PREVIEW: Senior Hurlers Set For Huge Kilkenny Clash at Parnell Park

The final round of the group stages of the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship takes place this Sunday afternoon, with Dublin and Kilkenny locking horns at Parnell Park (2pm).

The anticipation couldn’t be any greater, as the Dubs require any kind of positive result to clinch a Leinster final berth, while Kilkenny’s need is even greater having dropped three points to date.

An opening round defeat to Galway and a draw against Offaly in Round 3 sees the holders currently lying in third spot in the table, two points behind Dublin. 

TJ Reid’s return to form was one of the positives that manager Derek Lyng could take from their ultimately comfortable 4-25 to 0-14 victory over Kildare last Saturday, with the seven-time All Star finishing the contest with 2-6 to his name.

With both Harry Shine and Adrian Mullen back in the fold after lengthy injuries, the Cats have a greater depth to call on for Sunday, which could prove crucial.

Irrespective of their form or player availability, Kilkenny will have little to no fear of facing the Dubs on their home patch, considering the dominant record that they hold in their head-to-head meetings.

The black & amber have had the better of Dublin over the years, but there are grounds for optimism that we might witness a reversal of fortunes on Sunday.

The manner in which Dublin dug out narrow wins over both Wexford and Galway in recent weeks shows the character inherent in the panel.

They appear to be a more settled and durable selection than in previous years, with Dublin looking far more assured in themselves as the return of Liam Rushe offers great protection to the full-back line.

The presence of Eoghan O’Donnell in the starting line-up would be a welcome boost as he missed the Galway clash through injury, despite Conor McHugh being a more than adequate replacement on the day.

At the opposite end of the field, Donal Burke’s accuracy from placed balls and open play has been a feature of Dublin’s campaign to date and if he can maintain those highest of standards on Sunday, it would go a long way to helping Dublin secure a victory.

Throw in the positive influence of John Hetherton and Ronan Hayes from the bench against Galway and the case for Dublin grows stronger. It will be interesting to see if either or both are handed a starting jersey for this vital clash.

Either way, form is generally thrown out the window when these counties clash with the prize on offer making this a must-see for all Dublin supporters.

If you can't make it to Parnell Park, the match will be shown live on RTE 2 with the coverage starting at 1.30.

Dublin have scored 10-89 in their four Championship matches to date, with Donal Burke leading the way with a personal tally of 0-42- ten of those points coming from play.

Cian O’Sullivan is next on the list with the St Brigid’s player having amassed 1-8- scoring in all four games- while Brian Hayes has also managed that feat having chipped in with 2-4.

Conor Donohoe has contributed 1-6 to Dublin’s cause with Fergal Whitely adding 2-2- both of his goals coming against Kildare in Round 2.

In total, fifteen Dublin players have contributed to the tally.

Top 5 Scorers to date:

1.        Donal Burke 0-42 (0-28f, 0-4 ’65).

2.        Cian O’Sullivan 1-8.

3.        Brian Hayes 2-4.

4.        Conor Donohoe 1-6.

5.        Fergal Whitely 2-2.