St Kieran's of Kilkenny enjoyed a comfortable win over the 10-school selection of the Dublin Colleges in the Leinster Colleges senior hurling final at Carlow yesterday. The result was inevitable from midway through the second half as St Kieran's built up a 10-point advantage and slipped into cruising speed.

The composite Dublin side got as close as five points to the Kilkenny side in the last quarter, but never looked likes pegging their opponents back.

The Kilkenny attack was led by Eoin Kelly, a native of Mulinahone in Tipperary, and he contributed 1-4 from wing forward. The moment Kelly got possession a score seemed imminent, either for himself or a better-placed colleague.

Kelly pulled on a James Moran centre to give St Kieran's their first goal after 11 minutes. Erratic shooting, resulting in eight first-half wides, saw St Kieran's make heavy weather of turning their territorial advantage into account.

Just on half-time, Patrick Reid whipped home a great goal to give a clearer reflection of the run of play. The score was 2-3 to 0-4 at the interval.

St Kieran's were even more anxious to confirm their superiority and by the time the second half was barely six minutes old they had stretched the lead to 10 points.

St Kieran's: J Power; M Phelan, M Og Kennedy, B Griffin; T Murphy, D Walsh, P O'Brien; H Gannon, J Coogan (0-1); E Kelly (1-4 one free), G Whelan, J Moran (0-1); B Carroll (0-4), D Dowling (0-3), P Reid (1-0). Subs: S Hennessy (1-0) for Coogan (37 mins), N Skeehan for P Reid (47 mins).

Dublin Colleges: A de Faoite; B Manning, C McCafferty, E Cullen; G Bennett, S MacGiobuin (0-1), D Markey; L O hEineachain (0-2), D Henry (0-1); W McCarthy (0-6, four frees), D Russell, E McInerney; T Quinn, M Thompson, D Heffernan (1-0). Subs: G Joyce (0-1) for Quinn.

Referee: P Ahearne (Carlow).