Kilkenny see off Cork fightback for first league win

Killkenny brushed off any remaining preseason cobwebs by defeating Cork 0-21 to 1-17 at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh under the lights on a night that saw Eoin Cody and Adrian Mullen combine to score 0-12 in Division 1A of the Allianz Hurling League.

If Derek Lyng wanted a statement after last week's dramatic draw with Wexford at Nowlan Park, this was it as the Black Cats got the better of the Rebels aside in their own stadium.

It wasn’t just the fixture with the Yellow Bellies that hung over Kilkenny, but a lethargic showing in the Walsh Cup during January.

A full strength team sent out by Lyng tore the Rebels apart and stormed into an eight point lead with just 19 minutes played.

Cody contributed four white flags to that haul, with just two coming from frees. His work was complimented by the aim of Cian Kenny, Michael Carey, and Mullen.

The Rebels struggled, almost all over the park, with their midfield getting over run and nothing being created for a forward line consisting of Patrick Horgan, Shane Kingston, and Robbie O’Flynn.

Then Cork went on a run, and it started with scores from Conor Lehane and Tommy O’Connell. It finished with a hand pass from Sean Twomey finding Conor O’Callaghan and he slotted the sliotar underneath Eoin Murphy.

An eight point cushion shrunk to three with the green flag and Cork completed the turnaround with O’Flynn, Horgan, and Lehane finding the target in the second half.

The Rebels were resurgent, but they were only able to take the lead once, and Lehane put that over from open play.

It was coming as Kilkenny were starting to leave space in the final third and the Cork were creating goal chances. The best fell to Horgan, and the Glen Rovers stalwart stabbed the ball wide at the City End.

This was when