We went minute-by-minute and, as always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. Leave a comment below, tweet @thescore_ie, post a message to our Facebook wall.
Full-time: Dublin 0-9 Kilkenny 2-21
Man of the Match Richie Power said it wasn’t easy. It was about the only thing he got wrong all day and the only thing his county got wrong all day. It was more than easy, it was a massacre that was over after Dublin’s initial surge slowed the game down and made it heavy and hardy for just a few minutes.
Indeed the second half was merely about playing out time as the Kilkenny full-back and half-back lines lead by the superb Brian Hogan dominated. They were helped by Dublin’s tactics as the underdogs, who had talked the talk but couldn’t even crawl, consistently played in long, high and aimless ball to their forwards, even when it was clear it wasn’t working. And Dublin’s problems were added to by an inability to do the basics. It was that bad.
Four years after Anthony Daly took over they are as far as ever from an All Ireland title. As for Kilkenny, as always it’s theirs to lose and that doesn’t look likely on this evidence. They are only warming up. As per annual tradition, the rest have been warned by the very best.
17.13 – 13 minutes, Dublin 0-3 Kilkenny 0-3:Â Here’s the problem for Dublin. They have had a great start, Kilkenny have a trailing leg still stuck in the blocks yet they are level as Richie Hogan ties it up. It took a lot of work to craft the space for that score but it eventually opened up.
17.24 – 24 minutes, Dublin 0-4 Kilkenny 1-6: It’s heavy hitting and not particularly fast, but Kilkenny still finding a way through and it’s TJ Reid with a point. He is having a great game after a slow start on Joey Boland. Another one for Kilkenny, simple free for Henry Shefflin.
17.32 – 32 minutes, Dublin 0-5 Kilkenny 2-7:Â Rory Traynor on for Niall Corcoran but Dublin need to change their tactics because they are getting so few of the high balls that are being sent into their full-forward line in particular. Paul Ryan does get a free but they are struggling with the breeze and rain at their backs in open play. They just don’t have the fluidity, pace and vision of the opposition forwards.
17.35 – 35 minutes, Dublin 0-5 Kilkenny 2-9: Brian Hogan is dominating at six, not only on the back foot, but on the front foot too. He is behind the latest free as Henry Shefflin converts, and he’s one short of 500 now. If this keeps up he’ll get it on a winning day. And there it is, another free brings him to 500. Alan McCrabbe on for Conor McCormack as Dublin make their third sub. A sign of the trouble they are having across the park.
17.39 – Half-time, Dublin 0-6 Kilkenny 2-10: Shefflin and David Treacy swap scores but after all the talk, there’s only one side walking the walk. Dublin’s backs cannot contain the Kilkenny front six and there’s plenty of ball coming in with Brian Hogan in particular setting the tone at the back. Dublin really can’t keep pumping it in high and long or this is going to get worse for them. They’ve tried to use their physicality, but Kilkenny have held their own in that regard and been the more clever too with their body position in winning frees in the many heavyweight clashes across the pitch. We’ll be back after the break of a hugely one-sided game that promised a shock for no more than 10 minutes. And it’ll be Kilkenny with the elements at their backs for that second half.
18.15 – 57 minutes, Dublin 0-7 Kilkenny 2-18: Henry Shefflin free. Aidan Fogarty on in the middle of the field for Cillian Buckley. Matthew Ruth on too for Colin Fennelley.  Great double save from Gary Maguire, the highlight of Dublin’s afternoon. Granted, it’s all irrelevant at this stage.
18.24 – 67 minutes, Dublin 0-8 Kilkenny 2-20: Dublin like a wounded insect here. Only the referee’s whistle will put them out of their misery. And put us out of ours.
Comments (72 Comments)