MATTHEW RUTH SCORED a goal in either half as Kilkenny beat Waterford 2-21 to 1-15 to make it two wins from two in Division 1A.
The young James Stephens forward got the first of his brace on 27 minutes, cancelling out Maurice Shanahan’s opener for Waterford in a tight half which saw Kilkenny lead by just a single point at the break, 1-10 to 1-09.
But the All-Ireland champions showed their class after the restart and extended their advantage to seven when Ruth struck again in the 44th minute.
Kilkenny’s nine-point win puts further pressure on Déise new boss Michael Ryan whose side are winless after their opening two games of the league season.
In Croke Park, Cork edged Dublin 2-18 to 2-17 in a thrilling contest which served as the prelude to the Dublin footballers’ game against Armagh.
The Rebels led by two points at the break, but the game was turned on its head in a frantic opening to the second half. Simon Lambert buried the game’s opening goal past Donal Óg Cusack two minutes after the restart, but Cork responded immediately and struck back with a goal of their own inside a minute, Cathal Naughton supplying the finish.
A Ryan O’Dwyer goal in the 41st minute seemed to hand Dublin a decisive advantage, and though Cork kept in touch throughout, they were never back on level terms until five minutes from time when substitute Jamie Coughlan supplied the pass for Pa Cronin to tap into an empty net.
Patrick Horgan put Cork ahead late on before Paul Ryan missed an injury-time free to save a point for Dublin.
In Thurles, Tipperary squeezed past Galway 2-20 to 2-18 thanks to late points from Noel McGrath and Johnny Ryan.
It was a nailbiting finale, but Tipp boss Declan Ryan would surely have jumped at the chance when James Regan’s goal put the visitors 1-1 in front after just two minutes.
Tipp rallied through a string of unanswered points and a Pa Bourke goal, but Galway kept their noses in front until Noel McGrath exploded to life with an individual 1-1 in the opening minutes of the second half.
Damien Hayes’s well-struck goal in the 46th minute drew Galway back on level terms, and the outcome remained in the balance right until the death when McGrath and Ryan settled it in the Premier’s favour.
In Division 1B, Wexford pulled off the most unlikely of comebacks to beat Offaly by a single point, 3-18 to 2-20.
Wexford looked dead and buried when they trailed by nine points with five minutes remaining, but rapid-fire goals from Diarmuid O’Keeffe, Gary Moore and Jack Guiney gave the Model men the win against all odds.
Davy Fitzgerald’s Clare continued their unbeaten start to the league season with an 0-20 to 0-12 win against Antrim in Ennis, while in Portlaoise, David Breen’s early goal set Limerick on the road to a 1-24 to 2-12 win over Laois.
National Hurling League results
Division 1A
- Dublin 2-17 Cork 2-18
- Waterford 1-15 Kilkenny 2-21
- Tipperary 2-20 Galway 2-18
Division 1B
- Clare 0-20 Antrim 0-12
- Wexford 3-18 Offaly 2-20
- Laois 2-12 Limerick 1-24
Division 2A
- Kerry 1-13 Carlow 0-20
- Down 2-11 Wicklow 0-17
- Derry 2-13 Westmeath 3-19
Division 2B
- Kildare 0-24 London 0-15
- Mayo 3-12 Meath 1-18
- Armagh 1-20 Roscommon 1-14
Division 3A
- Sligo 2-13 Louth 1-16
- Fingal 0-11 Monaghan 0-16
- Donegal 1-10 Tyrone 0-24
Division 3B
- Fermanagh 0-14 Warwickshire 1-10
