This is what Kilkenny do.
Dublin, to the surprise of almost everyone were the better team in Parnell Park on Sunday afternoon, but when it mattered the most Kilkenny stood up as they always do.
Five points down with 10 minutes left to play, four points down with ten to play, the machines in black and amber had struggled all the way up to then, but for some reason they still looked calm, they still never ever panicked.
This presence of mind under the pressure would see them home as Eoin Murphy lumped long range frees over and substitute Liam Blanchfield bundled over the goal that would eventually kill Dublin, right at the death, right when it mattered.
But the final scoreline of 3-16 to 1-25 only tells half of the story, because Dublin were the better team for the majority of this game.
A tough result to take after an incredible performance from the lads, but credit to @KilkennyCLG for their determination. Brilliant contest pic.twitter.com/qRPUyrNF37
— Dublin GAA (@DubGAAOfficial) May 13, 2018
Kilkenny’s woeful start
Despite some profligacy in front of goal, it was Dublin who got off to the better start in the Donnycarney sun. In front of a partisan home crowd, Pat Gilroy’s fired up Dubs hit Kilkenny for an early goal through Paul Ryan and that set the tone for them.
Ryan’s rocket left Kilkenny keeper Eoin Murphy with no chance but the Cats must feel aggrieved with the number of steps Liam Rushe took in the build-up to it, but this, from the St Patrick’s Palmerstown club man would become a pattern in the game as he routinely tested the referee’s leniency on the steps rule, but crucially, would continue to get away with it.
The most loosely applied rule in the GAA https://t.co/xR381MdfiA
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) May 13, 2018
In a scrappy opening quarter, neither side really settled into any kind of rhythm. Dublin were on top but were wasteful and wayward in their shooting and decision making.
Kilkenny, on the other hand were being blown out of the water by their opponent’s dogged physicality in the confined Parnell Park environs and it would take them 17 minutes to register their first score from play, coming from the stick of James Maher.
Dominated in the air
The game continued with this pattern, the only change was that Pat Gilroy’s men began to punish Kilkenny. Veteran duo Conal Keaney and Paul Ryan were coming into their own, while Danny Sutcliffe was throwing the Kilkenny half back line around the place under the dropping ball.
When Fergal Whitely struck for a second Dublin goal just on the stroke of the break, you knew this was game on and that would help send the Sky Blues into a five point, 2-7 to 0-9 lead.
Fergal Whitely just pulling like a dog! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/KvNJGS4Lj5
— Dublin GAA (@DubGAAOfficial) May 13, 2018
They picked up from where they left off in the second period, still ruling the skies and still not giving Kilkenny men a second on the ball.
Early substitutions
With Brian Cody calling ashore Bill Sheehan, Martin Keoghan and Enda Morrissey – three youngsters who impressed in the League, that was some indication of the struggles his side were facing.
It was their replacements who made the difference, however, with Paul Murphy steadying the defensive ship, Colin Fennelly going to town on the Dublin backs and Liam Blanchfield and Luke Scanlon making their presence felt up top also.
Still though, Kilkenny kept chipping away at Dublin, through TJ Reid frees, through points against the run of play, through taking their chances. By the game’s end, they had only hit three wides to Dublin’s – the best teams take their chances.
Off days
As indeed were the performances of the usually unflappable Cillian Buckley and TJ Reid, both of whom were on the periphery with Buckley in particular off colour in his distribution of the ball.
Eoghan O’Donnell was detailed with the man-marking duties on Reid and the Whitehall club man succeeded in restricting the Ballyhale Shamrocks’ man’s influence, limiting him to only one point from play.
Conal Keaney horsed Buckley out of the game and it was only when he got injured late on that the Kilkenny captain began to have an impact on the game.
Liam Rushe, meanwhile, won ball after ball in front of Padraig Walsh.
Dublin just kept pushing on and when Jake Malone netted a third goal for his side to put them five up with 25 minutes left, they looked the favourites to edge this one.
But then Kilkenny did what Kilkenny always do. Walter Walsh came into it, substitute Colin Fennelly turned the game with his three points off the bench.
Then Blanchfield would stand up to turn the game on its head. When it mattered. It’s the sign of a great, great team that they can win without playing their best, Kilkenny have proven that on countless occasions in the past.
The point is, this team are like nothing we’ve ever seen before. A bunch of monsters with the resilience of lions, they’re never, ever beaten.
In the last five minutes, they outscored Dublin by 1-6 to 0-1. That tells the story in itself.
Kilkenny have beaten Dublin! Watch the Full-Time highlights here on GAANOW! pic.twitter.com/X2sUDGN5Qf
— The GAA (@officialgaa) May 13, 2018
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