A solid performance from one of their veteran players saw a new-look Kilkenny wrestle the Walsh Cup back from Dublin. The visitors shuffled their pack for Saturday's final at Croke Park but, thanks to ace scorer Eoin Larkin, they still had a winning hand when it mattered.
While Dublin opened up quickly with two Mark Schutte points, once Kilkenny replied they set about fashioning a lead they would never lose. Two points from Larkin – the latter after Jonjo Farrell’s shot was turned out for a 65 – restored parity before Joe Brennan notched up his first point with eight minutes on the clock.
Kilkenny, who could afford to leave Henry Shefflin – their top scorer in the semi-final – off the panel entirely, started just four members of what would be recognised as their strongest side. Jackie Tyrrell, Tommy Walsh, Colin Fennelly and Larkin featured in a side where new members of the squad were given their shot.
Newcomers
The newcomers did well, with Michael Walsh and Brian Kennedy faring well in a Kilkenny defence which won its battles. The forwards also played their part, with Joe Brennan, Pádraig Walsh and Mark Kelly getting on the scoresheet as they went into a 0-7 to 0-2 lead by the 16th minute.
Dublin found scores tough to come by, enduring a 15-minute barren spell before Paul Ryan (free) edged them closer to their rivals. They kicked on from there with Ryan, David O’Callaghan and Schutte all scoring, but with Larkin, Fennelly and Tomás Breen in good form Kilkenny went in at half-time with a 0-12 to 0-8 lead.
Slipped behind
Kilkenny picked up in the second half where they had left off in the first, Larkin shooting a point inside 30 seconds. He added another, with Colin Fennelly also getting in on the act as Dublin slipped seven points behind.
The Dubs were left facing a strong challenge, but rose to it. Points from Danny Sutcliffe and Ryan got them up and running, their charge gathering pace when Ryan goaled from a free after 43 minutes.
The Dublin supporters smelled a comeback, but their hopes were quickly snuffed out. Three points from Larkin (all frees), two from Colin Fennelly and one by Brennan meant Kilkenny had surged into an eighht-point lead with little over quarter of an hour to play.
Dublin refused to throw in the towel, but Kilkenny coped with the threat. Late points from Larkin and sub Aidan Fogarty earned them the spoils.
KILKENNY: D Herity; T Keogh, M Walsh, J Tyrrell; B Kennedy, T Walsh, D Langton; C Fogarty, P Walsh (0-1); J Brennan (0-3), C Fennelly (0-4), E Larkin (0-11, 0-9 frees, 0-1 65); JJ Farrell, M Kelly (0-1), T Breen (0-2). Subs: A Fogarty (0-2) for P Walsh (47 mins), P Murphy for Langton (56 mins), L Ryan for Breen (66 mins).
DUBLIN: A Nolan (0-1, free); C O'Callaghan, P Kelly, J Dougan; S Hiney, C McCormack, J Boland (0-1, 65); S Durkin, J McCaffrey; C Keaney, R O'Dwyer, C Cronin; P Ryan (1-4, 1-3 frees), D O'Callaghan (0-2), M Schutte (0-6). Subs: D Sutcliffe (0-1) for McCaffrey (35 mins), S Timlin for Dougan (35 mins), E Dillon (0-1) for Ryan (50 mins), M Quilty (0-1) for Durkin (50 mins), P Winters for O'Dwyer (63 mins).
Referee: D Hughes (Carlow).
