Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Hurling Championship

DUBLIN 6-19 KILKENNY 7-12

A powerhouse performance saw the Dublin minor hurlers blast their way to their 16th Leinster title in a goal-fest at O’Moore Park.

Supporters were treated to 13 goals, but that figure proved unlucky for a Kilkenny side who had no answer to the scoring prowess of Luke Swan and Liam Dunne,

Between them the duo contributed a handsome 5-9 as Dublin stormed to victory in Portlaoise. They blasted home a goal apiece inside 60 seconds of the second half, scores that put them on the road to glory.

In a breathless first half the sides matched the searing temperature with some red-hot performances. Kilkenny exploded from the traps, storming into the lead with two goals in little over 60 seconds. George Murphy grabbed the first, forcing a loose sliotar over the line after five minutes before Killian Hogan raced on to a defence-splitting long ball and gave Jack Lambert no chance from close range.

At that stage the Cats were seven points to the good (2-3 to 0-2), but when Dublin found their form they were devastating. They too knew the way to goal, as Liam Dunne, Luke Swan and Conor Murray rattled the net in quick succession to edge Dublin ahead by the 10th minute (3-2 to 2-4).

The pace dipped a little after that, but the quality was as high as ever. It was advantage Kilkenny again when Conor Kelly released Cian Kenny racing away to drill the sliotar into the bottom right corner of the net (3-6 to 3-5). With Dunne leading the way Dublin went back in front, but were caught on the line when Cathal O’Leary kicked Kilkenny’s fourth goal in injury-time (4-8 to 3-10).

Dublin didn’t hang about in the second half, tearing away again with those goals from Dunne and Swan (5-10 to 4-9). Kilkenny didn’t yield, but every time they raised their game Dublin did the same. Conor Kelly drilled a long-range strike to the net in the 37th minute, making it a one-point game, but a Swan goal and three Dunne points gave Dublin a lead they would not lose (6-14 to 5-10).

Kilkenny kicked on, scoring late goals through Kelly and sub Jack Buggy, but the day belonged to Dublin.

Scorers for Dublin: Liam Dunne 2-8 (6fs, 165) Luke Swan 3-1, Conor Murray 1-2, Ciaran Foley, Dara Purcell 0-3 each, Donal Leavy, Pearce Christie 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kilkenny: Conor Kelly 2-3 (3fs), Cathal O’Leary 1-2, Cian Kenny, George Murphy 1-1 each, Killian Hogan, Jack Buggy 1-0 each, Darragh Maher, Ciaran Brennan 0-2 each, Eoin Guilfoyle 0-1.

DUBLIN: Jack Lambert; Kevin Byrne, Ciaran Hogan, Finn Murphy; Eoin Carney, Alex O’Neill, Iain O hEither; Donal Leavy, Darragh Power; Conor Murray, Pearce Christie, Ciaran Foley; Liam Dunne, Luke Swan, Dara Purcell.

Subs: Colm Walsh for Hogan (20), Seamus Fenton for Murray (44), Aaron O’Toole for Christie (53).

KILKENNY: Jason Brennan; Jamie Young, Padraig Dempsey, Jamie Harkin; Cillian Rudkins, Shane Staunton, Harry Walsh; Darragh Maher, Conor Kelly; Cathal O’Leary, Ciaran Brennan, Cian Kenny; Killian Hogan, George Murphy, Eoin Guilfoyle.

Subs: Padraic Moylan for Walsh (31), Jack Buggy for Hogan (41), Jack Morrissey for Guilfoyle (46), Jack Doyle for O’Leary (52), Dylan Crehan for Harkin (60).

REFEREE: Richie Fitzsimons (Offaly).