22 August 2009
Kilkenny eventually shook of a dogged Antrim challenge to make it a clean sweep of All Ireland finals in Navan today.
A blistering second half performance saw them stretch away from the Glensmen who narrowed the gap to just 2 points after Darren Hamill rifled home a goal just before half time. (HT Kilkenny 0.08 Antrim 1.08)
It was a different story in the second half when the reigning champions exerted their superiority and ran out comfortable 14 point winners.
Antrim keeper Chrissy O'Connell and full back Cormac Donnelly were the Saffron's best players on show but despite their heroics, the Cats eventually grabbed a brace of goals in the scond-half to run out convincing winners.
KILKENNY: C McGrath, P Murphy (0-2, 1f), P Nolan, C Fogarty, Lester Ryan (0-1), D Langton, M Walsh, M Kelly, Liam Ryan (0-1), C Fennelly, M Bergin (0-1), J Mulhall (1-1), R Hogan (0-14, 8f, 2 ’65), JJ Farrell (1-1), J Nolan. Subs: N Cleere (0-1) for J Nolan (42), K Mooney for Ryan (52), J Dowling for Kelly (52), P McCarthy for Hogan (56), A Kearns for P Nolan (59)
ANTRIM: C O’Connell, C McKinley, C Donnelly, M McFadden, T McCloskey, A Graffin, C McKinley, PJ O’Connell, P McNaughton, N McManus (0-1), E McCloskey (1-1), P Doherty (0-2, 2f), D McClean (0-1), CJ McGourty (0-1), D Hamill (1-0). Subs: R Donnelly (0-1) for McNaughton (39), C Rocks for McCloskey (50), M Armstrong for McGourty (50)
REFEREE: Anthony Stapleton (Laois).
