Positive signs as Kilkenny Under 19's score impressive win over Dublin

Kilkenny claimed their opening victory of the Under-19 Development League when running out decisive winners over Dublin in the MW Hire Training Centre at Dunmore on Friday night.

A hat-trick from Mooncoin forward Robbie Doherty was the highlight of the evening as the Cats came out on top in a contest that was played in deplorable conditions.

Matthew Ruth’s Kilkenny outfit came into the contest on the back of an opening day defeat to Westmeath but they gave an improved showing here that shows plenty of promise for the future.

The named team included a number of last year’s minor side that reached the All-Ireland Final with a nice mixture of lads who have also competed well at schools level in recent weeks and they looked the much sharper outfit with Dublin’s short passing style coming undone on more than one occasion.

While it’s a development competition, Kilkenny are the defending champions and they would have bee eager to get a win on the board and while the game was scrappy for periods, it proved to be a great workout for the home side.

It was a decent opening to the contest with Robbie Doherty and Eoghan Brennan sharing the first two points before Kilkenny began to get a stranglehold on the game.

Successive efforts from Colm Treacy and David Barcoe arrived before Patrick Lacey took advantage of a wayward Dublin puckout to add another point as Kilkenny went into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead.

The Dublin response came via Oscar Brennan but that score was quickly cancelled out by a fine Sam Hayes effort from distance.

The first real goal opportunity was then created by the Cats as Sean Deely found Colm Treacey in space and while the Thomastown speedster raced away from the Dublin cover, his effort was well dealt with by John Mooney between the sticks.

The Dubs then brought the deficit down to the minimum when they converted back to back efforts from play via Lorcan Doolin and Cathal Barrett but they were unable to build on it with Kilkenny outscoring them 1-4 to 0-0 before the interval.

Further scores from play by first half sub Anthony Clifford, David Barcoe and Colm Treacy extended the breathing space on the scoreboard before Dicksboro star Patrick Lacey opened his account with a well taken free.

Lacey really came into his own at the end of the half as he set up clubmate Mikey Stynes to blast the ball to the net on the cusp of the half-time whistle as Kilkenny led 1-9 to 0-4 at the break.

While the first 30 minutes took their time to come to life and were scrappy at different stages, there was more of a ‘shackles off’ attacking mindset from both teams upon the resumption.

A Cathal Barrett point initially got Dublin off the mark but Kilkenny’s free-scoring threat in the forwards soon told once again with Patrick Lacey converting a pair of frees before the Noresiders had their second goal in the 39th minute when Robbie Doherty drilled a shot to the net.

Dublin free-taker Eoghan Brennan was one of the Sky Blue’s better performers on the night and he kept his team in touch with a number of placed ball efforts while he also saw a 21 yard free blocked over.

Kilkenny always looked in a degree of control however and after that little mini spurt from Dublin, there was a rapid reply with points from Patrick Lacey, Donnchadh Hennessy and Louis Raggett.

Dublin then gave rise to the possibility of a comeback when Fionn Daly goaled on the back of a great Eoghan Brennan run and it kickstarted a chaotic final few minutes of action.

With the gap back to eight points, the Cats rattled through the gears, with Robbie Doherty getting the ball rolling as he netted his second goal of the game before Colm Treacey, Bill O’Shea, John Fitzpatrick and Zac Scanlon all split the posts.

The side from the capital kept plugging away with Fionn Daly and Ryan Murphy extending their tally though they were soon on the backfoot once more when Doherty ran forward and sealed his hat-trick when hitting the target from a difficult angle as he showcased his ability in an excellent individual performance that had the Dublin defence on notice throughout the second period.

Before the final whistle was called both Doherty and Michael Keane knocked over further points and while Eoghan Brennan rounded off the scoring with a Dublin goal, the result was very much in the bag at that stage as Kilkenny ran out 4-21 to 2-11 victors at the end of a hugely entertaining affair.

All in all a good outing for Matthew Ruth’s side in a game that had a decent crowd in attendance and the team will finish off the group stages when they travel to meet Wexford in St Peter’s College this Saturday morning in what will be a repeat of the final from last year which saw Kilkenny claim the spoils.

Teams and Scorers

Kilkenny - Robbie Doherty (3-2); Patrick Lacey (0-5, 0-4 frees); Colm Treacy (0-4); Mikey Stynes (1-0); David Barcoe (0-2); Sam Hayes, Donnchadh Hennessy, Anthony Clifford, Louis Raggett, John Fitzpatrick, Zac Scanlon, Bill O’Shea, Michael Keane (0-1 each).

Dublin - Eoghan Brennan (1-4, 0-4 frees); Fionn Daly (1-1); Cathal Barrett (0-2); Oscar Brennan, Lorcan Doolin, Conall Cristeoir, Ryan Murphy (0-1 each).

Kilkenny - Conor O’Sullivan (Erin’s Own); Conor Brophy (Erin’s Own), Jerry Henderson (Fenians), Bill O’Shea (Dicksboro); Sean Deely (James Stephens), David Barcoe (Clara), Mikey Rohan (Carrickshock); Sam Hayes (Danesfort), Donnchadh Hennessy (Dicksboro); Bill McDermott (James Stephens), Mikey Stynes (Dicksboro), Darragh Coverdale (Danesfort); Colm Treacy (Thomastown), Patrick Lacey (Dicksboro), Robbie Doherty (Mooncoin).

Subs: Anthony Clifford (Dicksboro), Louis Raggett (Dicksboro), John Fitzpatrick (Shamrocks Ballyhale), Michael Keane (St Martin’s), Zac Scanlon (James Stephens).

Dublin - John Mooney; Victor Hennessy, Joe Barker, Colm McCabe; Mark Byrne, Odhran McGuckin, James Neary; Eoghan Brennan, Justin Kelly; Darragh Meagher, Lorcan Doolin, Cathal Barrett; Fionn Daly, Oscar Brennan, Ryan Murphy.

Subs: James Ryan, Conall Cristeoir, James Dunphy.

Referee - Brian Fox.