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Hurling

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D1A: Cats top table with handy win over Dublin

Padraig Walsh was immense for Kilkenny

Padraig Walsh was immense for Kilkenny

ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE D1A: KILKENNY 0-23 DUBLIN 1-14

By Paul Keane at Nowlan Park

Hurler of the Year TJ Reid led the way at Nowlan Park with 11 points as All-Ireland champions Kilkenny eased through to the Allianz league quarter-finals with the minimum of fuss.

A strong start in front of 8,871 put Brian Cody's side into a healthy position and they remained in pole position throughout to finish the Division 1A series of games as table toppers.

Walter Walsh and Richie Hogan impressed too with six points between them as the Cats secured their fourth win on the spin to guarantee themselves, on paper at least, an easier quarter-final tie.

Dublin are also through to the quarter-finals but will be frustrated to finish the group campaign with another dispiriting defeat. Boss Ger Cunningham had spoken of his delight with their consistency after wins over Galway, Cork and Waterford, having lost to Tipperary heavily in Round 1 though they were well beaten again here.

Kilkenny came into the encounter with three wins on the bounce since losing to holders Waterford in Round 1. They used that momentum to hit the ground running and surged 0-7 to 0-1 clear after 20 minutes.

It would have been a greater lead but for a concerning number of wides, 10 in the first-half alone. Dublin, in turn, hit 11 wides in the half, mostly from long range efforts, and 16 wides in the overall 70 minutes.

Padraig Walsh was terrific for Kilkenny and aside from clearing tonnes of ball from the half-back line picked off two fine points. TJ Reid scored six points in the first-half while Walter Walsh raised the roof with a great score from the right wing after a number of earlier misses.

Dublin were thrown a lifeline when Fionntan MacGib scored an excellent 22nd minute goal against the run of play after great work down the left by speedster Eamonn Dillon.

But it was only a momentary halt to Kilkenny's gallop and six more points without reply saw the Cats take a deserved 0-14 to 1-3 half-time lead.

Kilkenny moved nine points clear with half an hour remaining and continued to pick off the scores to keep a healthy distance between the sides in the run in.

Dublin did finish strong in the last 15 minutes and outscored Kilkenny by three points though they needed goals at that stage and none arrived.


**Scorers for Kilkenny: **TJ Reid 0-11 (6f), Richie Hogan 0-3, Walter Walsh 0-3, Padraig Walsh 0-2, Lester Ryan 0-2, John Power 0-1, Kieran Joyce 0-1 (1f).

Scorers for Dublin: David Treacy 0-5 (4f), Fionntan MacGib 1-1, Eamonn Dillon 0-3, Niall McMorrow 0-2, Mark Schutte 0-1, Johnny McCaffrey 0-1, Liam Rushe 0-1.

**KILKENNY: **Richie Reid; Jackie Tyrrell, Joey Holden, Brian Kennedy; Padraig Walsh, Kieran Joyce, Cillian Buckley; Lester Ryan, Diarmuid Cody; Walter Walsh, TJ Reid, James Maher; Jonjo Farrell, John Power, Richie Hogan. Subs: Michael Malone for Maher (61), Shane Prendergast for Tyrrell (61), Kevin Kelly for Malone (72).

DUBLIN: ​Gary Maguire; Eoghan O'Donnell, Cian O'Callaghan, Oisin Gough; Chris Crummey, Liam Rushe, Shane Barrett; Darragh O'Connell, Glenn Whelan; Colm Cronin, Niall McMorrow, David Treacy; Fionntan MacGib, Eamonn Dillon, Mark Schutte. Subs: Johnny McCaffrey for Whelan (29), Sean McGrath for Cronin (46), Sean Treacy for O'Connell (62).

**Referee: **John Keenan (Wicklow)