Senior hurlers overtaken by Cats in second half

LEINSTER SHC ROUND-ROBIN ROUND 1

KILKENNY 2-23 DUBLIN 1-21

Dublin's Leinster SHC round-robin round 1 hopes faded late in the second half as Kilkenny came with a classical storming finish to secure victory at Nowlan Park on Saturday evening.

The Dubs led at half-time by four points, 1-13 to 0-12, after a rip-roaring opening 35 minutes.

However, TJ Reid once again proved to be the tormentor-in-chief as Kilkenny mounted a powerful second half surge that brought them to victory.

Reid scored 0-12 (0-9, 0-2 '65') when Kilkenny broke Dublin hearts in Parnell Park last summer and on Saturday night in Nowlan Park did even more damage when tallying 2-12 (0-11f, 1-0 pen, 0-1 '65').

Kilkenny also made some positional and tactical switches with Padraig Walsh moving back onto Danny Sutcliffe and Huw Lalor repositioned at full-back while half-time sub Richie Leahy posted two points from play from midfield.

Dublin were leading by three points when Reid and Colin Fennelly combined brilliantly for a goal in the 47th minute.

But Dublin dug in and twice later in the half edged back a point in front but on both occasions it was Kilkenny who scored next.

With 13 minutes remaining the Cats struck for what was arguably the decisive score when Colin Fennelly was fouled in the square and despite finding the net referee Cathal McAllister had already sounded his whistle for a penalty.

The outcome was the same as TJ Reid recorded Kilkenny's second goal.

From there to the finish, in front of a crowd of 9,495, Kilkenny held slightly the upperhand and outscored Dublin 0-6 to 0-4 to run out five-point victors.

In the opening half the Dubs were the better side against a Kilkenny starting 15 including five SHC debutants - goalkeeper Darren Brennan, Tommy Walsh, Huw Lawlor, Alan Murphy and Adrian Mullen.

The intensity and physicality was impressive with the movement of Dublin's inside forward line and ball-winning of Liam Rushe causing problems for the Cats with Danny Sutcliffe, in particular, clipping over some stylish scores.

At the back the Dublin half-back line once again was setting the tone for the rest of Mattie Kenny's men to follow.

Nine minutes in Fergal Whitely angled in off the right wing and his pass was athletically gathered by Rushe who was eventually hauled to ground for a penalty.

Seán Moran was clinical leaving keeper Brennan rooted to the line as the Dubs went on to lead for the remainder of the first half.

Dublin had another sighting of goal but Paul Ryan's effort for the top corner whistled outside the post.

Just before the break Dublin were awarded a second penalty, again after Rushe was fouled, but this time Moran blazed his effort over the crossbar as Dublin held a 1-13 to 0-12 interval advantage.

Reflecting on the game Dublin manager Mattie Kenny said: "We were in a reasonably healthy position going in at half-time. Ten minutes after half-time we kind of maintained that position but then Kilkenny got a goal and from that we started going too direct and too route-one.

“That gave their backs a chance to mop up the possession and build out. They had a bit more space to attack in the second-half rather than the first. That’s a thing I try to coach a lot, that would be big in my philosophy of hurling – that you build your attacks.

“In the last 20 minutes we went too much route one, and that allowed the Kilkenny backs to sit back, eat up that possession. Then when they were coming out, they had more space to attack into.

“I think Dublin built some lovely scores in the first half and we just needed to maintain that approach and have the mental discipline to keep doing that.”

The Dubs host Wexford in Parnell Park next Sunday (3.0) in their next game of the round-robin.

SCORERS - Kilkenny: TJ Reid 2-12 (0-11f, 1-0 pen, 0-1 ‘65’), A Murphy 0-3, G Aylward, R Leahy 0-2 each, W Walsh, P Walsh, A Mullen, T Walsh 0-1 each. Dublin: D Treacy 0-6 (0-6f), S Moran 1-2 (1-1 pen, 0-1f), D Sutcliffe 0-4, F Whitely, C Crummey 0-2 each, D O’Connell, P Ryan, T Connolly, L Rushe, S Treacy 0-1 each.

KILKENNY: D Brennan; P Murphy, P Deegan, T Walsh; E Morrissey, H Lawlor, C Fogarty; P Walsh, A Murphy; A Mullen, W Walsh, TJ Reid; B Ryan, C Fennelly, G Aylward. Subs: R Leahy for Morrissey (ht), R Hogan for Ryan (40).

DUBLIN: A Nolan; D O’Connell, E O’Donnell, P Smyth; S Barrett, C Crummey, S Moran; S Treacy, T Connolly; F Whitely, D Sutcliffe, D Treacy; P Ryan, L Rushe, E Dillon. Subs: R McBride for Connolly (51), C Keaney for Ryan (61), C Boland for S Treacy (66), J Malone for D Treacy (72), R Hayes for Rushe (74).

REF: C McAllister (Cork)