A general view of UPMC Nowlan Park. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
oneills.com Leinster U-20 hurling championship
Tier 1 Group 2
Kilkenny 3-20 Dublin 2-16
Tier 2 Group 1
Kildare 2-15 Carlow 1-10
Tier 2 Group 2
Westmeath 2-16 Meath 1-12
By Paul Keane
Kilkenny are sitting pretty in the oneills.com Leinster U-20 HC, through to the semi-finals as group winners after back-to-back wins.
Ed McDermott's 2-5 haul, and 1-2 from Michael Brennan, went a long way towards seeing off Dublin and securing back-to-back Tier 1, Group 2 wins.
Fresh off beating Wexford in Round 1, Kilkenny knew a home win would lock down top spot and they started like men on a mission, putting 1-5 on the board before Dublin had even scored.
McDermott appeared to get a flick to James Hughes' long delivery for Kilkenny's first goal, but Dublin's response to the terrible start was equally emphatic, reeling off seven points in a row.
That left Kilkenny just a point clear with 20 minutes played but they took off again with a second McDermott goal leaving the young Cats 2-8 to 0-10 up at half-time.
Brennan's goal immediately after the restart was cancelled out by a Dublin goal in response from county senior David Purcell.
Conal O Riain, another Dublin senior player this season, added two points for the Sky Blues but they were always playing catchup throughout the second-half.
Kilkenny kept the pressure on and picked off more points from free-taker Aaron McEvoy, McDermott, Brennan, Eoghan Lyng and Marty Murphy to win with seven to spare.
Each of the group winners in Tier 1 will advance to a May 14 semi-final.
In Tier 2, Group 1, Kerry and Kildare are locked on two points and will meet next weekend in a shoot-out for top spot.
The winners of that game will advance to a preliminary quarter-final against the team that finishes bottom of the Tier 1 Galway, Laois and Offaly group.
Kildare opened their U-20 campaign this afternoon with an eight-point win over Carlow who were previously beaten by Kerry.
Tom Power's ninth minute goal put Kildare three clear at that stage and they built on a 1-7 to 1-3 half-time lead with a second-half goal from Evan O Briain to win comfortably.
Meanwhile, Westmeath bounced back from their Round 1 defeat to Antrim in Tier 2's Group 2 with a character laden seven-point defeat of Meath.
Westmeath trailed by a point at half-time in Trim, 1-6 to 1-7, following a terrific solo goal by Meath's Darren Higgins.
But an eye-catching goal in response from Westmeath's Dylan Corrigan in the 53rd minute, opening up a seven-point lead at that stage, proved the decisive strike.
Antrim will play Meath in the remaining Tier 2, Group 2 game next Saturday and a draw will be enough for the Saffrons to top the group and advance to a preliminary quarter-final.
