Dublin fall as the empire strikes back

GAELIC GAMES:EOIN LARKIN'S shot was probably a touch higher than it should have been and yet it wasn't a bad shot. It needed a save out of Gary Maguire in the Dublin goal that was good enough to make him entitled to feel a little better about a day where three had already gone past him and a fourth was in the post.

Yet with 20 minutes to go and a full 10 points between the teams, Maguire’s save from Larkin bought the Kilkenny forward an earful from his manager on the sideline. Brian Cody is principled when it comes to these matters. No point in the empire striking back if it’s going to make nice about it.

Kilkenny barrelled through Dublin yesterday, taking their seventh Leinster title in a row and their 13th in the last 14 years. They did it by 4-17 to 1-15 and were full value for the numbers. They set their own tempo and issued their own terms for Dublin to try to match, a task that proved a distance beyond the reach of the league champions.

“No excuses,” said Anthony Daly. “They were more powerful than us. They haven’t been beaten too often when they’ve played like that.”

No indeed. This was a cold reminder that Kilkenny have just about everybody’s number when they hit this gear. On their best day with their most bountiful pick, Dublin would have needed every breath to keep pace.

But on a day like yesterday when they were short a few bodies and Kilkenny could shuttle Henry Shefflin, Tommy Walsh, Richie Power and Michael Fennelly back into a selection that had been without all four in the league final, there was every chance they’d end up as roadkill.

That they did was down to the fact that Kilkenny played as though it was their first final. This was Shefflin’s 12th Leinster medal and yet he bucked around the place like an eager kid just out of minor.

He finished the day with 1-9 against his name – making it at least one goal in every championship since 1999 – but it was one of those games where it nearly feels a little crass to measure his worth on the scoreboard. He laid on scores, linked up play out around midfield, even got into a jawing match with Daly on the sideline after half an hour – an encounter that met with much ferment in the Lower Hogan.

By that point, Kilkenny were 2-6 to 0-5 up, their goals coming from Larkin and a livewire Colin Fennelly. Just short of half-time, a brilliant clawing save from David Herity just kept out what would have been a messy Dublin goal and prevented the margin being reduced to just three points. Had it crossed the line, Dublin would have been within a puck of the ball coming up to half-time. As it was, Kilkenny extended their lead to nine points at the break.

Dublin came out with a touch more vim in the second half but still couldn’t manage much more than bringing Kilkenny into view on the horizon. The one time they threatened to make a game of it, Paul Ryan’s 57th-minute goal was answered with one from Michael Rice not 30 seconds later.

It put nine points between the sides again before most people had time to realise the gap had been cut to six. The ruthlessness, the sheer Codyness of it was a sight to see.

“We are what we are and we have what we have and we try to get the best out of all our players,” Cody said. “We got a good bit out of ourselves today.”

They did. And everyone saw them do it. They’re maybe not back in fee-fi-fo-fum territory yet but they might not be far away either. The idea that Kilkenny will improve for the run should make for some uncomfortable nights across the rest of the hurling land.