Leinster SHC: Dublin claim their first win of the campaign

​Leinster SHC Round 2

Dublin 3-24 Kildare 1-19

By Paul Keane at Parnell Park

It took Dublin a little while to get up and running but when last year's All-Ireland SHC semi-finalists eventually found their groove, they showed all their class.

Niall Ó Ceallacháin's Dubs opened up with their very best hurling in the 10 or so minutes before half time, reeling off nine unanswered points in that period to swing the momentum their way in what had been a tight encounter.

Truth be told, there was never any great intrigue around who would win after that burst of scoring and when Fergal Whitely scored his second goal of the game in the 45th minute, allied to another for lively substitute David Purcell, that was pretty much that.

Kildare rejoined the Leinster SHC last weekend after a 22-year absence and were highly competitive against Wexford before running out of gas late on.

They were in this one for around 25 minutes before being overwhelmed by a Dublin side that drew with Offaly in Round 1.

Dublin had 13 different scorers in all, including free-taker Donal Burke, who struck 0-7, and dominant midfielder Conor Donohoe who sniped four points from play.

The standard will inevitably rise for the Sky Blues in Round 3 when they face Wexford, away, while Joe McDonagh Cup holders Kildare will have home advantage against Galway.

There was a significant appearance from the bench for Dublin by Liam Rushe who last featured for his county in 2022.

Both sides made late changes to their lineups with Caolán Smith making his first start of the year for Kildare, the only change to the team that pushed Wexford hard in Newbridge.

Dublin, meanwhile, may have been playing a mind game or two initially. Rushe, recently recalled to the panel after four years in retirement, stood in with the XV for the national anthem.

But when the game actually began he joined the subs with goalkeeper Eddie Gibbons, defender John Bellew and attacker Burke the players that actually came into the team.

Dublin scored the first three points and opened up an early 0-4 to 0-1 lead but as their wides mounted up - they struck eighth in the first half and dropped three attempts short - Kildare gained a foothold.

In fact, with 16 minutes on the clock, the visitors led by 0-5 to 0-4 thanks in the main to three points from Jack Sheridan, who ended up striking 1-10 in total.

Whitely's 17th minute goal, an ugly enough score when he bundled the ball in at the second time of asking, looked like it might get the Dubs going.

But they still struggled for another 10 minutes to break down a resolute Kildare side that put together some tasty attacks.

At that stage, the scores were tied at 1-6 to 0-9 and Kildare were purring.

But they didn't score again until the 40th minute as Dublin took complete control until half time, reeling off nine points in a row to lead by 1-15 to 0-9.

John Hetherton suddenly came alive after a quiet start, clipping three from play and Donohoe finished the half with four points.

The score of the half came in the 32nd minute when Brian Hayes slipped a reverse hand-pass to Burke beneath the main stand and the Na Fianna man converted from distance.

Kildare looked overwhelmed in all sectors and slipped 16 points behind in the final quarter as Dublin upped the ante.

The hosts got some real punch from the bench with Purcell excellent and there was 1-3 in total from subs.

Sheridan pulled back a Kildare goal in the 62nd minute when he rifled to the roof of the net from close range and he had an opportunity for a second in the 70th minute but winced as his penalty was saved.

Dublin scorers: Donal Burke 0-7 (0-5f), Fergal Whitely 2-0, Conor Donohoe 0-4, David Purcell 1-0, John Hetherton 0-3, Cian O'Sullivan 0-2, Ronan Hayes 0-2, Chris Crummey 0-1, Dara Purcell 0-1, Darragh Power 0-1, Brian Hayes 0-1, Conor Burke 0-1, Conal O Riain 0-1

Kildare scorers: Jack Sheridan 1-10 (0-7f), Daire Guerin 0-3, Caolán Smith 0-2, Dan O'Meara 0-2, Muiris Curtin 0-1, Darragh Melville 0-1.

Dublin: Eddie Gibbons; Paddy Smyth, Eoghan O'Donnell, John Bellew; Chris Crummey, Paddy Doyle, Conor Burke; Brian Hayes, Conor Donohoe; Fergal Whitely, Donal Burke, Darragh Power; Dara Purcell, John Hetherton, Cian O'Sullivan.

Subs: David Purcell for Dara Purcell 41, Ronan Hayes for Hetherton 51, Liam Rushe for Crummey 53, Conal Ó Riain for O'Sullivan 55, Andy Dunphy for Bellew 66.

Kildare: Paddy McKenna; Simon Leacy, Rian Boran, Liam O'Reilly; Conan Boran, Paul Dolan, Dan O'Meara; Richy Hogan, Cathal McCabe; Jack Sheridan, Daire Guerin, David Qualter; Gerry Keegan, Muiris Curtin, Caolán Smith.

Subs: Alan Goss for Qualter 6, Tom Power for Curtin 40, Darragh Melville for Dolan 44, Jack Travers for Hogan 50, Tim Ryan for Goss 59.

Referee: Colm McDonald (Antrim).