Kilkenny too strong for Antrim in Leinster Championship

A strong second half display helped Kilkenny to beat a spirited Antrim side 2-30 to 2-12 in the Leinster Championship at Corrigan Park.

Antrim made a slow start to the game and were 0-8 to 0-1 down after 15 minutes.

The Saffrons fought back with goals from James McNaughton and Keelan Molloy helping them to lead 2-8 to 0-13 at half-time.

However, Derek Lyng's side proved too strong as Antrim fell away in the second half with Martin Keoghan and Eoin Coady scoring the goals to help the Cats ease to a second successive win.

Davy Fitzgerald's side have now lost their opening two games after defeat by Wexford last time out.

Kilkenny made a lively start to the game, rattling off five successive scores after Stephen Donnelly got them off the mark on 21 seconds.

A McNaughton free on seven minutes finally got Antrim on the scoreboard, but Kilkenny replied with three more points in a row.

The Saffrons then drew level with a scoring blitz midway through the game.

McNaughton added two more frees with Keelan Molloy and Conal Bohill also scoring to bring Fitzergald's side back to within three.

The influential McNaughton then rattled home their first goal from a tight angle to level, before he hit the post after racing through again.

Coady hit three frees to edge Kilkenny back in front, but two more scores from McNaughton ensured it was nip-and-tuck right up until the break.

After Coady got his fourth score, Molloy fired home a second Antrim goal before half-time.

McNaughton and Coady exchanged further frees as Antrim went in with a narrow one-point advantage.

Antrim had a glorious chance to extend their lead soon after the restart, but Nigel Elliot opted to pass instead of shooting and that proved to be costly.

Coady and McNaughton both scored frees before the Cats wrestled back control of the game.

Two more frees from Coady helped Kilkenny go ahead before substitute Harry Shine stretched their lead.

Another McNaughton free brought the Saffrons back to one point, but Elliot missed another goal chance when his effort was saved by Eoin Murphy, and they ran out of steam as Kilkenny began another scoring spree.

Billy Ryan and Cian Kenny got their first scores of the day to move Kilkenny three ahead and they pulled further away when Keoghan smashed past Ryan Elliot for their first goal after he dispossessed Paddy Burke.

They hit eight more scores before McNaughton got another free which was only Antrim's fourth score of the half that Kilkenny completely dominated.

Coady capped a fine individual performance with a late goal in the comfortable victory.