Kilkenny are Leinster senior hurling champions for the ninth time in ten years following a facile 2-24 to 1-12 romp past Wexford at Croke Park. Brian Cody's charges won this game at their ease. They were going through the motions for the entire second half and one has to wonder about the future of Leinster hurling on the evidence of this painfully one-sided encounter. The Cats are definitely in good shape but the defending All-Ireland champions appear to have no competition whatsoever within their own province as they take home a 64th senior provincial crown. The underdogs made a nightmare start when nervous defending gifted Kilkenny a sloppy goal, which was accredited to Willie O'Dwyer, whose shot deflected to the net via the unfortunate Declan Ruth. That score meant that the Noresiders led by 1-1 to 0-1 after five minutes, with the points coming from Henry Shefflin and Stephen Nolan. In the seventh minute, Wexford wing back Richie Kehoe lashed over a superb point from distance to reduce the arrears but Cats centre back Brian Hogan cancelled that score out almost immediately. Eoin Quigley kept his cool to knock over Wexford's third point but Kilkenny's response was a sensational goal. Henry Shefflin sold a wonderful dummy to Ruth and placed O'Dwyer with some incredible skill. O'Dwyer slammed an unstoppable shot to the net. Martin Comerford then surged through to set up O'Dwyer for a point to make it 2-3 to 0-3. The seething Ruth - one of three players booked for their participation in a mini melee - was lucky not to get sent off after needlessly getting involved with Shefflin thereafter and the No.3 was replaced straight away by Willie Doran. While the Yellowbellies struck three successive wides, Kilkenny added two more to their tally - one from Eoin Larkin and O'Dwyer's second point - to lead by eight with a quarter of the game played. Diarmuid Lyng (2), Declan Stamp (2) and Nigel Higgins were responsible for Wexford's five wides inside the first 20 minutes. Rory Jacob pulled back a Wexford point in the 26th minute and Shefflin followed two poor misses by his standards with a sublime score before Martin Comerford nicked a seventh Kilkenny point: 2-7 to 0-4. A foul on O'Dwyer presented Shefflin with the routine point that put ten between them on half an hour. Nolan's second point (free) narrowed the gap but Shefflin followed that up instantly with a facile score after being picked out by James Fitzpatrick. Larkin's second point of the half arrived in the last minute and was followed by an injury-time Stamp point for Wexford. Full forward Comerford gathered the puck-out and closed the first-half scoring in the second minute of added time. At the short whistle, the holders led by a whopping 2-11 to 0-6. Fitzpatrick and Comerford added to Wexford's humiliation with further Kilkenny points inside the first minute of the second half, and Shefflin grabbed a brace to make it 2-15 to 0-6 by the 38th minute. In the seventh minute of the half Kehoe split the Canal End posts with a great free from distance for a rare Wexford point but - in keeping with the trend of the match - Comerford skilfully registered his fourth instantly. Twice Barry Lambert almost pierced the Kilkenny rearguard but - even though leading by 15 points - the Cats showed typical resolve to deny the Wexford raider. Shefflin - completely unmarked - and Jacob traded points with the match having fizzled out entirely. Shefflin's eighth point put 16 in it with 20 meaningless minutes left to play. When Wexford were awarded a really soft free in the 51st minute, PJ Ryan demonstrated leopard-like instincts in the Kilkenny goal to turn away Nolan's stinging drive. However, there was nothing Ryan could do to stop Nolan's 55th-minute free, which flew bullet-like, low to the net via the Kilkenny 'keeper's left boot. Wexford's tally was now 1-8. Shefflin and Nolan traded precise frees and the illusive Comerford was on hand to effortlessly lob over his fifth score of the '07 Leinster 'showcase'. Wexford's wides tally increased to a frightful 13 before Mullinavat's O'Dwyer tattooed the sleepy closing stages with his third point. Nolan (free; 65) got another brace of points either side of another fine Ryan save, this time from a first-time Quigley effort. Kilkenny replied through 'Cha' to make it double scores with four minutes left: 2-22 to 1-11. With two minutes left, Eddie Brennan finally opened his account with a sideline cut that Damien Fitzhenry was happy to bat over the bar. Substitute Michael Rice added another point to the Cats tally. Jacob got a consolation point seconds from the end of normal time and Fitzhenry saved a late Rice shot before the final whistle sounded with Kilkenny comprehensive winners. Tweet

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