will demand more accuracy from his Allianz league champions next weekend though when they travel to Galway to face All-Ireland holders Galway.
Kilkenny drilled 21 wides in total including 12 in the second-half and might have been punished for the wasteful play by stronger opposition.
Richie Hogan was absent again due to injury while Walter Walsh was withdrawn from the line-up before throw in with what Cody described as a ‘leg muscle’ injury.
It was a new look Kilkenny from the side that edged past Dublin with a third of the team changed.
Paul Murphy, Conor Fogarty, Scanlon, Lester Ryan and Blanchfield were all drafted in.
The first three of those were named in the official team-sheet though Ryan and Blanchfield were late replacements for James Maher and Walsh.
Scanlon seized his opportunity and was Kilkenny’s most influential attacker, closely followed by Donnelly.
Blanchfield broke Dublin hearts a week earlier when he came on as a sub against Dublin and hit the 71st minute goal that decided that game.
He opened the scoring with a fine point in the seventh minute after a great catch and clearance by full-back Padraig Walsh who struggled against Dublin.
Blanchfield also set up scores for Scanlon and Reid who finished the opening half with 1-3.
Reid’s goal came in the 16th minute when he found space on the right of goals and accepted a Donnelly layoff before rifling to the net.
But the experienced attacker was errant on several occasions too and blasted three surprising wides in that opening half.
Kilkenny, who only beat Offaly by two points in the quarter-finals of the league, were 0-6 to 0-5 up when Reid netted.
The Cats pounced on their opportunity to build up some momentum and tagged on points through Scanlon and Reid, two each, to lead 1-10 to 0-7 at half-time.
Offaly needed a big second-half but it was a flat encounter with little in the way of drama until the last 10 minutes or so.
The game looked to be petering towards an inevitable conclusion when Offaly suddenly came alive, breathing fresh life into the contest.
Joe Bergin pinched a goal after a brilliant reverse hand pass from Shane Dooley and an Oisin Kelly score then left just three in it, 1-16 to 1-13.
Kilkenny’s response was emphatic though and 1-3 without reply including another Blanchfield goal after a great run by Donnelly sealed it.
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Scorers for Kilkenny: TJ Reid (1-5, 4 frees), L. Blanchfield (1-2), L. Scanlon (0-4), C. Fennelly (0-2), M. Keoghan (0-2), J. Donnelly (0-2), R. Leahy (0-1), E. Murphy (0-1, 1 free).
Scorers for Offaly: S. Dooley (0-5, 4 frees), J. Bergin (1-3), S. Kinsella (0-2), P. Camon (0-1), C. Egan (0-1), O. Kelly (0-1)
Kilkenny
E. Murphy
J. Holden
P. Walsh
P. Deegan
C. Delaney
C. Buckley
P. Murphy
C. Fogarty
L. Ryan
M. Keoghan
TJ Reid
R. Leahy
J Donnelly
L. Blanchfield
L. Scanlon
Subs:
C. Fennelly for Fogarty (41)
C. Browne for Ryan (52)
G. Aylward for Scanlon (54)
C. O’Shea for Leahy (70).
Offaly
E. Cahill
T. Spain
D. Shortt
B. Conneely
D. Egan
P. Camon
D. O’Toole Greene
D. King
S. Kinsella
O. Kelly
C. Egan
P. Murphy
D. Currams
J. Bergin
S. Dooley.
Subs:
C. Mahon for Murphy (30)
P. Delaney for Spain (h/t)
R. Hughes for Currams (h/t)
S. Ryan for Egan (58)
T. Geraghty for Kinsella (68).
Referee: J. Owens (Wexford).
They have some neck.
@Patrick Breen: Could still go to the DRA after this and maybe even a court case, who knows?
@Patrick Breen: they’re dead right. Why not just replay the last free again, the idea they have to replay the whole game is a fair solution is madness.
@Paul Mallon: the fact that they blatantly cheated and think they should get away with it is madness.
@Paul Mallon: replay the last free, seriously. So we’ll just make up a new sport..
@Patrick Breen: the more I think about this I’ve changed my mind from it’s 100% a replay to it only warrants a fine! Realistically the chances of a goal with the last kick of the game is unlikely, especially when it’s a 45 with the packed defence fully set up. And it’s telling that the referee allowed the 45 to be taken before the substitutions had been complete properly – Kilmacud will argue that as the subs were not being managed correctly! Players off players on before 45 can take place – clearly ref was going to allow it be taken quickly which added to the panic & confusion. In my view KMc won this game and an extra man on for 24secs over 70+ mins had NO bearing on the outcome. If this was reversed I don’t general public wud be questioning if Glen won it
@BMJF: It’s not really about the likelihood of a goal. Nobody knows what effect the 16th player had, direct or indirect, even as a distraction to the player in possession. The real issue is what happens if there’s no real sanction. Teams will be making substitutions and making sure the player being replaced is at least very slow leaving the pitch. Now we see Glen have pulled out of the appeals process because a replay is unworkable.
@BMJF: especially when it’s an overpacked defence.
@Thomas O’ Donnell: don’t be silly. The GAA will simply learn to make substitutions like every other sporting organisation!! That’s what will happen. Play will pause before a free is taken etc and Players will have to come off before the replacements go on and ref won’t restart the game until they’re in position. It’s not rocket science. GAA should have accepted some responsibility, read their rules and issued a hefty fine the next morning and that would have been the end of it
I’d watch a live stream of that hearing
Hope they throw the book at them and just award the final to the other team.
@Reggie: haha, don’t know about that now Reg. Certainly interested to hear what their grounds for appeal will be though…..seems cut and dried to me that the rule was broken and one of the consequences have been invoked.
The tone of the anti Kilmacud comments is telling. An anti Dub vibe off them. I’m guessing that If this was reversed and Glen had 16 men for 24secs over a 70+ min game, defending a 2point lead with last play of the game, the general public wud be saying that on balance Glen should remain the winners, and that the extra man for 24 secs didn’t really impact the outcome! But because it’s a big Dub club everyone has knickers in a knot!!
If GAA had issued a fine quickly I think Glen would have accepted the result , as their manager did straight after the game
@BMJF: I would say the opposite, the Ulster team (as always) are being portrayed as the bad guys here… maybe I’m wrong
Kilmacud won fair and square on the field of play. Glen will be looked upon as sore losers. There’s no way Kilmacud will replay the match. They are prepared to hand the cup over to Glen. If the Glen club wants to avoid the lasting legacy of poor losers they really should withdraw the objection and gear themselves up to trying to win the title next year on the field of play. That would give the club a lot of respect.
@Brendan Daniel Naughton: ‘fair and square’, hahahaha, are you well.
Great stuff