Brian Cody unsure of Kilkenny's true form: 'We have questions to answer'

First-half goals from Billy Ryan, TJ Reid and captain Colin Fennelly had powered Kilkenny ahead at half-time

Dublin's Paddy Smyth and TJ Reid of Kilkenny contest for possession. Picture: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Leinster SHC: Kilkenny 3-20 Dublin 2-22 

Halloween night was one of cruel contradictions, for Kilkenny at least, which saw them conjure some magical hurling, appearing to invite the fireworks that were bursting into the night sky nearby, yet they still left the ground an hour later chastened and broody.

Dublin too did their best Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde impression, limp and lifeless in that first-half yet suddenly reborn. They lost, of course, Huw Lawlor's 74th minute point ultimately separating the sides, but true to the contradictions of the evening left with smiles on their faces. A ghoulish spectacle for sure as Dublin rose from the dead and ripped into the flesh of Kilkenny, outscoring them by 2-15 to 0-7 in a remarkable second-half.

The Dubs deserved a draw and extra-time but Kilkenny somehow survived. They will play Galway in the Leinster final on Saturday week. Afterwards, Brian Cody did his best Frankenstein impression, all sullen and sombre. 

A brief interview seemed to be over when the RTÉ man piped up. 'Can I just ask you two questions, Brian?'

'Quickly', came the response. Yikes.

"I mean, which is our real form, the first-half or the second-half? We have questions to answer," offered Cody.

"But the object of the exercise is getting to the Leinster final and we're in it."

It was a neat summary; Kilkenny danced with the devil and lived to tell the tale.

They were magnificent in the first-half, feeling out Dublin for nine or 10 minutes before striking with lethal intent. They hit 2-4 to Dublin's 0-1 between the 10th and 17th minutes, Billy Ryan and Reid with the goals. Between the 23rd minute and half-time they outscored Dublin 1-7 to 0-1, captain Colin Fennelly with their third goal. All of Kilkenny's forwards had scored. It amounted to a 3-13 to 0-7 half-time lead.

Mauled, maybe even mortified, Dublin's response was to throw on Eamon Dillon. His speed and vigour unnerved Kilkenny and he set up two goal chances early in the second-half. Suddenly, Dublin were rising from the dead. If they'd boomed out Michael Jackson's Thriller over the loudspeaker it would have seemed entirely appropriate.

Donal Burke, scorer of 1-16 against Laois seven days earlier, was among the reborn, shaking off five wides in a row with eight second-half points. Dillon scored 0-4 in total, another sub Ronan Hayes sniped a goal and when Chris Crummey followed up on a blocked Burke shot with a second goal in the 66th minute, the zombies were fully in control.

Powerful Crummey, a converted forward, delivered 1-1 during the onslaught, and Daire Gray levelled it up with a 71st minute equaliser. The 2013 champions deserved extra-time, maybe even the win, but could our heads have computed it all? Kilkenny losing a Championship game they'd led by 16 points?

"We're building this group for a couple of years," said Dublin manager Mattie Kenny. "They're an exceptional group of men and players. They knew they hadn't done themselves justice in that first-half, they stood up in the second-half. 

We upped the tempo of the game, we upped the pace of the game, we were way better around the breaking ball and we got ourselves back into the game. When we got to that third quarter water break we said, 'Look lads, we're getting back in here, keep believing, keep trying, keep pushing on'.

"I think in that final quarter there were nearly 20 minutes in that, we controlled that 20 minutes."

But still they lost, Alan Murphy snaffling up a loose ball and striking over from close range at the Davin End and Lawlor then pointing for Kilkenny from distance after the teams had drawn level. A converted Burke free was all Dublin had in response with the Na Fianna man failing to convert another at the death, albeit from deep within his own half.

"It might have come down to one free when it was a draw match, I'll have to look at it on television again," reflected Kenny. "I think we might have been pulled for over-carrying which was a little bit harsh. They got two points, we got one back and we'd a shot to draw it in the finish but unfortunately didn't make it."

This morning's qualifier draw awaits for Dublin. If the Gods of hurling have any decency, they'll be kind.

"There's lots of hurling coming, lots of matches," said an upbeat Kenny. "This game is over now and we have to dust ourselves down and get ready for what comes next."

The 60-second report

IT MATTERED: As strange as it sounds after leading by 16 points after 48 minutes, it all came down to Huw Lawlor's 74th minute winner for Kilkenny. Brian Cody said Lawlor 'seemed to show what we should have been doing more of'.

CAN'T IGNORE: Comebacks were all the rage in 2018 and Tipperary bounced back from a Munster final mauling last year. Now Kilkenny are preparing for a Leinster final despite coughing up a 16-point lead in a huge game. Maybe this is hurling's 'new normal'.

GOOD DAY: Dublin have now scored 4-53 in two Championship games. They've coughed up big tallies too but that level of scoring suggests they can take down some heavy hitters if they tighten up at the back.

BAD DAY: If any game deserved to have supporters at it, it's this one. Croke Park would have been rocking in the last 20 minutes or so.

PHYSIO ROOM: Adrian Mullen (knee) is still out for Kilkenny and there's no sign of Paul Ryan (quad), David Treacy (groin) or Conal Keaney (unspecified 'knocks') for Dublin either.

SIDELINE SMARTS: Conor Burke was terrific as a sweeper on his debut against Laois and reverted to that position against Kilkenny after the team's bad start. It seems a work in progress for Mattie Kenny.

BEST ON SHOW: TJ Reid scored 1-10 and led the line for Kilkenny, even when things were going against them. But for sheer impact on this game, Eamon Dillon was peerless. The half-time sub fired 0-4 and inspired Dublin's incredible revival.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE: Johnny Murphy's ears were burning after dishing out 50 frees in Dublin's League defeat to Wexford at Croke Park in February. He called 24 frees against Kilkenny this time, compared to 13 against Dublin.

NEXT UP? Kilkenny face Galway in the Leinster final next Saturday week, their sixth provincial final meeting since 2010. Dublin are in this morning's qualifier draw.

Scorers for Kilkenny: TJ Reid (1-10, 6 frees); B Ryan and C Fennelly (1-1 each); W Walsh and J Donnelly (0-2 each); E Cody, C Delaney, A Murphy and H Lawlor (0-1 each).

Scorers for Dublin: D Burke (0-12, 10 frees); C Crummey (1-1); E Dillon (0-4); R Hayes (1-0); C Boland and D Gray (0-2 each); D Sutcliffe (0-1).

KILKENNY: E Murphy; C Delaney, H Lawlor, C Wallace; C Buckley, P Deegan, P Walsh; R Reid, C Fogarty; J Donnelly, E Cody, W Walsh; TJ Reid, B Ryan, C Fennelly.

Subs: R Hogan for Ryan (51); M Keoghan for Cody (60); J Holden for Buckley (60-f/t, blood); C Browne for Fogarty and A Murphy for Donnelly (both 64); R Leahy for R Reid (69).

DUBLIN: A Nolan; E O'Donnell, C O'Callaghan, J Madden; D Gray, P Smyth, C Burke; S Moran, R McBride; C Boland, D Burke, D Sutcliffe; D Keogh, L Rushe, C Crummey.

Subs: J Malone for O'Callaghan (26-28, blood); E Dillon for Keogh (h/t); R Hayes for Rushe (41); Malone for Moran (50); M Schutte for Boland (59); F Whitely for McBride (70).

Ref: J Murphy (Limerick).