TJ Reid chipped in with 1-11 as Kilkenny defeated neighbours Waterford by 1-20 to 1-12 at muddy Walsh Park.

A crowd of 5,859 turned out to see these two great teams do battle on an unforgiving surface and it was a bottom-of-the-table clash as both sides went in search of their first win of the campaign. Ultimately, Na Deise failed to function and the Black & Amber never looked back after accumulating a 0-11 to 0-5 interval lead.

With a Man of the Match display, Martin Keoghan landed five points from play for Brian Cody's side, his first giving the Cats a 0-4 to 0-2 lead after 17 minutes. When called upon, visiting goalkeeper Eoin Murphy dealt capably with Tom Devine's rasper as the Suirsiders were held to just one score from play before the break.

John Donnelly rifled two fine first-half points for the winners.

Pauric Mahony spearheaded a mini Waterford revival when the action resumed but Reid settled it with the clinching goal on 51 minutes following a Lester Ryan pass. The beaten 2017 All-Ireland finalists were awarded a penalty 17 minutes from the end but Murphy thwarted substitute Stephen Bennett.

Fellow substitute Tommy Ryan netted in injury time but Derek McGrath's charges remain firmly rooted to the foot of the table. As for Kilkenny, well, they haven't gone away, you know...

Kilkenny - E Murphy; J Holden, P Walsh, P Deegan; C Delaney, C Buckley, E Morrissey; L Ryan, C O'Shea; M Keoghan (0-5), TJ Reid (1-11, 0-9f, 0-1'65), P Lyng; B Ryan, W Walsh, J Donnelly (0-2). Subs: L Blanchfield for B Ryan, J Maher (0-1) for C O'Shea, L Scanlon (0-1) for L Ryan.

Waterford - I O'Regan; S Fives, B Coughlan, N Connors; T De Burca (0-1), A Gleeson (0-1f), Philip Mahony; J Barron, C Gleeson; K Moran, Pauric Mahony (0-8, 7f, 1'65), T Devine (0-1); J Dillon, M Shanahan, M Kearney. Subs: C Dunford (0-1) for M Kearney, P Curran for A Gleeson, S Bennett for J Dillon, DJ Foran for M Shanahan, T Ryan (1-0) for Pauric Mahony.

Referee - F Horgan.

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