Hurling: Foggy hails his top Cats

KILKENNY may well have been wounded after losing last Sunday's senior final, but the Cats roared back to take the U21 final at Nowlan Park yesterday.

Kilkenny simply bulldozed their way past Tipperay, to such an extent that by the end of the first quarter they already led 2-6 to 0- 1.

It never got any better for the challengers as Kilkenny turned in a display of strong defensive hurling, and powerful finishing.

When Eoin Reid threw over a Kilkenny point in the 19th minute all six forwards had already made the scoresheet.

Classy Cats went through the second half without registering a wide, and against the strong wind and all they out-scored the opposition by 1-9 to 0-5.

Cats manager Martin Fogarty said: "There was a lot of hurt in Kilkenny after the senior final. Hopefully this will lift the gloom, and give the minors a boost for today's replay with Galway.

"Our plan was to put Tipp under pressure from the start, especially when we got first use of the wind. Our plans worked dream."

This was the first time since 1974 and 1975 Kilkenny put U21 wins back-to-back. It was their ninth win in the championship.

Although he had to leave the field with a shoulder injury just before the break, team skipper James Fitzpatrick pushed himself past the pain barrier to return and receive the winners' trophy.

The 19-year-old admitted: "I wasn't going to miss a career high opportuinity like that. This is a great pick-me-up after last weekend."

Kilkenny opened with early points from Conor Phelan and Richard Power (free).

On nine minutes Power hit in a low ball and Fitzpatrick whipped it first time along the ground and into the net.

Tipp's only scoring respite during this quarter was a 12th minute point from driving midfielder Joe Caesar, one of their fews successes on the day.

There was a terrific replay from Kilkenny to that, a point from nearly 80 yards by Ciaran Hoyne.

At the end of the quarter Fitzpatrick set-up Willie O'Dwyer for a goal, although there was suspicion Fitzpatrick fouled the ball in the process. Whatever, Tipp were in big trouble after O'Dwyer's strike made 0-1 to 2-6 down.

At half-time, Kilkenny led by 2-12 to 1-1, with Richard Power, O'Dwyer and Sean O"Neill the main scorers.

During this half the home defence was superb, with PJ Delaney brilliant at centre-back, and Ciaran Hoiyne and John Tennyson, who never gave Tipp's top scorer Tony Scroope a sniff of the ball, also outstanding.

The opening two points of the second half fell to Kilkenny, in the person of Willie O'Dwyer and Richard Power. It wall all down hill for

Tipperary after that, and things went from bad to worse when Scroope was sent off after being booked for the second time and Darragh Walton was carried off injury.

KILKENNY: R Power (0-7, four frees, one 65); W O"Dwyer (1-3); Phelan, Fitzpatrick (1-1 each); O"Neill (0-3); Dowling (0-2); Hoyne, Hennessy, Reid, Rice (0-1 each).

TIPPERARY: Caesar (0-3); Farrell (1-0); Scroope (0-2, frees).

REFEREE: B Kelly (Westmeath).

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