The main talking points and clues as Kilkenny defeat Laois in Walsh Cup

Main Man- Liam Moore (Kilkenny)
The Dicksboro forward was one of a number of players given their competitive debuts for the Kilkenny senior team on Sunday and he certainly took it with both hands as he notched 1-1 from play. The Boro star was far from the only player to make a mark with Cathal Beirne, Ivan Bolger, Rory Garrett, Conor McMahon and Michael Brennan among the others to stand out in victory.

Turning Point
You could argue there weren’t any after Kilkenny led from pillar to post which included racing into a 1-5 to 0-0 lead inside the opening 10 minutes. The Aidan Tallis second half penalty save from Aaron Dunphy was crucial though as it stopped the home side gaining any momentum.

LISTEN: Full Derek Lyng interview and more

Talking Point
While it was nice to see some new faces on the field, it was just as noteworthy to see a few experienced lads get their first run out with Eoin Cody and Michael Carey both starting the game while Jordan Molloy and all-star forward Mossy Keoghan got some minutes off the bench.

Highlight
22 players in total were on show from the Kilkenny point of view and for Derek Lyng it was just important to see the players on the field after the cancellation of the Westmeath game a week earlier.

Read More- Derek Lyng dismisses suggestion Kilkenny are at a disadvantage ahead of Allianz League

Ref Watch
There does be alot of eyes on officials at this early point of the year and throwing the ball was clearly high on Gearoid McGrath’s agenda after he gave at least five or six frees for this indiscretion and he proved to be rather fussy throughout.

What’s Next
Kilkenny will now face Kildare in the Walsh Cup Shield Final in John Locke Park, Callan on Sunday at 2pm while Laois get the weekend off in preparation for their Allianz League Division 2 opener away to Mayo on January, 25.

FULL INTERVIEW FROM DEREK LYNG BELOW: