Minor hurlers select side for clash with Cats

Dublin's minor hurlers face Kilkenny in their Leinster MHC (U17) Tier 1 opener on Saturday in Nowlan Park, Kilkenny (4.0).

Last year the counties met twice in the championship with Kilkenny winning the group game before the Dubs won the Leinster final later in the summer.

The young Dubs, who are managed by Mike Connolly, who also took charge last year, are grouped in Tier 1 with Offaly and Wexford as well as Kilkenny.

The Tier 1 teams progress to last-eight at least with the top two heading straight into the semi-finals and the bottom two the quarter-finals.

Dublin will be captained by Thomas Davis' Adam Waddick.

DUBLIN (MHC v Kilkenny)

1 EOIN O’CONNOR Fingallians

2 CONOR BURKE St Mark’s

3 DAVY CROWE Kilmacud Crokes

4 TOMMY O’BRIEN Clontarf

5 RYAN MALONE Cuala

6 ADAM WADDICK Thomas Davis

7 CIAN O CATAHSAIGH Kilmacud Crokes

8 CONAL Ó TUATHAILL Cuala

9 COLM WALSH Lucan Sarsfields

10 BEN McSWEENEY St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh

11 CONOR MURRAY Castlenock

12 DARRAGH KENNY Ballyboden St Enda’s

13 CHARLIE KEHER Lucan Sarsfields

14 LUKE SWAN Castlenock

15 BRENDAN SCANLON Kilmacud Crokes

Subs

16 AARON LACEY Fingallians

17 JOE FLANNAGAN Naomh Barrog

18 ANDREW KEEGAN Clontarf

19 JAMES O’BRIEN Faughs

20 MARK MURPHY Raheny

21 EVIN DOWLING Lucan Sarsfields

22 TOM BRENNAN Na Fianna

23 DARA PURCELL Kilmacud Crokes

24 TOM GLEESON Na Fianna

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Dublin and Kilkenny's minor hurlers served up two superb championship clashes last summer and this Saturday's Leinster MHC opener promises to be an entertaining duel once again.

This year's Dublin minor hurling panel contains a number of 'veterans' of last year including Colm Walsh (Lucan Sarsfields), Conor Murray, Luke Swan (both Castleknock), Conal O'Toole (Cuala) and Ben McSweeney (St Oliver Plunkett's/Eoghan Ruadh).

Last year Dublin opened and closed their Leinster MHC campaign with games against Kilkenny - losing their Tier 1 Round 1 clash against the Cats in Parnell Park (3-23 to 4-12), before then recording victories over Laois, Wexford (both in Tier 1 Group phase), Antrim (Leinster quarter-final) and Wexford again (Leinster semi-final) before defeating Kilkenny (6-19 to 7-12) in the Leinster MHC final in O'Moore Park, Portlaoise.

Here we look back to last summer and both those clashes against Kikenny.

2018 LEINSTER MHC FINAL

O'MOORE PARK, PORTLAOISE: Saturday, June 30

DUBLIN 6-19 KILKENNY 7-12

What an incredible game. Dublin were crowned Leinster minor hurling champions when they defeated Kilkenny by four points in a thrilling goal-fest in O'Moore Park, Portlaoise.

Remarkably Dublin trailed by seven points inside six minutes following Kilkenny goals from George Murphy and Killian Hogan but then the young Dubs found their feet in spectacular fashion to score three goals in a two-minute spell.

Liam Dunne, Luke Swan, following good work by Ciarán Foley, and Conor Murray all struck for goals and with Donal Leavy, Dunne and Murray tagging on points Mike Connolly's lads assumed the driving seat.

However, Kilkenny rallied before the break and goals from Cian Kenny and Cathal O'Leary, late in the opening half, edged the black and amber into a 4-8 to 3-10 interval lead.

Typical of this classic the pendulum swung back the other way on the restart with Dublin claiming goals through sharpshooters Liam Dunne and Luke Swan.

