Dublin’s hurlers made a mockery of the bookmakers’ odds as they almost scored a memorable National League Division 1B win over Kilkenny, holding the Cats to a 2-13 to 0-19 draw.
Kilkenny, the defending league champions, were priced at 1/100 to triumph at Parnell Park but a late haul of 1-01 from Kevin O’Reilly grabbed a deserved draw for the Dubs.
After John Kelly’s goal and a brilliant sideline cut from Joey Boland, it took six unanswered points for the Cats to lead 0-13 to 1-4 at half-time.
Eddie Brennan, who shot 0-06, and Eoin Larkin continued to lead the scoring for Kilkenny before substitute O’Reilly’s late penalty strike.
Unbeaten in the league since March 2005, Kilkenny travelled to the capital eight of last year’s All-Ireland winning side in their starting line-up and were predicted by rack up a heavy win.
That certainly looked the case when Tommy Naughton’s Dubs, last year’s Division Two champions, were left trailing by 0-04 to no score after the opening skirmishes.
Points from Aidan Fogarty, Martin Comerford and Willie O’Dwyer (0-02) nosed the Cats into an early lead, but then Kelly struck for Dublin’s first goal.
Derek O’Reilly was the creator, he sent a dangerous ball in towards the Kilkenny square and Kelly slipped his marker to poke home past PJ Ryan.
The Cats ‘keeper had to be on his toes, just moments later, when Kevin Flynn raced through on goal but he was denied at point-blank range by Ryan.
Points from Larkin and Derek Lyng settled Kilkenny for a while, before Galway native Boland, who was making his league debut for Dublin, was cheered to the rafters by the home crowd when he sliced over from the sideline.
Two stunning efforts from the 65-metre line from David Curtin had the sides level on 22 minutes – at 1-04 to 0-07.
Brian Cody’s men then had their best spell of the match as they reeled off six points without reply to end the half in the ascendancy – Larkin (0-02), Brennan (0-02), Eoin McCormack and O’Dwyer flung over scores from all angles.
There was a free-scoring start to the second half as the Dubs took the game to their much-vaunted visitors and got back to within four points – at 1-11 to 0-18 – as the clock ticked towards the final ten minutes.
Kelly, Boland, Curtin and Flynn all added to Dublin’s tally while Brennan (0-03) and Larkin (0-02) kept Kilkenny ahead before the former sent over their 19th point of the afternoon.
That score should have seen them hang on but a late cameo from O’Reilly, the Lucan Sarsfields clubman who was a substitute on the 2006 Blue Stars team, crowned a dogged comeback from the Dubs.
