Jamie Barron inspired Waterford to a stunning 1-15 to 0-17 victory over Kilkenny in an engrossing derby clash at windswept Nowlan Park.
This league opener was everything we hoped it would be as Barron decorated his impressive individual display with three classy points, while Patrick Curran claimed the game's only goal in the 13th minute and Pauric Mahony (0-10) floated over a series of frees for the winners, who will host All-Ireland champions Tipperary next weekend (while Kilkenny travel to Clare).
Curran's all-important major helped Derek McGrath's fired-up charges take a 1-11 to 0-10 advantage into the break at the end of a fiercely-contested opening period. The teams went toe to toe but the visitors - with the aid of a strong wind - were on the front foot from the off.
Cats keeper Eoin Murphy made an incredible point-blank save to deny Shane Bennett - one of four late additions to the Na Deise starting XV - a third-minute goal and the visitors also struck three wides before TJ Reid opened the scoring at the other end from a free on six minutes.
Barron's midfield foil Conor Gleeson nonchalantly levelled the scores with a majestic strike from distance and Mahony made it 0-3 to 0-1 in favour of the Suirsiders with a brace of excellent frees from long range before Reid replied with a trademark low-trajectory free straight over the black spot.
The goal arrived in the 13th minute when Curran collected a pass from Tom Devine - another late inclusion - and finished low to the net. Curran then cancelled out a Richie Hogan point to give his side a 1-4 to 0-3 lead after 15 minutes. Reid notched three of the next four scores - including one from play - but Barron slotted one in between and Curran kept the gap at three with a converted free at the other end, 1-6 to 0-6.
Mahony and Reid exchanged frees again before the former punctuated a frantic passage of play with a nicely-struck '65' on 28 minutes. The Black & Amber carved out a goal chance but Pat Lyng was happy enough to take his point; at the other end, Mikey Kearney blazed a half chance of a second Waterford major a foot wide of the left post.
Liam Blanchfield supplied the Cats' ninth point either side of a couple of Mahony frees and Mahony calmly smashed another one over from the centre of the park to make it a five-point match only for midfielder Ollie Walsh to reply with a stunning strike from distance into the wind.
Mahony (free) and Barron (from the right wing) clipped over the first two points of the second half and half-time replacement Walter Walsh hit back with a terrific Kilkenny score from an acute angle close to the right sideline. There was a mini flashpoint when Hogan (yellow) shouldered the exposed Noel Connors into the ribs.
A Reid triple - a free followed by one on the run and then a '65' - had Brian Cody's men back within two at the three-quarters stage, 0-14 to 1-13, and Stephen Daniels was booked for a wild frontal hit on Lyng, who had to be removed from the field on a stretcher.
Mahony's 63rd-minute free steadied Na Deise by restoring their three-point advantage and the brilliant Barron lofted over the insurance score six minutes from time. Reid converted another '65' on 65 minutes - his tenth score - to set up a tense finale and goalkeeper Murphy pared the gap to two from a free as many minutes from the end…
As 8,793 spectators were kept guessing, the Black & Amber almost scrambled a goal in the second of four additional minutes, but the superb Tadhg de Burca was on hand to clear the danger. Kieran Joyce still halved the deficit but Hogan's last-gasp effort tailed wide as the 2015 league winners held on for a morale-boosting victory.
Waterford - I O'Regan; S Fives, B Coughlan, N Connors; T de Burca, S Daniels, M Kearney; J Barron (0-3), C Gleeson (0-1); K Moran, Pauric Mahony (0-10, 7f, 2'65), M Walsh; P Curran (1-1), T Devine, Shane Bennett. Subs: A Gleeson for M Kearney, B O'Halloran for Shane Bennett, J Dillon for T Devine, G O'Brien for P Curran, S McNulty for S Daniels.
Kilkenny - E Murphy (0-1f); J Holden, P Walsh, C O'Shea; P Murphy, K Joyce (0-1), C Buckley; O Walsh (0-1), C Fogarty; P Lyng (0-1), TJ Reid (0-10, 7f, 2'65), S Morrissey; J Farrell, L Blanchfield (0-1), R Hogan (0-1). Subs: W Walsh (0-1) for S Morrissey, P Deegan for O Walsh, R Leahy for P Lyng, S Prendergast for C Buckley, C Martin for L Blanchfield.
Referee - F Horgan.
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