The 'Cup may not have the same exciting attraction as years ago, but that did not take from the hard competitive edge which followers had come to expect.
The scoreline does not give Kilkenny full value for what was a battling performance. A try
with the last move of the game by Dundalk gave them a comfortable if somewhat exaggerated advantage in the end.
The true story was a lot different, however. Dundalk were glad to hear the final whistle because just before the
referee called a halt to the game they were defending their lines against a Kilkenny onslaught.
Kilkenny mounted the first attack, but its was Dundalk who had the first chance to score from a penalty. The effort from Gearoid McDonnell was off target.
No mistake
The visitors were back in the Kilkenny half quickly. This time they made no mistake. It was in the sixth minute and full back Stevie McGee was the man who provided the goods. He collected posession 35 metres from the Kilkenny line and he waltzed through the defence to score under the posts. McDonnell added the points.
In the 15th minute Conor O'Brien kicked a penalty for Kilkenny, but before the break McDonnell kicked two more penalties to give his team a 13-3 lead.
When McGee pounced on a Kilkenny mistake in the 49th minute to score a converted try the game looked lost. Then true to Kilkenny's nature, they drove on relentlessly and played some fine rugby.
As in many of their games this season, Kilkenny showed that when they want to play they can really play. In the 53rd minute Kilkenny were awarded a penalty. They decided to run the ball.
The momentum built up put Dundalk under severe pressure, but they managed to clear their lines. The clearence fell into the hands of Conor O'Brien. He set up a move which took play back to the Dundalk 22 metre
line.
Full-back Killian Everard took the ball on and passed to Mick O'Grady, whose power took him over the line to score a try in the corner. The conversion by Dave McMahon from close to the touchline sailed between the posts. Kilkenny were back in the game.
A drop goal by McMahon in the 70th minute brought his team close to the opposition, and when O'Brien kicked a penalty in the 73rd minute they were even closer. The game had taken a dramatic turn. The visitors were feeling the heat, and it was hard to bear.
Kilkenny piled on the pressure and gave it everything in a bid to find that winning score. With the match in injury
time McGee found a gap. He completed his hat trick of tries to snatch the ticket into round two for Dundalk.
No doubt Kilkenny will be disappointed. Again it was the early lapses of concentration which cost them dearly in the end.
