Sport

BY NIALL SHERRY SPORTS EDITOR SPORTSEDITORKILKENNYOBSERVER.IE

Leinster SHC Round 4: UPMC Nowlan Park

Kilkenny 0-27

Dublin 0-21 e standout headline from the game was TJ Reid brie y moving ahead of Patrick Horgan in the championship scoring stakes. e Shamrocks Ballyhale man is quite simply phenomenal, one of the very best in hurling history, but like this Cats team, TJ is all about the here and now. ere was one change to the starting XV that hit 5-31 against the Sa rons last time out, with O’Loughlin’s Paddy Deegan coming in for Glenmore’s Alan Murphy in the engine room while Dublin had Paul Crummey and Sean Currie in for the injured Ronan Hayes and the dangerous Alex Considine. e Cats opened the scoring in the rst minute thanks to a free from TJ Reid and his nemesis on the Dublin side Donal Burke levelled matters a few minutes later, also from the placed ball. Na Fianna’s Sean Currie then did well to turnover the ball and move it to his No.10 Danny Sutcli e and the St Judes man red over a lovely point to give the visitors the lead. e opening exchanges were lively, with both sides bringing plenty of re to the contest. e lively Sutcli e was being as direct as possible when he was in possession and this approach lead the St Judes man winning a free o O’Loughlin’s Huw Lawlor and the accurate Donal Burke popped over the placed ball. e same duo combined a minute later, this time Sutcli e appeared to lose a boot before Galway whistler Liam Gordon awarded the men in blue a free. Again, Na Fianna’s Burke stood over the placed ball and split the posts to give his side a 3-point lead with 11 minutes gone in UPMC Nowlan Park. e home side needed a score to settle them down and one came a minute later from Mossy Keoghan. e Tullaroan man was inside the full-back line, was a goal on? e sensible decision was to take the point and Mossy did that from quite

Kilkenny ensure smooth progress to the All-Ireland series with a battling win over Dublin in UPMC Nowlan Park last Saturday. At the nal whistle there was 6 points between the sides and Derek Lyng & Co. will know that improvements will be required in all areas as the championship progresses.

Dublin were typically di cult opponents and made the home side work hard for their victory and this will have pleased their manager Micheál Donoghue, as he prepares to take on Henry’s Galway in Parnell this weekend. Our boys will make the trip to Chadwicks Wexford Park knowing that if they avoid defeat, a Leinster nal appearance and another battle with Mr. She in awaits.

All-Ireland Series place bagged as Dubs beaten