Cats sweep Dubs aside to claim minor crown

ANY belief that Kilkenny might be about to surrender the bragging rights at under-age level in Leinster to Dublin was emphatically dispelled at Croke Park yesterday.

It’s less than two weeks since the Dublin U21s surprised the Cats in the provincial semi-final at their own Nowlan Park, but their hopes of a double over the black-and-amber looked virtually dead and buried as early as the 17th minute, when the Kilkenny minors led by 1-6 to 0-2, the goal coming from the stick of corner-forward Thomas O’Hanrahan.

Even after only 20 seconds it looked ominous when classy midfielder Kevin Kelly waltzed his way through for the opening point of the contest in which the Cats made it a hat-trick of provincial titles.