Sport

Wasteful Kilkenny still well pleased

Kilkenny 3-18; Dublin 0-8:  By any yardstick it was a far from perfect performance but still Kilkenny ended up 19 point winners…

Mon Apr 08 2002 - 01:00

Kilkenny 3-18; Dublin 0-8:  By any yardstick it was a far from perfect performance but still Kilkenny ended up 19 point winners and in the semi-finals of the National Hurling League.

Poor Dublin offered little or no resistance at a sunny Nowlan Park yesterday. The home team shot 13 wides during the opening period and were still good enough to lead by 0-11 to 0-4 at the break.

"During the first half we were a bit unsure, but the result and a place in the semi-finals will do us nicely," admitted Kilkenny manager Brian Cody. "We are very interested in the league and we would be delighted if we can win it."

If Cody was pleased, his Dublin counterpart Kevin Fennelly was bitterly disappointed. He described the Dublin performance as "disastrous" and "the worst he had seen".

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"I can offer no excuse, but this was bitterly disappointing," Fennelly admitted.

Dublin had the opening score from Pat Maguire. Brian Dowling posted a reply before Pat Tennyson earned the winners the lead in the fifth minute and they led all the way home.

Despite their poor shooting Kilkenny built up a 0-11 to 0-4 interval lead with Martin Comerford shooting four scores and Eddie Brennan three.

When Martin Comerford netted in the 40th minute to stretch the difference to 1-12 to 0-5, the Cats looked assured of a semi-final because Galway were struggling against Meath. When Henry Shefflin netted in the 51st minute to swell the difference to 2-15 to 0-5, Kilkenny's big day was sealed and delivered.

KILKENNY: J McGarry; M Kavanagh (0-1), N Hickey, P Larkin; R Mullally, P Barry, E Kennedy; D Lyng, P Tennyson (0-1), J Hoyne (0-2), H Shefflin (2-0), E Brennan (0-7), B Dowling, (0-2), M Comerford (1-4), S Grehan. Subs: JJ Ryan for McGarry (h-t); P Sheehan (0-1) for Grehan (48 mins), A Cummins for Mullally (54), S Byrne for Tennyson (55), K Rafter for Dowling (62)

DUBLIN: B McLoughlin; P Brennan, S Perkins, D O'Reilly; K Ryan, L Ryan, S Hurley; T Moore, K Meehan; D Sweeney (0-1), K Flynn, C Keaney, P Maguire (0-1), D Curtin (0-3), S O'Neill (0-1). Subs: C Wilson (0-1) for O'Neill (44 mins), D de Paor (0-1) for Moore (46), J Cullen for Maguire (52), J Lawlor for Meehan (54).

Referee: B Kelly (Westmeath)