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Kilkenny make chances count

Hurling Walsh Cup semi-final: Kilkenny 0-13 Dublin 0-11 A failure to take chances proved costly for Dublin when they fell to…

Mon Feb 02 2004 - 00:00

Hurling Walsh Cup semi-final: Kilkenny 0-13 Dublin 0-11 A failure to take chances proved costly for Dublin when they fell to Kilkenny after injury-time in their Walsh Cup semi-final at Freshford yesterday.Points in the 87th and 89th minutes from John Maher and James Fitzpatrick earned Kilkenny a place in the final against UCD.

Dublin ran up a staggering 13 wides during the opening period when they had the opposition on the back foot.

Dublin's bad run began in the second minute when Kevin Flynn let a goal chance slip. Manus Breathnach then saw a well-struck shot come off an upright and in the 29th minute Shane Madden drove wide.

A 35th-minute point from Ronan Fallon divided the teams at the break when Dublin led by 0-5 to 0-4. Kilkenny drew level with a point from John Phelan just 30 seconds into the second half. An exchange of points followed before Dublin took up the running again and it took a late point from Michael Rice to get Kilkenny back level at nine points each at the end of normal time.

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The home side took the lead for the first time in the game within seconds of the restart when Fitzpatrick tapped over a free. The visitors claimed parity with a point from Ronan Fallon and another from Tommy Moore put them 0-11 to 0-10 ahead at the rest during injury time.

During the closing 10 minutes of extra time Kilkenny landed three scores without reply to book their passage into the final.

In the other semi-final, UCD beat Offaly by 2-7 to 1-6 in Birr on Saturday with Colm Ryan scoring both UCD's goals from frees in the first half. Damien Murray got a late consolation goal for the home team.

KILKENNY: P J Ryan; W Burke, K Coogan, J Ryall; R Mullally, E Mackey, J Tyrrell; P Mullally (0-2), P Tennyson; J Maher (0-2), C Phelan, J Coogan (0-3); A Fogarty (0-1), J Phelan (0-1), J Fitzpatrick (0-2). Subs: M Phelan for E Mackey (24 mins), G Joyce for Ryall (40 mins), W O'Dwyer (0-1) for J Coogan (53 mins), M Rice (0-1) for A Fogarty (54 mins).

DUBLIN: B McLoughlin; C Meehan, S Perkins, D Spain; D O'Reilly, S Hiney, K Ryan; D Sweeney (0-2), R Fallon (0-5); M Carton, L Ryan(0-1), S Martin; J McGuirk, M Breathnach, K Flynn (0-2). Subs: S Mullen for J McGuirk (36 mins), S Callinan for S Martin (36 mins), C O'Brien for C Meehan (36 mins), T Moore (0-1) for M Carton (43 mins), A Glennon for M Breathnach (57 mins), S Martin for A Glennon (76 mins), S Daly for D O'Reilly (77 mins).

Referee: Andy Stapleton (Laois).