GAELIC GAMES:Kilkenny started well yesterday and – ominously for everyone else – they showed from early on an intent that hadn't been seen for a while, writes NICKY ENGLISH

THE GOAL Kilkenny got just after Dublin’s was the epitome of the afternoon. No sooner had they conceded the deflected goal off Paul Ryan’s free than they went the length of the field and Richie Power, who was outstanding this time as a creator rather than finisher, could have taken a handy point but instead picked out Michael Rice galloping through and made sure they got the goal.

Kilkenny were in control of this from early on. They started superbly and were five up little more than 10 minutes into the game. More ominously for everyone else they showed from early on an intent that hadn’t been seen for a while.

After the league final defeat by Dublin we wondered what was the problem for Kilkenny: hunger, desire, discipline or whatever. It’s clear now there was nothing more to their difficulties than the absence of key leaders. With them back, any suspected problems look to have been resolved.

Tommy Walsh was outstanding, Brian Hogan showed what a loss he was at centre back and Power and Henry Shefflin in attack were commanding.

Shefflin showed he’s fully recovered from his second cruciate operation. He was nearly faultless from placed balls and contributed greatly in play. The promising signs from the Wexford semi-final were confirmed and they never looked in any trouble.

They dominated in particular on their half-back line where Walsh and Hogan were really strong and together with Michael Fennelly in front they won great ball and laid it off superbly into the full forwards.

The only way back for Dublin was through goals and they were hardly able to threaten them apart from a couple of chances. Lambert missed a great opportunity just after half-time and David Herity had to scramble a ball off the line in the first half. Even the goal they did get from Paul Ryan’s free was a deflection off Noel Hickey.

Dublin’s touch wasn’t good either going for goal or in defence. Kilkenny on the other hand were sharp and took their chances, winning the game early and then playing within themselves.

Another problem for Dublin was the inability to win their own ball. Ryan O’Dwyer turned out to be a huge loss, as they weren’t able to get enough possession to put up the sort of points total they’ve been running up in previous matches and were over-reliant on frees.

I said before the match that Dublin’s scarcity of goals was the result of the development phase they’re going through when goals don’t come as easily, but looking at yesterday I don’t think they’re set up to optimise goal-scoring opportunities. What ball they could get through was being driven to the corners and even if a player’s going to win it there, he’s a lot of work to do if he’s going to get in for a shot on goal.

Paul Ryan won one high ball at full forward in the second half but otherwise the attacks were being sent out to the corners. If Dublin are going to get goals they’ll need to develop a more orthodox and direct approach with someone like Liam Rushe up there who can win ball in the air. The defence was also in trouble. Oisín Gough struggled on Colin Fennelly, John McCaffrey on Shefflin and, as suspected, Joey Boland wasn’t able to get straight back into his game after the shoulder injury, which meant Power was running the show from centre forward from an early stage.

This was a big defeat, which may set Dublin back a bit because they’re now going into a quarter-final against a team that’s won a couple of matches on the bounce. Ryan O’Dwyer will be back and they’ll also need Joey Boland fully recovered.

They lost their shape and pattern very early and I’d worry that their high level of fitness throughout the league might be leaving them a bit tired at this stage of the year. It will be a big task for Anthony Daly to keep them focused and convinced that there’s still more for them in this year’s championship.

Two years ago they set out to lose to Kilkenny by as little as possible but ambitions have to be higher than that. When you take everything that’s happened in between out of it, Dublin have gone from one double-digit defeat by Kilkenny last year to another this year.

In their defence they’re missing their central spine at the back, Tomás Brady and Boland, as well as their captain Stephen Hiney and the man of the match in the league final, O’Dywer. David Treacy who was excellent in this match two years ago but has been very injury-prone since is also out.

No team can afford to be without that number of significant players. Kilkenny couldn’t in the league final and Dublin couldn’t yesterday. That’s not much however for Dublin to take out of a Leinster final.

Kilkenny’s performance cast last year in an interesting light. They went into last September’s All-Ireland final without Brian Hogan at centre back and his replacement struggling with serious injury. Henry Shefflin wasn’t fit to play more than a few minutes and Tommy Walsh was playing with a shoulder injury.

Now they have all of those key players back. Paul Murphy’s a newcomer this season and he did exceptionally well in the full-back line having switched there after the semi-final in Wexford. The improvement didn’t totally prove that there’s nothing wrong with the full-back line given how little goal threat Dublin were able to muster but Murphy lived up to expectations.

Saturday’s matches went as expected. It was always going to be difficult for Clare and Galway showed that there’s life in them yet, capitalising on the goal chances that Clare are in the habit of coughing up.

Limerick showed they’re in development and still improving. I believe that the draw for them in the next round of the qualifiers wasn’t that advantageous for them though. They’re a coming team and they would have gotten more out of beating Cork, which I think they would have been well capable of doing, than beating Antrim.