Seven minutes into the second-half Castleknock's Luke Swan completed his hat-trick, his second of the Leinster MHC campaign and his first also came against Kilkenny - in the opening game of the Tier 1 round-robin section.

On that occasion Swan also tallied 3-1 but the Cats were on the winning side of another high scoring thriller, 3-23 to 4-12.

Last Saturday Dublin led by 10 points as the game went into the second added minute of injury-time with the Cats giving the Dubs a late scare with two goals, from Conor Kelly and sub Jack Buggy, to close the gap but the Dublin held on to lift the Hanrahan Cup as Leinster MH champions for the 16th time.

SCORERS – Dublin: L Dunne 2-8 (0-6f, 0-1 ‘65’), L Swan 3-1, C Murray 1-2, D Purcell (0-1f), C Foley 0-3 each, D Leavy, P Christie 0-1 each. Kilkenny: Conor Kelly 2-3 (0-3f), C O’Leary 1-2, Cian Kenny, G Murphy 1-1 each, K Hogan, J Buggy 1-0 each, D Maher, C Brennan 0-2 each, E Guilfoyle 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: J Lambert; K Byrne, E Carney, F Murphy; C Hogan, I Ó hEithir, A O’Neill; D Leavy, D Power; C Foley, P Christie, C Murray; L Dunne, L Swan, D Purcell. Subs: C Walsh for Hogan (22), S Fenton for Murray (44), A O’Toole for Christie (53).

KILKENNY: J Brennan; J Young, P Dempsey, J Harkin; C Rudkins, S Staunton, H Walsh; D Maher, Conor Kelly; C O’Leary, C Brennan, Cian Kenny; E Guilfoyle, G Murphy, K Hogan. Subs: P Moylan for Walsh (ht), J Buggy for Hogan (42), J Morrissey for Guilfoyle (46), J Doyle for O’Leary (53), D Crehan for Harkin (60).

LEINSTER MHC TIER 1 ROUND 1

PARNELL PARK: Sunday, May 13

KILKENNY 3-23 DUBLIN 4-12

A late scoring flurry from Kilkenny saw them take the honours in this Leinster MHC round-robin clash at Parnell Park.

Luke Swan hit a hat-trick of goals for the Dubs but it wasn’t enough as the Cats through Conor Kelly, who finished with a tally of 0-14 (12f), scored a goal and five points down the straight to run out victors.

Swan gave Dublin a great start with an early goal but Kilkenny battled back and a Cathal O’Leary goal for the visitors moved them in front by the midpoint of the opening half.

By the break Kilkenny were 2-10 to 2-7 in front after Swan had added a second goal for the Dubs with George Murphy tagging on Kilkenny’s second three-pointer.

With five minutes remaining Dublin goals from Liam Dunne and Swan left the game evenly balance, 4-12 to 2-15.

However, a superb Ciarán Brennan goal ignited Kilkenny’s late scoring flurry with the clinical Kelly hitting five unanswered points in-a-row to seal victory.

SCORERS - Kilkenny: C Kelly 0-14 (0-12f), C Brennan 1-3 (0-1f), G Murphy 1-2, C O’Leary 1-1, J Morrissey 0-2, C Kenny 0-1. Dublin: L Swan 3-1, L Dunne 1-7 (0-5f, 0-1 ’65’), D Purcell 0-2, A O’Neill, P Christie 0-1 each.

KILKENNY: J Brennan; P Dempsey, J Young, J Harkin; S Staunton, P Moylan, H Walsh; C Kenny, C Kelly; D Maher, C Brennan, J Morrissey; C O’Leary, G Murphy, K Hogan. Sub: E Guilfoyle for Hogan (46).

DUBLIN: J Lambert; K Byrne, C Hogan, T Cullen; E Carney, A O’Neill, I O hEithir; D Leavy, D Power; D McLoughney, P Christie, C Foley; L Dunne, L Swan, D Purcell. Subs: F Murphy for Cullen (ht), C Murray for McLoughney (36), A O’Toole for Foley (44), S Fenton for Purcell (57).