Kilkenny manager Matt Ruth was full of praise for his young Cats after they battled past Dublin in a cracking Under-19 Development League Final at UPMC Nowlan Park last night.
Despite conceding three goals—including two from Dublin dangerman Oscar Brennan—Kilkenny never panicked, clawing their way back to snatch a 1-24 to 3-16 win in the dying minutes.
Kilkenny flew out of the traps and opened up a five-point lead in the first half. But Brennan’s first goal for the Dubs sparked a comeback, and the visitors trailed by just a point at half time, 0-13 to 1-09.
Dublin then took control after the break, with Brennan bagging another and Jack Kennedy hitting the net too, pushing them four points ahead. But the Cats didn’t flinch.
Dicksboro’s Patrick Lacey was on fire throughout, finishing with 12 points to his name and keeping Kilkenny ticking over. And with five minutes left on the clock, Cian Donnelly scored a fortunate but vital goal to swing the momentum and put the home side three points up.
Speaking to KCLR after the final whistle, Ruth was delighted with how his lads dug deep:
“Yeah, we’re absolutely thrilled with that. We conceded three goals, which you’d usually think would be costly, but the lads showed serious character and dug it out.
“At half time, we laid it out straight—they’re a savage Dublin side and weren’t going to go away, so we needed to dig in. And they did. They kept tipping away, and when it mattered most, they got their noses in front.
“It was a brilliant game for the crowd, especially the neutrals. We didn’t get to enjoy it as much ourselves—sure we were running around trying to put out fires all over the place!
“The subs made a huge impact too. It was a real team effort, a proper panel performance.”
It’s a big win for Kilkenny at this level, and Ruth will be hoping this battling display is a sign of things to come for the county’s next generation.
