NATIONAL HURLING LEAGUE finalist Billy Drennan made a dramatic return to the Kilkenny U20 team, blasting 2-12 to move the holders within touching distance of a Leinster semi-final spot.
Fellow seniors Gearoid Dunne and Timmy Clifford weighed in with 2-2 between them in the Cats’ 5-20 to 3-20 group win over Galway.
The trio all missed last weekend’s Round 1 loss to Wexford and highlighted their importance with key roles in the six-point win.
With Dublin defeating Wexford 1-20 to 0-15, moving them top of the Tier 1 group with four points from four, it tees things up nicely for Saturday’s final group game between Kilkenny and Dublin at Nowlan Park.
A draw or better will guarantee Dublin’s last four place as group winners. Kilkenny, level on two points with Wexford, will almost certainly progress to the last four with a win. Galway are rock bottom after back-to-back losses, though the third- and fourth-placed teams will still advance to the quarter-finals.
Provincial and All-Ireland title holders Kilkenny may have been boosted by the return of several senior stars but they slipped seven points behind Galway initially in Tullamore.
Darren Shaughnessy’s 17th minute goal, allied to earlier points from Colm Molloy, free-taker Liam Collins and Rory Burke, left Galway 1-8 to 1-2 clear.
Kilkenny were clinging on but hauled themselves back into contention with a second Drennan goal in the 22nd minute and trailed by 2-6 to 1-12 at the break.
Kilkenny then took control of the encounter with nine points in the first nine minutes of the second-half, Drennan, St Kieran’s College star Harry Shine, Clifford and Joe Fitzpatrick all on the mark.
The final quarter was a thrill-a-minute ride with further Kilkenny goals from Clifford, Cillian Hackett and Dunne.
The Cats led by 10 points briefly though a late Liam Collins goal for Galway, bringing his tally to 1-10 for the afternoon, glossed the scoreline.
Dublin enjoyed a more straightforward win in the capital, leading from O Dulaing’s opening point in the second minute until full-time.
Eight wides in the first-half meant that Dublin only led by 0-10 to 0-7 at the break but they were more efficient after the break.
Back to back points from Brendan Kenny helped them to open up a 0-17 to 0-9 lead by the three-quarter mark. Jamie Conroy’s 49th minute goal set the seal on victory for Dublin.
Offaly and Westmeath are through to the Leinster preliminary quarter-finals. Offaly beat Antrim 2-17 to 0-8 to finish top of Tier 2, Group 1 ahead of Westmeath who hammered Meath 5-17 to 0-10.
Laois and Kildare are through to the same stage from Tier 1, Group 2. Table toppers Laois beat Kerry 2-16 to 1-15 while Kildare beat Carlow 1-13 to 1-7 to claim second spot.
