The Leinster Senior Hurling Championship commenced last Saturday in wet and tricky conditions. Given what was delivered in Munster a day after, the excitement levels in this fixture block were underwhelming.
Hawkeye Sideick reflects on the opening round of the provincial championship. Last weekend’s events have created several intriguing story lines for this weekend.
Kilkenny
On paper, this was a tricky opening assignment for Kilkenny. Galway traditionally have laid down the marker to the Cats. But, last Saturday, the hosts delivered an efficient performance. They easily dismantled Galway.
This win achieved without TJ Reid. Eleven different scorers for Kilkenny across the middle third and full forward units. 3-20 from play was an impressive haul. MacKessy with four points on the day. Martin Keoghan and Eoin Cody combining for 2-7 overall.
The signs are positive for Kilkenny. Their first touch and accuracy throughout was excellent for an opening round fixture. Adrian Mullen’s injury aside, the middle third imposed their will early and did not relinquish it throughout the game.
We will assess Kilkenny further as the season progresses. Leinster campaign is up and running and they will travel to Corrigan Park high on confidence. Kilkenny cementing their top three berth already with others needing to step up to the mark.
Galway
Michael O’Donoghue’s post game reaction spoke volumes. The manager was dejected to his side’s failure to deliver any performance acceptable for championship. The game was a struggle from start to finish. This result will give others in the round robin no shortage of confidence when faced against the Tribesmen.
The positives were few and far between. Nine different scorers. Fifteen points scored from play while Cathal Mannion looked to keep the score board ticking over with six frees. There were fleeting cameos from the Galway forward line. Fleeting would be kind as the half forward line struggled for primary possession.
The back line as a result cut open. Kilkenny picked and chose when to deliver quality ball to the inside full forward line with devastating results. Galway’s half back line struggled to dominate the aerial exchanges. This struggle gave the likes of Molloy and Kenny nice opportunities to score at different intervals.
The less that can be said about this Galway performance the better. Who are the genuine leaders of this side off the pitch? Daithi Burke came on late and steadied the back line down but the game was up. The middle third needs Lee, Fahy and Mannion to step up and become dominant players.
The hope for Galway is that the league traits ensue. This means experiencing one poor cameo followed by a good display. However, facing a buoyant Offaly at home in Tullamore is not what Galway wants right now. A tough week of soul searching required. Galway if not careful will be in a relegation battle if this level of performance continues.
Dublin
An opening round robin win. A tough championship fixture to test the side out will be pleasing for Dublin management. A struggle at times but the ability to push for victory late on has to be commended.
What are we to learn from the Dublin performance? Midfield battle was epic all night. Donohue and Burke combined for five points. Ronan Hayes scored 1-1. Sean Currie impressive scoring four from play and nine points overall. Nine different scorers. 1-17 from play for an opening night performance is a good baseline to work with.
The bench impact was huge down the stretch. Offaly looked in prime position to win this fixture heading into the final ten minutes. However, the middle third’s quality and their ability to create a decisive late goal broke Offaly hearts. It setups the home fixture against Wexford perfectly well.
It is early in the championship but Dublin did struggle on the discipline front. Duignan and Ravenhill scored nine frees in total. Tackling was wild at times. Better sides would have put Dublin to the sword in the second and third quarter.
The Kiely and Sampson goals more evidence of the loss that Eoghan O’Donnell will be for Dublin this season. Dublin defensively exposed in the full back line. Something for O’Celleachain and management team to look to address before Wexford come to town.
Offaly
Johnny Kelly and management team will be pleased with this performance. Offaly came out on the front foot in the 1B league final. They were leading heading into the closing stages.
Brian Duignan ably assisted by his forward line colleagues. It was great to see Ravenhill and Sampson prominent in scores throughout the contest. Mitchell and Bourke still struggled. Kiely chipped in with a vital 1-1 contribution all without the services of Adam Screeney.
Offaly’s work rate excellent but bench impact down the stretch pivotal. If you take Duignan, Ravenhill and Sampson out of the scores, the rest of the team only contributed 1-4. This needs to improve as better sides will negate the impact of the three players mentioned.
It is a big learning curve for this Offaly side but a promising performance. They entertain Galway this weekend. They will surely look to target this fixture. This is because of how Galway performed in Kilkenny last time out.
Wexford
The team selection from Keith Rossiter must be applauded. He selected emerging talent who impressed late in the league to complement tried and trusted players.
This opening championship win over Antrim is a nice confidence booster for Wexford. This is especially true when you consider the injuries heading into this fixture. It gives them confidence heading into a pivotal away fixture to Dublin this weekend.
Seven different scorers. 2-12 from play is a good baseline with more scope to improve. Lee Chin slotting over 0-12 points from placed balls and scored four excellent points from play. The team is evolving and progressing with each game. 0-12 conceded from open play.
Wexford down to fourteen players after only twenty minutes. Jack O’Connor dismissed and is a watch item for Wexford. Antrim failed to capitalize on the numerical advantage. Conor Boyd was also dismissed for a second yellow card late on.
This Dublin fixture is a statement of intent fixture for both Wexford and Dublin. Rory O’Connor if given good service has the ability to contribute a game winning cameo on his own. How do Wexford physically match up in the middle third against Dublin is a watch item? Middle third marking at times was loose.
Given the early red card, Keith Rossiter and management team will be delighted. Dublin will be an easy game to motivate the players. A win in Dublin and Wexford’s season opens up with interest.
Antrim
The away form of the league continued in this Wexford Park performance. The fixture looked achievable when Jack O’Connor was given a straight red but the performance lacked control and quality.
James McNaughton and Keelan Molloy the prominent performers up top for Antrim scoring 0-11 between them. The rest of the forward line struggled. Their struggles continued in the midfield and back line. Meanwhile, Lee Chin continued to score frees at regular frequency.
Conor Boyd’s second yellow card late on capped a frustrating afternoon for Antrim. Seven different scorers and 0-10 points from play needs to be improved upon. Kilkenny at home this weekend focuses the minds. The performance of the middle third unit on this cameo will not be good enough.
This looks like a daunting championship for Antrim. The trip to Tullamore in the last round of fixtures already seems like a must-win game. The team must regroup and throw caution to the wind this weekend.