Kilkenny 1-25
Dublin 0-19
BUSINESS AS USUAL for Kilkenny.
The Cats successfully defended their Leinster crown against Dublin, lifting the title for the 73rd time and giving Brian Cody his 17th provincial success as manager.
This was a confident and clinical display from Kilkenny with their bench once again providing a massive punch when required in the second-half.
There were seven points between the teams when TJ Reid’s goal from a 62nd minute penalty ended the game as a contest. Kilkenny were full value for their nine-point win and head into the last four of the All-Ireland series in strong form.
Dubin, affected by Covid and injury issues this week, battled well for the first 45 minutes before they eventually ran out of steam. They trailed by three at the interval despite shading proceedings in the opening 35 minutes.
Eight first-half wides proved costly for the Sky Blues as Kilkenny killed the game in a decisive third quarter. Four subs scored for the winners today, after seven hit scores in the semi-final. It’s a squad game and Brian Cody is getting a major impact from his bench.
Michael Carey, Alan Murphy, James Bergin and Cillian Buckley shot 0-5 between them while James Maher, a late introduction to the starting team, shone at wing-back and fired over three points.
Reid did his usual stuff, finishing with a tally of 1-10, while Eoin Cody was extremely lively alongside him in the full-forward line and won the crucial second-half penalty.
The Dublin camp was rocked with a positive Covid case and three close contacts the day before that ruled four players out their first Leinster final appearance since 2014.
Cian O’Callaghan and Ronan Hayes dropped out of the starting team while Fergal Whitely and Oisin O’Rorke did not take their place on the bench. Instead, Andrew Dunphy and Mark Schutte arrived into the team, with Ronan Smyth, John Hetherton, Sean Currie and Fiontan McGibb added to the substitutes list.
They suffered a further blow just three minutes into the game when Eoghan O’Donnell pulled up with a reoccurrence of the hamstring injury he suffered in the semi-final win over Galway.
Sean Moran arrived into the fray, moving to wing-back. The Dublin readjustments saw Paddy Smyth switch onto TJ Reid and James Madden take up marking duties on Eoin Cody.
Dublin looked like a rattled team in the early stages as Kilkenny reeled off the first four points of the afternoon. Once the Dubs settled however, they roared into the game.
The ability of Danny Sutcliffe and Chris Crummey to win ball on the half-forward line gave them a good platform from Alan Nolan’s puck-outs. Sutcliffe, back to his 2013 All-Star form, dropped over an excellent score after flicking the ball over Maher’s head and collecting on the run.
He finished the half with two, as did Crummey. The Lucan Sarsfields man almost added a goal after Cian O’Sullivan got in behind and showed good awareness to find his team-mate with a handpass.
With a sizeable crowd encouraging them, Dublin hit four in succession to haul themselves level at 0-9 apiece by the 33rd minute. Kilkenny went into the break three in front as a fine score from Eoin Cody arrived before efforts from Maher and Reid’s sixth of the day.
The third quarter was where the Cats surged clear. By the second water break they extended the lead to six. Maher launched over a bomb from just inside the Dublin half in addition to four placed balls from Reid.
Kilkenny punished turnovers with scores from Martin Keoghan and sub Alan Murphy, while Dublin’s wide tally rose to 12 after a handful of misses at the far end.
Walter Walsh didn’t score but he was highly influential after his 47th minute introduction. Murphy’s second point arrived shortly after the fourth quarter began, before Cillian Buckley drove forward and clipped one over to leave eight between the sides.
The game’s only goal arrived via the stick of Reid after Eoin Cody was fouled by Jake Malone as he bore down on goal. That left Kilkenny 1-22 to 0-15 clear and they ran out nine-point winners as James Bergin (2) and Michael Carey added scores off the bench in the closing stages.
Scorers for Kilkenny: TJ Reid 1-10 (1-0 pen, 0-8f, 0-1 65), James Maher 0-3, Martin Keoghan, Alan Murphy and James Bergin 0-2 each, John Donnelly, Eoin Cody, Alan Murphy and Cillian Buckley 0-1 each.
Scorers for Dublin: Donal Burke 0-10 (0-8f), Danny Sutcliffe and Chris Crummey 0-2 each, Rian McBride, Cian Boland, Jake Malone, Alan Nolan (0-1f) and Davy Keogh 0-1 each.
Kilkenny
1. Eoin Murphy (Glenmore)
2. Tommy Walsh (Tullaroan), 4. Paddy Deegan (O’Loughlin Gaels), 3. Huw Lawlor (O’Loughlin Gaels)
20. James Maher (St Lachtain’s), 6. Padraig Walsh (Tullaroan), 7. Conor Browne (James Stephens)
8. Richie Reid (Shamrocks Ballyhale), 23. Richie Leahy (Rower Inistioge)
12. Billy Ryan (Graigue-Ballycallan), 11. Martin Keoghan (Tullaroan), 9. Adrian Mullen (Shamrocks Ballyhale)
13. Eoin Cody (Shamrocks Ballyhale), 14. TJ Reid (Shamrocks Ballyhale), 10. John Donnelly (Thomastown)
Subs
19. Michael Carey (Young Irelands) for Browne (25)
15. Alan Murphy (Glenmore) for Leahy (ht)
21. Cillian Buckley (Dicksboro) for Richie Reid (46)
24. Walter Walsh (Tullogher Rosbercon) for Ryan (47)
25. Jame Bergin (Conahy Shamrocks) for Cody (64)
Dublin
1. Alan Nolan (St Brigid’s)
2. Paddy Smyth (Clontarf), 3. Eoghan O’Donnell (Whitehall Colmcille), 17. Andrew Dunphy (St Brigid’s)
5. Daire Gray (Whitehall Colmcille), 6. Liam Rushe (Na Fianna), 7. James Madden Ballyboden St Enda’s)
8. Rian McBride (St Vincent’s), 9. Conor Burke (St Vincent’s)
10. Danny Sutcliffe (St Judes), 11. Donal Burke (Na Fianna), 12. Chris Crummey (Lucan Sarsfields)
13. Cian Boland (St Oliver Plunketts ER), 23. Mark Schutte (Cuala), 15. Cian O’Sullivan (St Brigid’s)
Subs
18. Sean Moran (Cuala) for O’Donnell (3)
20. Jake Malone (Cuala) for Grey (blood sub, 15-19)
25. Paul Crummey (Lucan Sarsfields) for Schutte (ht)
20. Malone for Moran (51)
22. Davy Keogh (Thomas Davis) for O’Sullivan (53)
24. Sean Currie (Na Fianna) for Boland (concussion sub, 61-64)
26. David Treacy (Cuala) for Boland (70)
Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)