Winters supreme as Dubs advance to final

A first-half goal from Paul Winters set Dublin on the way to a deserved five-point win over Kilkenny in their Leinster MHC semi-final in Portlaoise last Saturday afternoon.

Conor Martin pushed Kilkenny three points clear by the 13th minute, in addition to having a penalty saved by Cian MacGabhann but Winters’ deft flick from Colm Cronin’s centre nine minutes later helped the reigning holders to a 1-5 to 0-4 interval lead.

Martin tried to salvage Kilkenny hopes in the second half, hitting 0-8 over the hour but Dublin prevailed thanks to late frees by Winters and a point apiece from their midfield pairing of Cronin and Cormac Costello.

Scorers for Dublin: P Winters 1-7 (6fs), C Costello 0-3, S McClelland, C Cronin 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kilkenny: C Martin 0-8 (4fs, 1 65), D Burke, S Donnelly 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: C Mac Gabhann; S Barrett, C O’Callaghan, E Lowndes; E O’Donnell, R Murphy, S McClelland; C Costello, C Cronin; C McHugh, S Treacy, C Conway; P Winters, C Boland, O O’Rorke.

Subs: T Devlin for Lowndes (43), C Bennett for McHugh (60), J Roche for Boland (62).

KILKENNY: D Holohan; R Fitzpatrick, J McDowell, C Doyle; C Bolger, E Morrissey, J Maher; C Ryan, K Walsh; M Donnelly, D Cody, K Kenny; S Donnelly, C Martin, E Bergin.

Subs: D Burke for Bergin (38), M Mansfield for Walsh (48), J McGrath for S Donnelly (52).

Referee: J Heffernan (Wexford).