Kilkenny handed Dublin their first defeat in the Leinster Hurling Championship this evening, clinching a dramatic 1-28 to 2-23 victory at Parnell Park.
The match lived up to its billing as a closely contested battle between two top teams. Kilkenny and Dublin exchanged scores throughout the game, with neither side able to establish a decisive lead. However, it was Kilkenny’s performance in the final quarter that ultimately made the difference. The match was decided by Eoin Cody’s late goal, which secured the win for the Cats in a nail-biting finish.
Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng praised his team’s resilience and determination, particularly in the last quarter of the game. Lyng highlighted the difficulty of securing a win at Parnell Park and commended his players for their tenacity.
“I’m delighted. I really am, because I was expecting that,” Lyng said. “I’ve been up here many, many years, and you’d never get anything easy up here. And I knew that was going to be the way. I knew it was going to be a puck of the ball. So the way we closed it out, I knew it was going to come to that. That’s the players, you know, they really dug in, they kept going. And it was just flicks away, just getting a touch onto the ball and making every chance count then. And that was enough. And, look, thankfully we’re on the right side of it.”
Wexford now awaits Derek Lyng and his men in the last group game of the Leinster Championship next Sunday at 2 o’clock.
