Kilkenny IHL- Four cheers as Lisdowney maintain 100% record

A smart style of hurling, together with scores at the right times, proved to be the winning combination as Lisdowney made it four wins in a row to all but seal their place in the intermediate hurling league final.

Barring a last day disaster the North Kilkenny side, who slipped from the senior grade last year, will be well on course to contest for silverware and avoid the championship first round.

Their experience at the top grade, where the game is a little faster and sharper, told as they got the better of an effervescent Mooncoin at well-appointed John’s Park on Friday. The big crowd was treated to a shootout between two sides who delivered a class performance which really could have gone either way.

That victory went to the men in stripes boiled down largely to Kevin Sweeney’s 44th minute goal. The strike arrived at the right time, stretching Lisdowney’s lead to seven points (1-15 to 0-11) and stopping Mooncoin’s charge in its tracks.

Although he started at midfield, Lisdowney’s fluid attacking play saw Sweeney end up in the full-forward line. He was well-placed to seize on a loose ball, sweeping the sliotar to the Nowlan Park end net after Vinny Fitzpatrick and sub Michael Kenny did the initial legwork.

However, that goal only tells half the story. The game could have been so different had Mooncoin profited from two menacing first half attacks. Hungry for big scores they had two great chances in the first half, but were denied by a superb Aidan Tallis save on one occasion and an instinctive block from full-back Ben Tallis the other.

There was little to separate the teams in the early stages as they duked it out for supremacy. While Mooncoin were quick off the mark through Ciaran Quilty and Sean Gannon, by the sixth minute they were two down, as Niall Brennan, Fitzpatrick, Eibhan McEvoy (free) and Liam Dunphy split the posts. The last two points came after the Aidan Tallis save, the netminder doing brilliantly to keep out Quilty’s thunderous strike.

Backed by Richard McEvoy and David O’Carroll Lisdowney kept their strong start going, but Mooncoin were far from quiet. They had another chance to storm back into the game when Quilty broke through and palmed the sliotar off to Pa Walsh. A goal seemed certain, but full-back Ben Tallis leapt in to make a vital block from close range.

With the central trio of Mark Kearns, Sean Gannon and Quilty driving their side on Mooncoin pushed their opponents hard, but Lisdowney managed to slip the pressure to snipe points. Niall Brennan, a threat throughout, managed one from play after Eibhan McEvoy converted a free, leaving three between the sides approaching the 20th minute (0-8 to 0-5).

The leaders stretched their advantage in the final 10 minutes of normal time, going six clear in spite of losing Liam Dunphy and Charlie Brennan to injury - Niall Brennan added a peach of a point following a clever dummy to make shooting space.

Their defensive steel slipped a little though, allowing Mooncoin to rally in stoppage time. Martin O’Neill had the pick of their three point haul, scoring from distance as they left themselves with plenty to play for after the restart (0-12 to 0-9).

The scores didn’t flow as freely after the restart - a pair of Pa Walsh frees kept Mooncoin in it, but like scores from Eibhan McEvoy meant they couldn’t close the leaders down, before Sweeney got the all-important goal.

The three-pointer proved the defining moment of the game. To their credit Mooncoin refused to give in, but a late flurry from the impressive Niall Brennan and sub Andrew McEvoy (two frees) got the winners over the line.

Teams and scorers

Lisdowney - Eibhan McEvoy (0-8, 0-6 frees); Niall Brennan (0-5); Kevin Sweeney (1-1); Andrew McEvoy (0-2, frees); Vinny Fitzpatrick, Liam Dunphy (0-1 each).

Mooncoin - Pa Walsh (0-8, frees); Paul Henebery (0-3, 0-2 65, 0-1 free); Ciaran Quilty (0-2); Sean Gannon, Martin O’Neill, James O’Keeffe (0-1 each).

Lisdowney - Aidan Tallis; Kevin O’Sullivan, Ben Tallis, Alan Dunphy; David O’Carroll, Richard McEvoy, John Brennan; Charlie Brennan, Kevin Sweeney; Luke Holohan, Vinny Fitzpatrick, Eibhan McEvoy; Niall Brennan, Cathal Jordan, Liam Dunphy.

Subs: Eoin Kenny for Dunphy (inj), 24 mins; Andrew McEvoy for Brennan (inj), 26 mins; Michael Kenny for Holohan, 35 mins; William Kenny for Sweeney, 53 mins; Aaron Fogarty for Jordan, 58 mins.

Mooncoin - Eoin Purcell; Niall Madden, Aidan Doyle, Ryan Carroll; Cormac Daly, Paul Henebery, Martin O’Neill; Mark Kearns, Sean Gannon; Ciaran Quilty, Killian Hogan, Kevin Crowley; Adam Croke, Pa Walsh, Stephen Wall.

Subs: James O’Keeffe for Crowley, 37 mins; Alan Walsh for Wall, 49 mins; Oisin Henebery for Croke, 59 mins.

Referee - Thaigh Morley.