Cork-Kilkenny talking points: Turnovers costly and points tallies need improving

TURNOVER TORMENT

In the first half, Kilkenny went long with nine of their 13 puckouts and, of those nine, Cork claimed initial possession on seven of them. Unfortunately, more often than not, Kilkenny were able to turn them over, with the half-back line of David Blanchfield, Darragh Corcoran and Shane Murphy then able to launch attacks as the nine-point advantage was built.

“They were causing us some bother when they were getting the ball directly from the puckout,” said Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng.

“There was lots of room there but I think the half-back line coped well, they got on top after a while and I thought they attacked it. It’s tough going when there’s space there and Cork have some really good hurlers but I think, as a team, the overall work-rate was really good at that stage.

“We had lads filtering back and working hard and, once we got the ball then, we were moving it pretty well.”

PENALTY POSSIBILITY?

Cork might have had a first-half goal chance when Patrick Horgan set up Luke Meade but David Blanchfield’s challenge denied the Newcestown man. Fair or worthy of a penalty?

“It was so far away,” said Pat Ryan. 

It looked like he was fouled when he came across the man but the linesman said he got a flick of it.”

In the second half, Huw Lawlor – already on a yellow card – hauled down Patrick Horgan as he advanced on goal. It was outside the large rectangle but, under the black-card/penalty rule, the full-back might have accrued extra punishment compared to the relatively small price of a 20m free, which Horgan put over the bar to level at 1-16 to 0-19.

POINT-SCORING PAIN

Conor Lehane, with 0-4, was the only Cork player to score more than once from open play. While Cork again scored more goals than their opponents – one to zero compared with two to one against Clare in Ennis – the flipside of that in a defeat is that white-flag tallies are lower: Clare had 25 points as Cork scored 19 and here the differential was 21 to 17 in Kilkenny’s favour.

Obviously, the calendar is enough of a reason to avoid getting panicky about this but, after two games, Cork’s total of balls put over the bar is 10 fewer than those of their opponents.

While Cork had five wides in the first half, three of these were overhit deliveries from outside the 65 and the problem was the lack of scoring opportunities in total – in truth, they were lucky that Kilkenny passed up scoreable chances to be ahead by more.