Dublin 1-16
Kilkenny 0-16
DUBLIN CLAIMED A historic victory over Kilkenny in tonight’s Leinster semi-final replay in Portlaoise as they dumped the reigning All-Ireland champions out of this year’s provincial race.
Anthony Daly’s side were pegged back in last Sunday’s drawn game by TJ Reid’s leveling point but they made no mistake at the second time of asking in O’Moore Park.
Danny Sutcliffe fired home the crucial goal for Dublin in the second-half as they claimed their first victory over Kilkenny in the Leinster senior hurling championship since 1942.
Kilkenny must attempt to save their season with a glamour clash in Nowlan Park next Saturday night against Tipperary in Phase 2 of the All-Ireland senior hurling qualifiers.
Paul Ryan fired 0-8 for the winners as he landed some vital points from frees while David O’Callaghan, drafted into the Dublin team for this game, was outstanding in attack.
Kilkenny struggled to tap into their best form again with key players like Michael Rice, Walter Walsh and Jackie Tyrrell all substituted while Cillian Buckley came off injured.
They were reliant on Eoin Larkin to keep them in touch as he notched 0-12 from placed balls but they finished the game with 14 men after Richie Power was shown a second yellow card.
INPHO/James Crombie
Dublin made the early running on the scoreboard to lead by 0-4 to 0-3 after 11 minutes before Conal Keaney, Ryan and O’Callaghan helped them surge clear by 0-9 to 0-4 by the 24th minute.
Kilkenny fought back with Colin Fennelly and Larkin on target yet O’Callaghan grabbed the last point of the half to see Dublin lead by 0-11 to 0-7 at the break.
The Cats emerged for the second-half fired up for action and they had cut the gap to two points, 0-12 to 0-10, when Power raised a white flag in the 43rd minute
Paul Ryan pushed Dublin back in front by three points yet Kilkenny pared the margin to the minimum with a brace of converted frees by Larkin.
Yet they never drew level and Sutcliffe unleashed a cracking finish to the net in the 52nd minute after David O’Callaghan’s shot had initially been cleared off the line.
That pushed them 1-13 to 0-12 clear and they were able to survive Kilkenny’s late barrage of pressure to run out victors by a three-point margin.
INPHO/James Crombie
Scorers for Dublin: Paul Ryan 0-8 (0-6f), David O’Callaghan 0-4, Danny Sutcliffe 1-0, Conal Keaney, Shane Durkin, Mark Schutte, Eamonn Dillon (0-1f) 0-1 each.
Scorers for Kilkenny: Eoin Larkin 0-12 (0-11f, 0-1 ’65), Richie Power 0-2, Colin Fennelly, TJ Reid 0-1 each.
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; Paul Ryan, David O’Callaghan, David Treacy.
Subs: Conor McCormack for O’Dwyer (HT), Shane Durkin for Boland (46), Mark Schutte for Treacy (48), Eamonn Dillon for Ryan (64), Simon Lambert for McCaffrey (69).
KILKENNY: Eoin Murphy; Jackie Tyrell, JJ Delaney, Conor Fogarty; Tommy Walsh, Brian Hogan, Kieran Joyce; Cillian Buckley, Richie Power; Richie Hogan, Michael Rice, Eoin Larkin; Walter Walsh, TJ Reid, Aidan Fogarty.
Subs: Lester Ryan for Buckley (22 mins), Colin Fennelly for Rice (26), Matthew Ruth for W Walsh (60), Padraig Walsh for Tyrell (60), Ger Aylward for Reid (64).
Referee: Barry Kelly (Westmeath)
