Eoin Cody goal wins it but Dublin take Kilkenny to the brink
Dublin's Eoghan O'Donnell tackles Martin Keoghan of Kilkenny. Pic: ©INPHO/Leah Scholes
Back to winning ways and back to the summit of the Leinster SHC for Kilkenny but this was anything but a return to business as usual for the Cats who lived on their wits at Parnell Park.
Dublin will be kicking themselves that they didn't claim a landmark win, the biggest of the Micheál Donoghue era, with the scores tied for the eighth time in the second half and almost 70 minutes played.
A terrific Eoin Cody goal, with about 20 seconds of normal time left, ultimately propelled Kilkenny to a badly needed win that will do all sorts of positive things for their mindset after last weekend's stumble against Carlow.
Truth be told, another draw probably would have been the fairest outcome but Derek Lyng's side aren't three-in-a-row champions for nothing and dug remarkably deep to mine out this win.
As a result, they have returned to the top of the provincial table and, with Wexford to come in Round 5 next weekend, will fancy their chances of staying there to secure a Leinster final place.
Cody finished with 1-3 but his heroics were outdone by John Donnelly who turned in perhaps his best game yet for Kilkenny, scoring seven points from play and hauling them to a hugely significant win.
TJ Reid top-scored for the Noresiders with eight points but only one of those came from play and he was surprisingly errant with a series of frees in the final quarter when the game hung in the balance.
As for Dublin, they will wonder just how victory eluded them in a game that was level nine times overall. Donal Burke scored 0-14 for the hosts while Conor Burke and Brian Hayes struck the goals that brought them within a whisker of a huge win.
Dublin will travel to play Galway in Round 5 next weekend knowing that a win will secure their place in the All-Ireland series.
Kilkenny boss Lyng was desperate for a strong response from his team following the surprising stalemate in Carlow.
He was able to call upon Cody and Mikey Carey for the first time since the Round 1 win over Antrim following injuries.
Captain Paddy Deegan shook off a knock to return to the lineup too, lining out in his customary centre-back slot while Tommy Walsh was recalled at corner-back.
The return of Ronan Hayes was the solitary change to the Dublin team, the Kilmacud Crokes rewarded for his thrilling cameo as a sub against Antrim last Saturday.
Hayes contributed directly to 2-3 in that 20-point win for the Sky Blues and would have netted in the 18th minute here but for a terrific flying save from Eoin Murphy.
Conor Burke was the unlikely goalscorer for Dublin and it was the only three-pointer of the opening half.
The midfielder burst onto a pass from Chris Crummey, played a neat one-two with Sean Currie and blasted beyond Murphy at the clubhouse end of the ground.
That 35th minute goal left Dublin just a point behind and it remained that way at half-time with Kilkenny leading 0-16 to 1-12.
The Cats were four clear at one stage and led from Reid's fifth-minute point until the 39th minute.
Reid finished the first half with five points and forward colleague Donnelly sniped four beauties from play.
Crummey was terrific for Dublin in the half-back line while Donal Burke and Danny Sutcliffe were the chief threats up front for the Sky Blues.
The thrill-a-minute ride continued in the second half with the sides level four times in a high-paced back and forth.
Kilkenny may have presumed their superior stickwork would prevail if it came down to a battle in the tight confines of Parnell Park but Dublin matched them stride for stride, blow for blow.
And when Eoghan O'Donnell burst forward and fed Brian Hayes for a 55th-minute goal, moving Dublin 2-20 to 0-23 clear, the home fans almost lost their mind.
Kilkenny were rattled and Reid blasted two wides from frees that he'd normally convert.
Dublin couldn't hold out though and were slowly but surely reeled in, Kilkenny levelling up the game on three more occasions before Cody blasted that all-important goal.
TJ Reid 0-8 (0-7f), John Donnelly 0-7, Eoin Cody 1-3, Martin Keoghan 0-3, David Blanchfield 0-3, Cian Kenny 0-2, Mikey Carey 0-1, Billy Ryan 0-1.
Donal Burke 0-14 (0-10f, 0-1 65), Conor Burke 1-1, Brian Hayes 1-0, Danny Sutcliffe 0-3, Chris Crummey 0-3, Cian O'Sullivan 0-2.
Eoin Murphy; Tommy Walsh, Huw Lawlor, Mikey Butler; David Blanchfield, Paddy Deegan, Mikey Carey; Shane Murphy, Cian Kenny; Tom Phelan, TJ Reid John Donnelly; Martin Keoghan, Eoin Cody, Owen Wall.
Billy Ryan for Wall h/t, Richie Reid for S Murphy 42, Conor Fogarty for Phelan 59, Cillian Buckley for Carey 69.
Sean Brennan; John Bellew, Eoghan O'Donnell, Paddy Smyth; Chris Crummey, Conor Donohoe, Paddy Doyle; Brian Hayes, Conor Burke; Danny Sutcliffe, Donal Burke, Fergal Whitely; Sean Currie, Cian O'Sullivan, Ronan Hayes.
Paul Crummey for O'Sullivan 44, Darragh Power for Whitely 49, Daire Gray for Doyle 63, Jake Malone for Currie 65
Johnny Murphy (Limerick)
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
