Dublin defeat Kildare in Leinster Minor Football Final for second successive year

Led by Lenny Cahill, who struck seven points and claimed the Player of the Match award, the Dubs were full value for their victory.

BACK-TO-BACK: Dublin captain Cillian Emmett lifts the Murray Cup. Photo by Stephen Marken/Sportsfile

Leinster Minor Football Championship final

Dublin 0-19 Kildare 2-8

A touch of deja vu in Portlaoise where Dublin, for the second year running, took care of Kildare to claim the Leinster MFC title.

Eight points separated the teams a year ago and while it was only five this time, it felt almost as emphatic.

Led by Lenny Cahill, who struck seven points and claimed the Player of the Match award, the Dubs led virtually from pillar to post and took two second-half Kildare goals in their stride.

Their reward for collecting a 35th provincial title at the grade is an All-Ireland quarter-final clash with the Munster runners-up - Cork or Kerry - on Saturday week. Kildare, meanwhile, will face the Munster champions.

With 13 goals in their previous four games, including last week's 6-15 semi-final demolition of Offaly, Dublin's scoring threat was clear.

Kildare came to Portlaoise armed with a plan to stifle the Sky Blues and to punish them on the counterattack, deploying Seanan Murphy as their spare man at the back.

It made for a tense opening 20 minutes or so with Dublin finding it difficult to penetrate what was often 14 white jerseys behind the ball.

The teams were tied at 0-3 apiece after 23 minutes but Dublin took over from there and registered six points in a row before half-time.

Castleknock talent Cahill struck four consecutive scores during that mini blitz and punched the air in delight after each of them.

Harry Curley, who blasted 2-1 in the 22-point semi-final win, had a great opportunity for a Dublin goal just before the break but was thwarted by goalkeeper Cathal Moore.

Dublin still came away with a score from that attack when the ball was recycled for Sean Keogh to split the posts, leaving them 0-9 to 0-3 clear at half-time.

Kildare boss Niall Cronin responded by making a triple change at half-time, drafting in defender Paul O'Dea, midfielder Liam O'Connor and full-forward Cian Keaveny. The sweeper was also dispensed with and Kildare immediately looked more threatening.

Evan Donnelly cut the deficit with a point and while Dublin responded with three themselves, a 1-2 Kildare blast that included a cracking Tadhg Donlan goal cut the gap to just three.

The problem for Kildare was that without the extra cover at the back, Dublin looked like getting a score each time they attacked. The scores duly followed with Ryan Mitchell, substitute Shane Mullarkey and Curley all booting points for the Metropolitans.

Kildare were thrown a lifeline when Evan Boyle struck their second goal in the 57th minute, this time reducing the margin to four points. They couldn't provide a fairytale finale though and Dublin sealed the win with late scores from Mullarkey and Cahill.

Dublin scorers: L Cahill 0-7 (4 frees), N Byrne 0-3, S Mullarkey 0-2, L O'Boyle 0-1 (1 45), S Ryan, A Carolan, S Keogh, J Young, H Curley, R Mitchell 0-1 each.

Kildare scorers: T Donlan 1-1, E Boyle 1-0, C Moore 0-2 (2 f), E Donnelly, J Cunningham 0-2 each, H Redmond 0-1.

Dublin: C Murray; S Keogh, C Emmett, J O'Sullivan; J Young, E Costello, R Mitchell; S Ryan, A Carolan; P Coleman, L O'Boyle, N Byrne; L Cahill, H Curley, P Curry.

Subs: S Mullarkey for Curley (43); C O'Connor for Young (50); A O'Reilly for Coleman (51); C McAweeney for O'Boyle (61).

Kildare: C Moore; L Kelly, J Donnelly, M Chambers; R Murray, R Lawlor, C Moran; E Boyle, D Kinch; J Cunningham, S Murphy, H Redmond; E Donnelly, D Mullahy, T Donlan.

Subs: P O'Dea for Murray, L O'Connor for Kinch, C Keaveny for Mullahy (all h/t); J McCabe for Murphy (40); R Kelly for Donnelly (56).

Referee: A Smith (Meath).