Allianz National Hurling League final wins for Kilkenny and Offaly

The Allianz National Hurling Division One final went to extra time in Thurles with Kilkenny beating Tipperary 2-26 to 4-17 in a belter of a match.

In the earlier game,  Offaly  won the Division Two final, seeing off Wexford by 1-13 to 0-13, with Joe Dooley's men getting the better of their Leinster neighbours after a stronger first half.

Allianz National Hurling League Division One Final

Tipperary 4-17 Kilkenny 2-26 (AET)

Richie Hogan scored 1-10 as Kilkenny collected a 14th Allianz National Hurling League title in a gripping Semple Stadium decider against Tipperary on Sunday.

The Cats came from eight points down to force extra-time in Thurles and finished with a flourish to nail a first National League title since 2006 with three points to spare.
 
Remarkably, Hogan was scoreless in the first half in front of 17,087 spectators, but the Danesfort star helped himself to 1-7 in the second half and added three points in the second period of extra-time.

Aidan Fogarty also turned in a useful performance for the Leinster and All-Ireland champions as he chipped in with a 1-5 haul.

In a gripping decider, the best league final since the Croke Park cliff-hanger between the two sides in 2003, Séamus Callanan bagged 1-7 for Tipp and teen sensation Noel McGrath added 1-5.

Two minutes after half-time, Callanan’s goal opened up a 3-7 to 0-8 lead for Tipperary, but Brian Cody’s all-conquering stars overcame some stiff obstacles to force their way back into contention.

Kilkenny suffered a severe injury blow after just 11 minutes when Brian Hogan was stretchered off, and the winners also lost the services of Martin Comerford and Henry Shefflin to yellow cards.

Comerford was just a minute on the field after replacing Hogan when he was dismissed while Shefflin was ordered off seven minutes after half-time.

In addition, Tipp’s Hugh Maloney and Kilkenny pair Eddie Brennan and Tommy Walsh can also count themselves fortunate not to have been yellow-carded in the final competitive hurling fixture played under the experimental rules in operation during the league campaign.

Tipp, playing with a strong breeze, got off to the best possible start with two goals inside the first nine minutes as James Woodlock booted home from close range in the 4th minute before John O’Brien finished clinically five minutes later.

Those strikes helped Tipp to lead by 2-7 to 0-8 at half-time and they got off to the best possible start to the second period. Within two minutes Callanan collected a Lar Corbett pass and drilled home a fine goal at the Killinan End.

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Nster.com