Kilkenny finished strongly to record a two-point win over League and All-Ireland champions Clare at Cusack Park in Ennis
Only one team beat Kilkenny in 2024 and, if nothing else, they’ve bucked that trend in the first outing of 2025.
READ MORE:Heroic Conor Loftus kicks penalty to win All-Ireland title weeks after tragic death of fiancé Expectations of a home win dropped ahead of the game as Clare named just six their All-Ireland final winning team, and that fell to five ahead of the throw-in with Jack O’Neill brought into the side ahead of Young Hurler of the Year Adam Hogan. But Kilkenny’s apparent advantage in terms of experience wasn’t reflected on the scoreboard in the first quarter at least as the champions skated into an early lead.
They quickly drew level as Peter McDonald and Martin Keoghan pointed early in the second half but it was the 57th minute before they took the lead and, having got impetus from their bench, Luke Connellan doubled their lead. Clare then had their best spell of the second half as sub Keith Smyth flashed over a couple of points and Cian Galvin and Sean Rynne made it 0-20 to 0-18 with six minutes of normal time remaining.
“He’s a fella that has come in obviously to the set up and has attracted a lot of attention but he’s a super fella, great attitude,” said Lyng. “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, Peter McDonald started, to name one, but we had a good few lads that came in off the bench as well, Gearoid Dunne, Luke Hogan, they all did very well.
CLARE: Eibhear Quilligan 7; Conor LEEN 7, Darragh LOHAN 7, Ian McNAMARA 6; Cian GALVIN 7, David McINERNEY 7, Jack O’NEILL 6; Ryan TAYLOR 6, Cathal MALONE 6; Patrick CROTTY 6, David CONROY 8, Sean RYNNE 7; Shane MEEHAN 7, Aron SHANAGHER 6, David REIDY 7.
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