Wicklow have set up a showdown with Kerry on March 28th following this 16-point win at Aughrim yesterday.

The result of yesterday's game was always predictable, but Wicklow will not be all that happy with their performance, especially as Kerry were beating a much stronger London by 3-14 to 0-4 at the same time. Kilkenny slowed the pace of the game in the second half against the wind and Wicklow never really found their rhythm. The home side shot 11 wides in the second half while only adding eight points to their total, half of them coming from Darren Coffey frees.

Kilkenny failed to score in the second half while their three first-half points came from corner forward John Phelan from frees, including the opening point of the match after two minutes. Wicklow went on to lead by 1-8 to 0-3 at the break, the goal coming on 13 minutes from corner forward Keith Byrne after wing forward Damien McMahon had done all the spadework. But then 11 minutes later, McMahon missed a "sitter" of a chance, blasting wide from close range after he had been set up for the goal opportunity by Keith Byrne's precision cross.

WICKLOW: T Murphy; R Doyle, TJ Molloy, M Coffey; B Whelan, B O'Donovan, B O hAnnaidh; D Coffey, (0-6), F Daly; D McMahon (0-2), R Coffey (0-1), T Doyle (0-1); K Byrne (1-1), K O'Brien (0-2), C Daye (0-3).

KILKENNY: F O'Neill; J Gaule, L Kenny, G Campion; J Lonergan, E Roche, M Dunne; P Brennan, R Mullally; P Carroll, P Mullally, C Connolly; J Phelan (0-3), J Murphy, M Gordon. Subs: P Buggy for P Carroll; S Hennessy for M Dunne.

Referee: E Whelan, Laois.