HURLING IN all its madcap glory at UPMC Nowlan Park, where Kilkenny experienced the full range of emotions before eventually emerging with a significant Leinster SHC win.
TJ Reid’s 1-9 haul, 2-2 from Billy Ryan and goals from Martin Keoghan and Adrian Mullen were all significant as the Cats made it four wins in a row to move top of the table on their own.
In the process, Kilkenny have secured their return to the Leinster final, despite still having a group game to go against Wexford next weekend.
But those bald stats fail to tell the story of a rip-roaring Round 4 contest, which Kilkenny led by 14 points at half-time only to see that advantage whittled down to two in the 69th minute.
Niall O Ceallachain’s Dublin came to life in the second half and reeled off 2-4 without response between the 50th and 56th minutes to turn an apparent lost cause into a genuine game again.
But just as Dublin looked like they might pinch a remarkable result to keep their own 100% record intact after three previous wins, Ryan popped up for his second goal, and Kilkenny’s fifth, to set the seal on a memorable victory.
Dublin could still join Derek Lyng’s Kilkenny in the final if they beat Galway at Parnell Park in their final group game next Sunday.
Dublin knew this would be a step up in class after wins over Offaly, Wexford, and Antrim, though they couldn’t have expected to be 14 points down at half-time.
The sides were level four times up to 0-5 apiece in the opening 15 minutes, but when Mullen struck Kilkenny’s first goal in the 16th minute, it opened the floodgates.
Ryan added the hosts’ second goal two minutes later, and Reid got in on the goalscoring act in the 29th minute.
Three minutes later, Keoghan grabbed Kilkenny’s fourth goal to leave the holders sitting pretty with a 4-12 to 0-10 half-time advantage.
Mullen and Keoghan both struck their goals from close range after long deliveries into the danger area broke kindly.
The Ryan and Reid goals were more to do with individual excellence, as both players burst in from the wings before unleashing shots that beat Eddie Gibbons.
Cian O’Sullivan was Dublin’s most potent attacker, and hit five first-half points from play.
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But the 2013 champions got little joy out of long deliveries towards towering targetman John Hetherton and were unable to get their precise passing game going either.
Kilkenny exerted a tight grip in most areas of the pitch with Cian Kenny and Jordan Molloy holding their own against Dublin’s in-form midfield of Conor Burke and Conor Donohoe.
Reid started at full-forward for Kilkenny but dropped deep at times too and had 1-6 racked up by half-time, all of his points coming from frees.
Dublin had the slight wind advantage after the break, but were better anyhow, gaining an advantage at midfield where Donohoe really came into his own.
He scored three second-half points while Sean Currie gave Dublin fans hope with a 39th-minute goal.
But it wasn’t until their second and third goals, in the 53rd and 54th minutes, by Currie again and O’Sullivan, that Dublin looked like potentially getting something from this game.
They fought brilliantly in the final 20 minutes, and AJ Murphy sniped back-to-back points after coming on, leaving two in it.
But Kilkenny aren’t chasing a six-in-a-row of provincial titles for nothing and duly killed off the Metropolitans with that late Ryan goal.
Kilkenny scorers: TJ Reid 1-9 (0-9f), Billy Ryan 2-2, Martin Keoghan 1-3, Adrian Mullen 1-0, Stephen Donnelly 0-1, Billy Ryan 0-1, Killian Doyle 0-1, Jordan Molloy 0-1, Luke Hogan 0-1.
Dublin scorers: Sean Currie 2-6 (1-4f, 0-1 65), Cian O’Sullivan 1-5, Conor Donohoe 0-4, Andrew Jamieson-Murphy 0-2, Darragh Power 0-1, Rian McBride 0-1, Chris Crummey 0-1, Fergal Whitely 0-1.
