By John Fogarty

WATERFORD 0-14

KILKENNY 0-10

League champions Waterford racked up 18 wides but their best was still too good for Kilkenny in difficult underfoot conditions at Walsh Park.

Despite their erratic shooting, the Déise were sharper than their neighbours who visibly flagged towards the end of the game. Shane Bennett was one stand-out performer for Waterford and his couple of frees in the last 10 minutes helped to keep Kilkenny at bay.

Waterford were by far the more industrious team in the first half but only lead by two points at half-time – 0-8 to 0-6 – having hit 11 wides. Maurice Shanahan and Austin Gleeson contributed eight of them although TJ Reid was slightly off-colour himself with three off target even if one of them looked to have crossed between the posts.

Points from Colin Dunford, Waterford’s best player in the opening half, and Bennett, which fizzed over the bar, gave Waterford the interval advantage. It was a deserved lead given how they had worked in packs to compensate against Kilkenny’s superior physical edge.

Scorers for Waterford: M Shanahan (1 free), S Bennett (2 frees) (0-3 each); P Curran (free), C Dunford, J Dillon (0-2 each); P Curran, A Gleeson (0-1 each).

Scorers for Kilkenny: TJ Reid (0-7, 6 frees); P Walsh, C Fennelly, R Hogan (0-1 each).

WATERFORD: S O’Keeffe; B Coughlan, S Fives, N Connors; P Mahony, A Gleeson, K Moran; J Barron, C Dunford; M Walsh, P Curran, J Dillon; D Fives, M Shanahan, S Bennett.

Subs for Waterford: C Roche for M Shanahan (blood, 61-66); B O’Halloran for P Curran (66); S McNulty for N Connors (blood, 70-73).

KILKENNY: E Murphy; P Murphy, J Holden, S Prendergast; P Walsh, K Joyce, D Cody; C Buckley, C Fogarty; W Walsh, R Power, TJ Reid; JJ Farrell, C Fennelly, M Kelly.

Sub for Kilkenny: J Maher for M Kelly (48).

Sent off: C Fennelly (second yellow, 65).

Referee: A Kelly (Galway)