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Dublin host Galway in the final round of the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, where a place in the provincial final is up for grabs this Sunday at Parnell Park (throw-in 2pm).
In what is virtually a Leinster semi-final in all but name, Dublin need to win this weekend to reach the provincial final, while our opponents can book their place in the decider with either a draw or a win, thanks to their superior score difference.
After making a great start to the Leinster championship, beating Offaly, Wexford and Antrim, Dublin were beaten by the reigning Leinster champions Kilkenny by four points last Sunday.
Cian O’Sullivan and Seán Currie helped Dublin keep pace with Kilkenny before two quickfire goals from the Cats from Adrian Mullen and Billy Ryan put daylight between the teams.
Darragh Power and Conor Donohoe responded for Dublin, but just before the break, Kilkenny bagged two more quickfire goals, this time through TJ Reid and Martin Keoghan, before Reid added three more points to give Dublin a mountain to climb as we went into half-time 14 points down.
Kilkenny extended that lead further when the teams came back out, but Seán Currie gave Dublin hope with two goals in the second-half- his second goal being followed moments later by O’Sullivan grabbing Dublin’s third goal of the game to turn the game on its head.
Chris Crummey and Donohoe then reduced the gap to three, but unfortunately Dublin were unable to pull off a remarkable comeback. Despite AJ Murphy reducing the deficit to just two points, Ryan scored his second and the fifth Kilkenny goal of the match in the 70th minute to wrap up the win and a place in the Leinster final.
Niall Ó Ceallacháin’s side must now regroup and refocus ahead of this weekend’s battle with a talented Galway side.
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