A makeshift Kilkenny team had little difficulty scoring their second victory in the Waterford Crystal south-east hurling league at bitterly cold Nowlan Park yesterday. Wexford were staring a big defeat in the face until they bagged 1-2 during the closing three minutes. The late flurry of scores took the bad look off things from a Wexford point of view. The losers made the pace for most of the opening half, but they fell behind for the first time to a 24th-minute point from Michael Purcell. At half-time Kilkenny led by 0-6 to 0-4. A 42nd-minute goal for John Barron extended the winners' lead to 1-4 to 0-4, and they always looked in control. It took Wexford 50 minutes to get a score from play, which highlighted their difficulties in attack and a major problem facing new manager Tony Dempsey.

Legendary Tipperary hurler John Doyle is to be honoured at a special function in his home town next Friday night. Doyle (70), from nearby Holycross, holds a record eight All-Ireland senior hurling medals.

Castleblayney completed the Monaghan senior football double of championship and league when they had 12 points to spare over Clontibret at the end of a very one-sided league final replay in Scotstown yesterday.

KILKENNY: M Carey; D Carroll, S Mealy, D Grogan; P Shefflin, S Dowling, D Lyng; C Brennan, B Aylward 0-1; A Geoghegan 1-1, J Coogan 0-4, M Purcell 0-2; J Barron 1-0, D Lynch, G Walsh 0-2. Subs: P Aylward for Carroll, J O'Neill for B Aylward, B Giles for Dowling, J Coogan for Brennan.

WEXFORD: D Fitzhenry; R Kirwan, D Ruth, C Kehoe; R McCarthy 0-1, L Dunne, K Furlong; T Kelly, A Fenlon; M Jacob 0-8, M Byrne, L Murphy; P Murphy, G Laffan, R Keogh 0-1. Subs: M Murphy for L Murphy, D Guiney for T Kelly, P Finn for R Keogh, C Byrne for Laffan, C McGrath 1-0 for P Murphy.

Referee: P Ahearne (Carlow).