A delighted Dublin boss Niall Ó Ceallacháin acknowledged beating Kilkenny represents a huge win for his side - but stressed that it will all be for nothing if the Boys in Blue can't back their performance up in the Leinster final.
Dublin overcame the Black and Amber in championship battle for the first time since 2013 and only the second time since 1942 in a cracking encounter at a packed tight Parnell Park..
Dublin booked their place in a Leinster final against Galway on Saturday, 6 June when Ronan Hayes' fantastic late point put the cap on a memorable seven-point victory over the county that have dogged them more than any over the decades.
"There's no point shying away from it, this is a huge win," Ó Ceallacháin told RTÉ Sport's Damian Lawlor after the game, "We've beaten Kilkenny twice in the last 70-odd years in the championship, so this a huge win.
"What I would say is there's just no point in us doing this unless we follow through in two weeks' time with a proper performance and win the game.
"So, an important marker. A really, really huge achievement - especially for lads in that dressing room who are there for seven, eight, nine, ten years. - but my answer is there's no point in today if we don't follow through in two weeks' time."
The Cats have never ran from a fight and, as always, they went out on their shields in Donnycarney. Ó Ceallacháin felt his side's eventual triumph was one built on rolled up sleeves and the virtue of good old fashioned resilience.
"That's character. I genuinely think that's what that word means. That's it," Ó Ceallacháin added. "That is basically what that word means - what you saw there.
"From a tactical point of view or from a technical side of things, we try to get things right, day by day.
"But a lot of this game, it comes down to that and what's just in the pit of your stomach.
"Those moments that you see there are the type of moments from lads who really, really want this thing."
While his players certainly withstood not just a trademark Kilkenny second-half push, it's fair to say that - character aside - Ó Ceallacháin and his backroom team got just about everything right on the sideline at Parnell Park.
"From a tactical setup side of things, listen, any championship game you get through against Kilkenny and not concede a goal is a big, big day," the manager admitted.
"So, we're really, really pleased from that side of things. Energy, the word intensity is used a lot, but just the energy and the aggression shown I think was really, really pleasing."
