Colleges Hurling Leinster Final/ St Kieran's, Kilkenny 0-13; St Peter's, Wicklow 1-4: St Kieran's, Kilkenny, the reigning All Ireland Colleges A hurling champions, gave a display that was adequate rather than spectacular at Dr Cullen Park, Carlow, on Saturday and they always looked as if they would win after the opening 10 minutes play.
But it was a strangely pedestrian game until St Peter's struck for a 51st-minute goal from a free by Stephen Nolan.
St Kieran's, with three of the Kilkenny All-Ireland winning minor team on board, fell behind to a first-minute point by midfielder Paul Kinsella. But St Peter's did not to score from play again, with Nolan contributing 1-1, the point from a line cut and Liam Kinsella pointing a free in each half.
The accuracy from frees of Richie Power meant St Kieran's kept the scoreboard ticking over during the first half. Power scored one point from play, in a total of 0-7, with Darren O'Neill, Shane Prendergast and Richie Hogan chipping in with a point each.
At half-time St Kieran's led 0-8 to 0-3 as Donnacha Cody, Eamonn Walsh and Neill Prendergast dominated in defence and midfielders Darren O'Neill and Damien Bergin came out on top. Nolan's goal breathed life into the game to make the score 0-12 to 1-4 but St Peter's ultimately lacked a cutting edge. Hogan struck for a point to close the scoring for St Kieran's.
ST KIERAN'S: P Hogan; W Norton, D Cody, E Walsh; P Butler, J Walsh, N Prendergast; D O'Neill (0-2), D Bergin (0-1); R Power (0-6, 5 frees), S Prendergast (0-1), K Lanigan; R Hogan (0-2), N McEvoy, M Bergin. Subs: J Quane for Bergin; P Walsh for Lanigan.
ST PETER'S: G Nolan; B O'Connor, C Gahan, K Burke; C Lawlor, E Quigley, A Griffiths; S Nolan (1-1, 1-0 free, 1 line cut), P Kinsella (0-1); L Kinsella (0-2, frees), T Waters, C McGovern; D O'Sullivan, M Mythen, K Gore. Subs: L Keogh for McGovern, C Meagher for Gore.
Referee: P Ahern (Carlow).
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