By Darragh Barry
Cork 1-24 Kilkenny 0-24
Conor Lehane led the way as John Meyler’s first league campaign as Cork manager got off to a flying start as they scored their first win over Kilkenny in the competition since 2012.
Brian Cody’s 20th season in charge of the Cats saw their hopes of a seventh success league win over Cork come up short on a night when he blooded several new players.
The tempo of the game increased in the second half on a night when both Meyler and Cody could draw on a lot of positives in an exciting encounter.
The sides were level nine times in the opening half but a point from play from Alan Murphy helped Kilkenny lead by 0-15 to 1-11 at the end of the opening half.
Murphy and older brother Eoin, the former All-Star goalkeeper, were central figures for the Cats during a hectic opening half where play swung from end to end despite the new Pairc Ui Chaoimh surface cutting up badly.
Eoin Murphy produced point blank saves to deny Alan Cadogan and Seamus Harnedy in the opening half after Cork had raced into a 1-01 to 0-00 lead after less than two minutes when Robbie O’Flynn took just 12 seconds to point on his debut, while Shane Kingston finished a ground stroke to the net after a good run from Darragh Fitzgibbon.
But new-look Kilkenny settled and their opening score from Pat Lyng was followed by three more to tie the sides at 1-01 to 0-04 after six minutes.
The sides kept exchanging points during an entertaining game and were deadlocked at 1-05 to 0-08 at the end of the opening quarter.
Kilkenny showed they were capable of scoring from distance with new captain Cillian Buckley landing two from out on the left, while goalkeeper Murphy stepped forward to deliver two massive frees.
Lehane landed four frees and a point from play, while goalkeeper Pa Collins, drafted in from the start with Anthony Nash, who had helped Kanturk reached the All-Ireland intermediate club final earlier in the day and was among the subs, produced a stunning save to deny Conor Martin.
A fourth free from Lehane, a second from play from O’Flynn and one from distance from corner-back Colm Spillane edged Cork in front as the opening half drew to a close.
But the Cats finished the half strongly with Richie Reid’s second point tying the game and then Alan Murphy’s fourth helped Kilkenny lead by the minimum at the interval.
Reid doubled that advantage two minutes after the restart but Cork took over with Luke Meade, Seamus Harnedy and Lehane striking points to lead by 1-14 to 0-16 after 40 minutes.
Kilkenny drafted in TJ Reid and he tied the match with a free just after coming on, but Cork led by 1-17 to 0-19 going into the final quarter after Daniel Kearney pointed.
Buckley got his third point from wing-back to cut the gap to the minimum and after Lehane landed another free, he returned a pass to Darragh Fitzgibbon for the midfielder to shoot the score of the night from the left touchline.
But Kilkenny full-back Padraig Walsh burst forward to shoot an inspirational point and a second free from TJ Reid and a brilliant point from the right wing by Walter Walsh tied the game with six minutes left, ensuring an exciting finish for the huge crowd of 16,189.
Kilkenny lost captain Buckley to a heavy collision which forced him to be stretchered off in the closing minutes
Cork: P Collins; M Ellis (0-01), E Cadogan, C Spillane (0-01); C Joyce, T O'Mahony, S O'Donoghue; D Fitzgibbon (0-01), D Kearney (0-01); R O'Flynn (0-02), C Lehane (0-11, 0-09f), B Lawton; A Cadogan (0-01), S Harnedy (0-03), S Kingston (1-01).
Subs used: L Meade (0-01) for Lawton, M Cahalan for O’Flynn, J O’Connor (0-01) for A Cadogan.
Kilkenny: E Murphy (0-02, 0-02f); J Holden, P Walsh (0-01), P Deegan; C O'Shea, J Lyng, C Buckley (0-03); C Fogarty (0-01), J Maher (0-01); M Keoghan (0-01), R Reid (0-03), P Lyng (0-01); A Murphy (0-05, 0-02f), W Walsh (0-02), C Martin (0-01).
Subs used: J Donnelly for Keoghan, TJ Reid (0-03, 0-03f) for Martin, L Blanchfield for A Murphy, R Leahy for Maher, E Morrissey for Buckley.
Referee: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary)