GAA: Waterford create history with 4-23 to 2-22 win over Kilkenny
By Ronan O'Brien
Last Updated: 10/07/17 8:57am
Kilkenny have exited the All-Ireland hurling championship before the quarter-final stage for the first time since 1996 as extra-time goals from Jamie Barron and Maurice Shanahan gave Waterford an historic 4-23 to 2-22 victory at Semple Stadium.
Waterford should have had their first championship win over Kilkenny in 58 years wrapped up long before the end of normal time having led by eight points will 11 minutes remaining, but TJ Reid bundled a goal over the line four minutes from time to force extra time.
Having failed to score for the last 14 minutes of the second half, Barron tapped over the first point of extra time for Waterford, and after Kilkenny took the lead for the first time in the 74th minute, Barron fired the key goal in final minute of the first period of extra time.
There was no stopping Waterford from that point and when substitute Shanahan batted the net with a short stick in the 83rd minute they had a straight forward run to the final whistle.
This game took some time to catch fire, but once it did it turned into an epic. Pauric Mahony got the scoring started with frees in the second and fifth minutes, and with Kevin Moran - who played well around midfield - on the scoreboard, Mahony helped his side into a 0-5 to 0-2 lead by the 15th minute.
Austin Gleeson and Jake Dillon pushed Waterford into a comfort zone approaching half-time as they led by five points, but after a foul on Richie Hogan, Reid convert a penalty and Kilkenny only trailed by two points again.
But just before the interval Michael Walsh struck a crucial goal for Waterford, and the 1-10 to 1-5 lead the held at half-time was the least they deserved.
Facing an exit from the championship if they didn't start to improve, Kilkenny got the second-half off to a bright start thanks to TJ Reid's free taking, which cut the lead to two points, but Barron and Gleeson added quick scores before Shane Bennett made the lead seven points when he found the top corner with a screaming shot.
A brilliant point from Moran on the left appeared to have made it easy for Waterford in the final 15 minutes, but as they have done in the past Kilkenny came back strongly to force extra-time.
A well-worked move was finished by Lester Ryan before Reid pointed a free, but when he scooped the ball over the line from a few inches with four minutes left Waterford's lead was back to 2-15 to 2-12.
Ger Aylward pointed over his shoulder before debutant Richie Leahy and Colin Fennelly hit the levelling points to force extra time.
But there was no stopping Waterford in the final 20 minutes. Barron's goal in the 80th minute following Austin Gleeson's pin-point delivery pushed Waterford three points clear, before Shanahan sealed the win for Waterford when he booted the ball out of a ruck and ran in on goal to score.
WATERFORD: S O'Keeffe; S Fives, B Coughlan, N Connors; D Fives, T De Burca, P Mahony; J Barron (1-3), C Gleeson; K Moran (0-2), A Gleeson (0-5), M Walsh; S Bennett, J Dillon (0-1), P Mahony (0-6, 0-6f).
Subs used: P Curran (0-1) for Dillon (49 mins); Stephen Bennett (1-0) for Shane Bennett (61); M Shanahan (1-3, 0-3f) for Walsh (69); B O'Halloran for Mahony (72); T Ryan (0-2) for Stephen Bennett (79); C Dunford for Curran (84); S McNulty for Connors (86).
KILKENNY: E Murphy (0-1); P Murphy, P Walsh, R Lennon; C Fogarty, C Buckley, J Lyng; M Fennelly, P Deegan; K Kelly (0-1), W Walsh, TJ Reid (2-12, 0-10f, 0-1'65); R Hogan (0-1), C Fennelly (0-1), J Farrell.
Subs used: L Ryan (0-3) for Deegan (half-time); G Aylward (0-1) for Farrell (half-time); C Bolger for Kelly (49); R Leahy (0-2) for Hogan (63); L Blanchfield for M Fennelly (74); R Hogan for Aylward (85).
Referee: J Owens (Wexford)