8. Cian Kenny (James Stephens)
9. Jordan Molloy (O’Loughlin Gaels)
13. Adrian Mullen (Shamrocks Ballyhale)
10. John Donnelly (Thomastown – Captain)
11. Billy Ryan (Graigue Ballycallan)
15. Martin Keoghan (Tullaroan)
14. TJ Reid (Shamrocks Ballyhale)
12. Stephen Donnelly (Thomastown)
SUBS
20. Killian Doyle (Emeralds) for Blanchfield (24-25, blood)
22. Luke Hogan (O’Loughlin Gaels) for Mullen (45)
Doyle for Kenny (48)
21. Fionan Mackessy (O’Loughlin Gaels) for Hogan (59)
23. Luke Connellan (Thomastown) for Donnelly 71
17. Tommy Walsh (Tullaroan) for Blanchfield 72.
DUBLIN
1. Eddie Gibbons (Kilmacud Crokes)
4. Conor McHugh (Na Fianna)
3. Paddy Smyth (Clontarf)
2. John Bellew (Lucan Sarsfields)
5. Paddy Doyle (Naomh Barrog)
6. Chris Crummey (Lucan Sarsfields – Captain)
7. Paddy Dunleavy (Ballyboden St Endas)
11. Cian O’Sullivan (St Brigid’s)
10. Brian Hayes (Kilmacud Crokes)
12. Darragh Power (Fingallians)
13. Sean Currie (Na Fianna)
14. John Hetherton (St Vincent’s)
15. Colin Currie (Na Fianna)
SUBS
26. Fergal Whitely (Kilmacud Crokes) for Dunleavy (h/t)
18. Ronan Hayes (Kilmacud Crokes) for Colin Currie (h/t)
22. Rian McBride (St Vincent’s) for Burke (49)
19. Andrew Jamieson-Murphy (Na Fianna) for Power (65)
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Kilkenny survive second-half Dublin rally to secure Leinster final spot
Leinster senior hurling championship, Round 4
Kilkenny 5-19
Dublin 3-21
HURLING IN all its madcap glory at UPMC Nowlan Park, where Kilkenny experienced the full range of emotions before eventually emerging with a significant Leinster SHC win.
TJ Reid’s 1-9 haul, 2-2 from Billy Ryan and goals from Martin Keoghan and Adrian Mullen were all significant as the Cats made it four wins in a row to move top of the table on their own.
In the process, Kilkenny have secured their return to the Leinster final, despite still having a group game to go against Wexford next weekend.
But those bald stats fail to tell the story of a rip-roaring Round 4 contest, which Kilkenny led by 14 points at half-time only to see that advantage whittled down to two in the 69th minute.
Niall O Ceallachain’s Dublin came to life in the second half and reeled off 2-4 without response between the 50th and 56th minutes to turn an apparent lost cause into a genuine game again.
But just as Dublin looked like they might pinch a remarkable result to keep their own 100% record intact after three previous wins, Ryan popped up for his second goal, and Kilkenny’s fifth, to set the seal on a memorable victory.
Dublin could still join Derek Lyng’s Kilkenny in the final if they beat Galway at Parnell Park in their final group game next Sunday.
Dublin knew this would be a step up in class after wins over Offaly, Wexford, and Antrim, though they couldn’t have expected to be 14 points down at half-time.
The sides were level four times up to 0-5 apiece in the opening 15 minutes, but when Mullen struck Kilkenny’s first goal in the 16th minute, it opened the floodgates.
Ryan added the hosts’ second goal two minutes later, and Reid got in on the goalscoring act in the 29th minute.
Three minutes later, Keoghan grabbed Kilkenny’s fourth goal to leave the holders sitting pretty with a 4-12 to 0-10 half-time advantage.
Mullen and Keoghan both struck their goals from close range after long deliveries into the danger area broke kindly.
The Ryan and Reid goals were more to do with individual excellence, as both players burst in from the wings before unleashing shots that beat Eddie Gibbons.
Cian O’Sullivan was Dublin’s most potent attacker, and hit five first-half points from play.
But the 2013 champions got little joy out of long deliveries towards towering targetman John Hetherton and were unable to get their precise passing game going either.
