Dublin 1-16 Kilkenny 0-16 Leinster SHC Semi-Final Replay
By Darragh Twomey at O’Moore Park
Dublin defied the odds to beat Kilkenny by one goal in their Leinster Senior Hurling Championship semi-final replay at O’Moore Park on Saturday night (29th June).
Despite being out-played by Dublin in the original tie last Sunday, The Cats were still 1/8 favourites to beat The Dubs at the second time of asking.
However, Anthony Daly’s troops proved that they pay no attention to what the bookies have to say by putting in an absolutely outstanding performance in front of 10,532 spectators to book a Leinster final date with Galway next Sunday (7th July) in Croke Park at 4pm.
Kilkenny, who could only manage five points from play, ended the game with fourteen men after Richie Power was given his marching orders in injury time.
David O’Callaghan opened the scoring for Dublin in the second minute with a fine point after a brilliant run by Stephen Hiney down the right-wing.
A minute later, Kilkenny’s saviour from last week TJ Reid levelled the game with a point, despite appeals from Dublin goalkeeper Gary Maguire that the ball went wide.
Paul Ryan added a great point from the wing to put The Dubs ahead again.
O’Callaghan doubled the lead in the fourth minute after making a brilliant catch, and Ryan tagged on a further point from a placed ball.
Eoin Larkin struck back with two points in as many minutes from frees, but that brace was cancelled out immediately by Conal Keaney and Ryan with a point each.
Dublin led by five points after twenty-four minutes when Ryan pointed two frees and Danny Sutcliffe assisted a Dotsy O’Callaghan point.
Kilkenny boss Brian Cody brought in Colin Fennelly ten minutes from the break, and he justified his introduction by slotting over a point with his first touch of the ball.
Richie Power pointed to reduce the deficit to three points before Ryan and Larkin exchanged frees for Dublin and Kilkenny respectively.
Dotsy added a point for The Metropolitans three minutes from the break, while Ryan had a goal opportunity saved during injury time. Dublin took a 0-11 to 0-7 lead into the break.
Larkin and Ryan exchanged frees again in the five minutes that followed the restart.
Larkin added another point from a placed ball before some sloppy play from Dublin allowed Richie Power to point with ease from the middle of the field.
More frees followed. Eoin Larkin was licking his lips, adding two points, while Ryan pointed once for The Dubs midway through the half.
Fifty-three minutes in, Kilkenny were a single point within Dublin for the first time since the fourth minute.
Just when The Cats looked like they would level the scoring at one end, Sutcliffe found the net at the other end.
O’Callaghan had a shot brilliantly cleared off the line, but the ball fell to Sutcliffe on the 21’, he skipped past Tommy Walsh and buried the ball low and hard into the back of the net.
Mark Schutte added a nice point to give Dublin a five point advantage, but a Larkin free cancelled that out a minute later.
Shane Durkin scored a point twelve minutes from time after some good work by Johnny McCaffrey in the Dublin midfield, however they failed to score again until injury time.
Nervous moments followed for the Dublin camp as Larkin converted two frees and Power pointed from play to leave two points between the sides.
Any chance Kilkenny had of a comeback vanished in injury time when referee Barry Kelly showed Power his second yellow card.
Dublin substitute Eamon Dillon scored a free after seventy-one minutes, ending Dublin’s seventy-one year wait to beat Kilkenny on a full-time score-line of Dublin 1-16 Kilkenny 0-16.
Scorers:
Dublin: C Keaney (0-1), D Sutcliffe (1-0), P Ryan (0-8, 0-6 f), E Dillon (0-1 f), S Durkin (0-1), D O’Callaghan (0-4), M Schutte (0-1).
Kilkenny: R Power (0-3), C Fennelly (0-1), E Larkin (0-11 f), TJ Reid (0-1).
Dublin: Gary Maguire; Niall Corcoran, Peter Kelly, Paul Schutte; Stephen Hiney, Liam Rushe, Michael Carton; Johnny McCaffrey, Joey Boland; Conal Keaney, Ryan O’Dwyer, Danny Sutcliffe; David O’Callaghan, David Treacy, Paul Ryan. Subs: Conor McCormack for R O’Dwyer (35 mins); Shane Durkin for J Boland (46 mins); Mark Schutte for D Treacy (48 mins); Eamon Dillon for P Ryan (64 mins); Simon Lambert for J McCaffrey (69 mins).
Kilkenny: Eoin Murphy; Conor Fogarty, JJ Delaney, Jackie Tyrell; Tommy Walsh, Brian Hogan, Kieran Joyce; Michael Rice, Richie Power; Richie Hogan, Cillian Buckley, Eoin Larkin; Walter Walsh, Aidan Fogarty, TJ Reid. Subs: Lester Ryan for C Buckley (22 mins); Colin Fennelly for M Rice (25 mins); Matthew Ruth for W Walsh (60 mins); Padraig Walsh for J Tyrell (64 mins); Ger Aylward for TJ Reid (66 mins).
Referee: Barry Kelly (Westmeath).
