Workrate to the fore in rare spring success for Kilkenny against Clare
Cats boss Derek Lyng gave his reaction after the game
It didn’t look likely for a lot of Sunday’s encounter but Kilkenny will have been delighted to get their first league points on the board.
A revamped Division 1 structure means there is a huge amount of jeopardy associated with this year’s spring campaign and Derek Lyng was just happy to see his team scrape a win on the opening day.
“It took us a long time to get going,” was his honest assessment. “Clare were very sharp at the start. We were seven down at one stage but today was a day for attitude and our work rate was really good all over.
“We kept plugging away. Clare got four in a row in the second half and looked to have pulled away from us again but it was a really great, battling performance - that’s all we’re looking for at this time of the year.”
The Cats have a terrible recent league record in Ennis having lost to the Banner County in 2014, 2019, 2021 and 2024. This was their first win over the All-Ireland champions in league action for over a decade.
Add in the three defeats to the hosts last season and it’s definitely a decent day at the office for the Noresiders.
“We don’t win down here too many times so it’s a good start for us,” the Kilkenny boss added.
“The league is very important for us, always has been. We’re looking to build a really healthy, competitive squad by the time championship comes around.
“It’s great to be going home with a couple of points on the board. They’re the All-Ireland champions. At the same time we’ll take the two points but we’re not going to get carried away. We know Clare were down an awful lot today.”
There was a lot of inexperienced faces on show on both teams and Lyng was happy with how his lads came through it with the likes of Peter McDonald, Luke Connellan, Gearoid Dunne and Luke Hogan all showing well for the Cats.
“The new lads have been training away and they were really good there today even though some of them are still playing Fitzgibbon Cup Hurling.
“They acquitted themselves well so we are happy with that.
Eoin Cody and Mossy Keoghan also came in for big praise from the Emeralds man as the duo hit crucial late points for the winners.
“We needed a bit of leadership from the lads near the end of the game and they came out the field and did very well so we are happy with them.”
Many eyes in Kilkenny and further nationwide were fixed on the league debut of Fionán Mackessy but the Kerry star’s afternoon was short lived as he went off with a serious looking knock five minutes from the end.
“He’s being assessed there now,” added Lyng. “Hopefully it’s nothing too serious. He’s a fella that has attracted a lot of attention but he’s a super fella, great attitude. And he’s like the rest of the squad, he’s working away hard and he acquitted himself very well today along with many other fellas that came in as well.”
On the other side, Clare manager Brian Lohan was relatively content at how side performed after being without a number of regular first team stars
“Sure we’d love to have got something out of the game. We probably just weren’t good enough to get something out of it, but happy with our lads and how they played and the desire that they showed,” Lohan reflected afterwards.
“There was a brilliant attitude. The question was were we going to have that bit of attitude and that bit of spirit coming into the game, and we did. So we’re happy with that.”