Kilkenny exerted a tight grip in most areas of the pitch with Cian Kenny and Jordan Molloy holding their own against Dublin’s in-form midfield of Conor Burke and Conor Donohoe.
Reid started at full-forward for Kilkenny but dropped deep at times too and had 1-6 racked up by half-time, all of his points coming from frees.
Dublin had the slight wind advantage after the break, but were better anyhow, gaining an advantage at midfield where Donohoe really came into his own.
He scored three second-half points while Sean Currie gave Dublin fans hope with a 39th-minute goal.
But it wasn’t until their second and third goals, in the 53rd and 54th minutes, by Currie again and O’Sullivan, that Dublin looked like potentially getting something from this game.
They fought brilliantly in the final 20 minutes, and AJ Murphy sniped back-to-back points after coming on, leaving two in it.
But Kilkenny aren’t chasing a six-in-a-row of provincial titles for nothing and duly killed off the Metropolitans with that late Ryan goal.
Kilkenny scorers: TJ Reid 1-9 (0-9f), Billy Ryan 2-2, Martin Keoghan 1-3, Adrian Mullen 1-0, Stephen Donnelly 0-1, Billy Ryan 0-1, Killian Doyle 0-1, Jordan Molloy 0-1, Luke Hogan 0-1.
Dublin scorers: Sean Currie 2-6 (1-4f, 0-1 65), Cian O’Sullivan 1-5, Conor Donohoe 0-4, Andrew Jamieson-Murphy 0-2, Darragh Power 0-1, Rian McBride 0-1, Chris Crummey 0-1, Fergal Whitely 0-1.
KILKENNY
1. Eoin Murphy (Glenmore)
2. Mikey Butler (O’Loughlin Gaels)
3. Huw Lawlor (O’Loughlin Gaels)
4. Paddy Deegan (O’Loughlin Gaels)
5. David Blanchfield (Bennettsbridge)
6. Richie Reid (Shamrocks Ballyhale)
7. Mikey Carey (Young Irelands)
8. Cian Kenny (James Stephens)
9. Jordan Molloy (O’Loughlin Gaels)
13. Adrian Mullen (Shamrocks Ballyhale)
10. John Donnelly (Thomastown – Captain)
11. Billy Ryan (Graigue Ballycallan)
15. Martin Keoghan (Tullaroan)
14. TJ Reid (Shamrocks Ballyhale)
12. Stephen Donnelly (Thomastown)
SUBS
20. Killian Doyle (Emeralds) for Blanchfield (24-25, blood)
22. Luke Hogan (O’Loughlin Gaels) for Mullen (45)
Doyle for Kenny (48)
21. Fionan Mackessy (O’Loughlin Gaels) for Hogan (59)
23. Luke Connellan (Thomastown) for Donnelly 71
17. Tommy Walsh (Tullaroan) for Blanchfield 72.
DUBLIN
1. Eddie Gibbons (Kilmacud Crokes)
4. Conor McHugh (Na Fianna)
3. Paddy Smyth (Clontarf)
2. John Bellew (Lucan Sarsfields)
5. Paddy Doyle (Naomh Barrog)
6. Chris Crummey (Lucan Sarsfields – Captain)
7. Paddy Dunleavy (Ballyboden St Endas)
8. Conor Burke (St Vincent’s)
9. Conor Donohoe (Erin’s Isle)
11. Cian O’Sullivan (St Brigid’s)
10. Brian Hayes (Kilmacud Crokes)
12. Darragh Power (Fingallians)
13. Sean Currie (Na Fianna)
14. John Hetherton (St Vincent’s)
15. Colin Currie (Na Fianna)
SUBS
26. Fergal Whitely (Kilmacud Crokes) for Dunleavy (h/t)
18. Ronan Hayes (Kilmacud Crokes) for Colin Currie (h/t)
22. Rian McBride (St Vincent’s) for Burke (49)
19. Andrew Jamieson-Murphy (Na Fianna) for Power (65)
Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary).
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Billy Ryan ENTERTAINING GAA Dublin Kilkenny TJ Reid