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Kilkenny book their place

LEINSTER MHC/Kilkenny 2-13 Dublin 0-9: TWO FIRST-half goals helped Kilkenny defeat Dublin at Nowlan Park on Saturday and book…

Mon May 03 2010 - 01:00

LEINSTER MHC/Kilkenny 2-13 Dublin 0-9:TWO FIRST-half goals helped Kilkenny defeat Dublin at Nowlan Park on Saturday and book their place in the Leinster semi-finals. The home side raised the first green flag after 11 minutes when lively forward Ger Aylward controlled a John Power cross and gave goalkeeper Eamonn Dillon no chance from point-blank range.

That strike, coming on the back of points from Ollie Walsh, Power (65) and captain Cillian Buckley, gave Kilkenny a lead they would never lose (1-3 to 0-1).

They continued to strike a rich vein of form in attack, with Aylward (three) and Brian Kennedy firing over some good points. Dublin were limited to just four first-half scores – all frees, scored by Dean Flood (two) and Cillian Moffat (two) – but they were left facing an uphill task when Thomas O’Hanrahan grabbed Kilkenny’s second goal in first-half injury-time after a good team move started by centre-back Luke Harney (2-7 to 0-4).

Kilkenny continued to work hard after the interval. By the 40th minute they were firmly in control, as scores from Walsh, Aylward, Buckley and substitute Richie Reid left them well clear on a score of 2-11 to 0-5. Dublin had to wait until the 46th minute for their first score from play from Danny Sutcliffe but they could not break down Kilkenny’s defence.

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KILKENNY: D Walsh, J Corcoran, W Phelan, P Walsh, O McGrath, L Harney, B Kennedy (0-1), C Buckley (0-2), O Walsh (0-2, 0-1 free), K Kelly, G Aylward (1-4), D Waugh, T O’Hanrahan (1-0), J Power (0-1, 65), P Buggy. Subs: M Brennan (0-2) for Waugh (31 mins); R Reid (0-1) for Buggy (34 mins); S Bergin for O’Hanrahan (49 mins); S Farrell for Aylward (56 mins); R Lennon for McGrath (58 mins).

DUBLIN: E Dillon, C Murphy, C Moffat (0-3, frees), S McClelland, C Crummey, G Cronan, J Breen, N Maguire, R Hardy, D Kelly, C Kilkenny, G Whelan (0-1), E O Conghaile, D Sutcliffe (0-1), D Flood (0-3, frees). Subs: E McKenna for Hardy (10 mins); B Quinn for Breen (31 mins); J Hetherton (0-1, free) for O Conghaile (41 mins); A Clabby for Kelly (49 mins); D Forde for Flood (56 mins).

Referee: P Murphy (Carlow).