Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Quarter-Final

WEXFORD 2-18 KILKENNY 0-19

A star show from goalkeeper Eoin Murphy wasn’t enough to stop Kilkenny from crashing out of the Allianz League at the hands of neighbours Wexford.

The Model County shocked the Cats with a barnstorming performance in Nowlan Park, beating their hosts to set up a Division One semi-final against Tipperary on April 16.

A goal in either half was key to Wexford’s success. They could have had more, but for some top-drawer saves from Murphy.

The Kilkenny netminder was quick into action, springing to his left to acrobatically flick Conor McDonald’s close range shot away with little over 60 seconds on the clock. The Cats took heed of the scare, moving well to open up an early lead (0-4 to 0-2) through Walter Walsh, Liam Blanchfield, Richie Hogan and T.J. Reid (free), but David Redmond and Paul Morris were quick to level matters for Wexford.

The sides traded points again, before Murphy came to Kilkenny’s rescue once more. David Redmond went for goal with a 23rd minute shot from point-blank range, but once away Murphy thwarted the Model man with a superb reaction save.

Wexford kept pressing, and finally got the goal they craved when David Dunne gathered Aidan Nolan’s 31st minute pass and rifled the sliotar to the City End net.

That pushed Wexford three clear (1-6 to 0-6) but they couldn’t hold the lead for long; Blanchfield, Hogan and Reid shot three swift scores to tie the game again by the 34th minute. The Cats did edge ahead with a late Reid free, but a like score from Conor McDonald saw the sides go in all square at the interval (Kilkenny 0-10, Wexford 1-7).

Wexford were quick into action after the restart, peppering Kilkenny with early shots that delivered points for McDonald (0-3, two frees) and Paul Morris, but Ollie Walsh and T.J. Reid (free) ensured it wasn’t all one-way traffic.

The Wexford lead could have been greater, as they were awarded a 46th minute penalty, but Mark Fanning’s shot cannoned back off the left post.

With Wexford using an extra man in their defensive lines (Shaun Murphy sat in between the full and half-back lines to block Kilkenny’s path to goal) the Cats found it hard to get a clean sight of the target. Wexford kept plugging away, and by the 61st minute had opened up a four-point lead (1-16 to 0-15) on their rivals, the biggest of the game.

The influential Lee Chin scored one and made another for McDonald, while goalkeeper Fanning chipped in with a long range free.

With time against them Kilkenny raised their efforts, pulling closer with a flurry of points from Ollie Walsh, Reid (free) and Liam Blanchfield. They got to within two of the leaders when Reid took his tally for the day into double figures with a late free, but were finally sunk when sub Jack Guiney got on the end of a booming Fanning free and managed to divert it to the Kilkenny net in the dying seconds.

Scorers for Wexford: Conor McDonald (0-8, 0-4 frees); David Dunne, Jack Guiney (1-0 each); Lee Chin (0-3, 0-1 free); Paul Morris (0-3); Mark Fanning (0-2); Diarmuid O’Keeffe, David Redmond (0-1 each).

Scorers for Kilkenny: T.J. Reid (0-10, 0-9 frees); Liam Blanchfield (0-3); Ollie Walsh (0-2); Paddy Deegan, Cillian Buckley, Walter Walsh, Richie Hogan (0-1 each).

**Kilkenny: **Eoin Murphy; Paul Murphy, Padraig Walsh, Shane Prendergast; Lester Ryan, Jason Cleere, Paddy Deegan; Ollie Walsh, Cillian Buckley; Colin Fennelly, Walter Walsh, T.J. Reid; Liam Blanchfield, Richie Hogan, Conor Martin. Subs: Jonjo Farrell for L. Ryan, 49 mins.

Wexford: Mark Fanning; Willie Devereux, Liam Ryan, Damien Reck; Shaun Murphy; James Breen, Matthew O’Hanlon, Diarmuid O’Keeffe; Aidan Nolan, Jack O’Connor; Paul Morris, Lee Chin, David Redmond; Conor McDonald, David Dunne.** Subs:** Jack Guiney for D. Redmond, 53 mins; Harry Kehoe for J. O’Connor, 59 mins; Aaron Maddock for A. Nolan, 70 mins; Barry Carton for P. Morris, 70 mins.

**Referee: **Alan Kelly (Galway).