Defending champions Kilkenny are making life trying on themselves in this Leinster senior hurling championship.
Faced with a perform or face elimination scenario in their closing two qualifying games, they stuttered and stumbled in the first test before turning on the style to dish out a heavy beating to Kildare, relegating the Lilywhites to the Joe McDonagh Cup in the process.
And now the Cats face a do-or-die situation when they travel to Parnell Park to play Dublin on Sunday week if they are to keep their hopes of making the final and the bid for the seven in-a-row in Leinster alive. Their Championship summer is also on the line.
Certainly Derek Lyng's men tested the patience of their fans here. When playing with the stiff downfield breeze in the first half they had a man sent off and they shot 13 wides on the way to a slim interval lead of 0-11 to 0-10.
However, within seven minutes of the restart Kildare were in deep, deep trouble after they were hit for 2-04 against a two-point reply as Kilkenny simply let rip - out-scoring the opposition by 4-14 to 0-04 during a one-sided closing half as TJ Reid and Eoin Cody turned on the style.
Kilkenny were the authors of their own misfortune when they failed to make any great use of the breeze during the opening half. They shot a hefty 13 wides - 10 more in the second half - and some of their shooting options were hard to credit.
On top of that, the movement of the forwards was poor. Plenty of space was being created at times, but no one appeared to know how to utilise it. On top of that again, midfielder Cian Kenny was sent off after being shown a second yellow card, and then a red, in the 33rd minute.
The gap at the break was a mere one point, 0-11 to 0-10, and Kildare had every reason to be pleased with their effort as the likes of Conor Boran, Dan O’Meara, Cathal Dowling, Simon Leacy and Darragh Melville looked comfortable against rated company.
The home side started by shooting two wides before defender Paddy Deegan opened their account with a point from distance. Martin Keoghan added to the gains. Kildare hit back with a brace from free-taker Jack Sheridan from a huge distance, and then Muiris Curtin.
The visitors’ goal had a scare in the 10th minute when Reid brought the best out of keeper Paddy McKenna, who saved a low shot smartly. The Cats played the ball well out of defence, but they just couldn’t knit their game together further up the field.
They did open out a 0-08 to 0-03 lead when Harry Shine pointed in the 22nd minute, but five minutes further on Kildare were back level thanks to five scores in-a-row from Cathal Dowling (3), Sheridan and Melville.
The losers went step-for-step with the home side up until the break, when they looked to have a real chance of causing an upset.
No chance as it turned out. Kilkenny were a transformed team in the new half. This time the attack appeared to know the script. Reid and Conan Boran and then Tom Phelan and Melville traded early points.
Then the Cats took off.
Reid ripped through the heart of the Kildare defence in the 37th minute and plundered a goal. After the opposition missed a handy free at the other end, Shine was placed by Eoin Cody for the second Kilkenny goal (2-13 to 0-12).
On Kilkenny roared. In the 48th minute Reid fielded a high ball and was fouled in front of goal. The offender Rian Boran was black carded. Reid smashed the penalty low into the net and Kilkenny into a commanding lead of 3-15 to 0-13.
Reid and Cody ended up scoring 3-08 between them as Kilkenny finally got things right between attack and defence, with Mikey Carey, Darragh Corcoran, Killian Doyle and Mikey Butler other star performers.
Further good news for Lyng came in the return to action of long injury victim Adrian Mullen, who helped himself to a point.
Kilkenny: Eoin Murphy; Mikey Butler, Mikey Carey, Ivan Bolger; David Blanchfield (0-01), Darragh Corcoran, Paddy Deegan (0-01); Killian Doyle (0-01), Cian Kenny (0-01); Liam Moore (0-02), Eoin Cody (1-02), Tom Phelan (0-03); Martin Keoghan (0-04), TJ Reid (2-06, 1-00p, 0-03f), Harry Shine (1-02).
Subs: Adrian Mullen (0-01) for Moore (53); Richie Reid for Corcoran (56); Timmy Clifford (0-01) for Phelan (58); Stephen Donnelly for Shine (63); Shane Murphy for Carey (64)
Kildare: Paddy McKenna; Liam O’Reilly, Rian Boran, Cathal Dowling (0-02); Paul Dolan, Conan Boran (0-01), Simon Leacy; Daire Guerin, Dan O’Meara (0-01); Jack Travers (0-01), Cathal McCabe, Gerry Keegan (0-02); Darragh Melville (0-03), Muiris Curtin (0-01), Jack Sheridan (0-02, frees).
Subs: Cian Boran for P Dolan (43); Richy Hogan for Leacy (52); Caolan Smith for Keegan (58); Alan Goss for Dowling (65); James Burke (0-01) for Curtin (68)
Referee: Eamon Furlong (Wexford)
