Kilkenny 3-22 Wexford 1-17 Brian Cody's Kilkenny are rediscovering their old fire as Wexford discovered to their cost in this 11-point drubbing in the Division One Group Two at Wexford Park yesterday.

Wexford may have led 0-3 to 0-1 after 10 minutes, with points from a Declan Ruth and two from Barry Lambert, with Eddie Mackey pointing a free in between for Kilkenny, but after that Kilkenny were in control for the remainder of the game.

With Jimmy Coogan, unerringly accurate from frees, scoring six first-half points, and John Hoyne and Eddie Brennan also contributing handsomely, Kilkenny swept into a 0-14 to 0-6 lead.

Then Brennan suddenly plucked a James McGarry puck-out from the air, made about 25 metres and then off-loaded to Martin Comerford who rattled the net from close range leaving Kilkenny with a 1-14 to 0-8 interval lead.

Wexford seemed to be thrown a lifeline when they resumed, quick points from Lambert and Rory Jacob and then a 52nd-minute goal from Jacob, reducing the deficit to five points, 1-19 to 1-14, but Wexford were not to produce a Houdini act.

Kilkenny simply stepped up a gear, with Comerford finishing a delightful build-up by blasting into the roof of Damien Fitzhenry's net on 55 minutes before Brennan scored another goal to put the tie well beyond doubt.

KILKENNY: J McGarry, J J Delaney, B Hogan, J Ryall (0-1), S Dowling, E Mackey (0-1 free), W Burke, J Tyrrell, D Lyng (0-1), C Phelan (0-1), J Hoyne (0-2), E Brennan (1-2), A Fogarty (0-2), M Comerford (2-2), J Coogan (0-10, 8 frees), Subs: P Tennyson for Tyrrell; T Walsh for Ryall.

WEXFORD: D Fitzhenry, C Kehoe, D Ryan, M. Travers, A. Fenlon, D Ruth (0-3 frees), M O'Leary, R Stafford, M J Furlong, M Jacob (0-1), D O'Connor (0-1), B Lambert (0-8, 7 frees), M Jordan, P Carley (0-1), R Jacob (1-2). Subs: T Mahon for Furlong; L Murphy for Stafford; J O'Connor (0-1) for Fenlon; D Lyng for Carley.

Referee: J Sexton (Limerick).