Kilkenny...4-22 Dublin 0-08: Kilkenny inflicted a 26-point hammering on a Dublin side which offered little or no resistance at Dr Cullen Park, Carlow, on Saturday evening.
An attendance of 5,500 saw a terribly one-sided game, with the poverty of the opposition providing Kilkenny manager Brian Cody with little by way of fresh insight into the strengths and weaknesses of his side.
Eddie Brennan put the defending All-Ireland champions in front within 40 seconds of the throw-in and, for the entire game, Dublin were in trouble in practically every sector of the field.
Dublin, who were seeking a first senior hurling championship win over Kilkenny since 1942, simply could not live with the skill, pace and scoring power of the opposition. It was an ideal pick-me-up for Kilkenny after the shock of their Leinster semi-final defeat by Wexford.
In mitigation, Dublin were without star player Conal Keaney (suspended), while Kevin Flynn and Liam Ryan have departed the scene since the 2-25 to 1-13 drubbing by Offaly.
Henry Shefflin scored Kilkenny's opening goal in the third minute and followed with a second in the 22nd. Kilkenny, now drawn to meet Galway in the second round of the qualifiers, led by 2-9 to 0-5 at half-time.
And the one-way traffic continued throughout the second half as Kilkenny picked off their points, before a late flurry of goals from Brennan and Jimmy Coogan piled on the agony for the Dubs.
DJ Carey returned to the Kilkenny team at full forward -scoring four points of his side's huge total. But the biggest scorer on the night was Shefflin.
The Ballyhale Shamrocks man scored 2-8, 2-1 from play - a total which was two goals more than Dublin's paltry total of eight points.
KILKENNY: J McGarry; M Phelan, N Hickey, T Walsh; R Mullally, P Barry, JJ Delaney; D Lyng (0-1), K Coogan; M Comerford (0-2), J Coogan (1-2), E Brennan (1-3), A Fogarty, DJ Carey (0-4, one free, one 65), H Shefflin (2-8, 0-7 frees). Subs: J Fitzpatrick (0-1) for Fogarty; J Maher (0-1) for Carey; J Ryall for Barry; S Dowling for Lyng; C Phelan for Brennan.
DUBLIN: G Maguire; P Brennan, S Perkins, S Daly; S Hiney, R Fallon (0-1), K Ryan; A de Paor (0-3, two frees, one 65), C Meehan, S O'Shea (0-1), G Keogh, S McCann, D O'Callaghan (0-2, two frees), M Carton, P Fleury. Subs: D Kirwan for McCann; C O'Brien for Brennan; R Brennan for Meehan; G O'Meara (0-1) for Ryan; M Breathnach for Keogh.
Referee: S Roche (Tipperary).
