Dublin Win First League Hurling Title Since 1939

Dublin have finally arrived. After years of threatening to make a breakthrough, Anthony Daly's side can now comfortably stand side by side with the made men of the ancient game after a stunning 0-22 to 1-7 defeat of Kilkenny gave them their first League title since 1939.

And how they did it. Dublin scored 17 points from open play compared to Kilkenny's one. They hurled with the kind of freedom and confidence more associated with the Cats at their peak. On this evidence, these two sides are going in different directions. Things have changed. Changed utterly.

Dublin's entire forward line scored from play; Kilkenny's only point from play came from a midfielder, Michael Rice. In Paul Ryan - who scored 0-9, including four from play - Tipperary native Ryan O'Dwyer and Conor McCormack, Dublin had match winners and their potency in attack was in stark contrast to that of their opponents.

The scoreline represents a 31-point turnaround from last year's Leinster semi-final, which Kilkenny won by 19 points, before they went on to lose the All-Ireland final. The last remnants of the air of invincibility that for years followed the Cats now appears to have dissipated.

Dublin's cause was helped when Kilkenny's Eoin Larkin was shown a straight red card on 25 minutes for apparently striking Conor McCormack. However, the Dubs were already completely on top at that point, leading by 0-10 to 1-1.

Eddie Brennan had filched an early goal for the Cats, pouncing on the ball to strike past Gary Maguire after Richie Hogan had managed to keep TJ Reid's free in play.

Dublin's response was comprehensive, as they notched eight points in succession. Paul Ryan scored four in that period, while Daire Plunkett and Conal Keaney also chipped in with fine scores, Dublin threatening to run riot in attack.

Larkin's dismissal appeared to rob Dublin of their momentum and Rice scored Kilkenny's only point from play on 31 minutes to stop the rot. Shane Durkin and McCormack, worryingly, hit wides for the Dubs before Ryan settled them with a free on the stroke of half-time, which gave Daly's men a 0-11 to 1-2 advantage.

It possibly should have been even greater, but Dublin were denied a goal when the referee blew for half-time just as McCormack streaked clear and rippled the back of the net. Still, a six-point lead at the break was the kind of start Dublin would have dreamed of.

Kilkenny had the wind in the second half and when Reid opened the scoring on the resumption, the assumption was that this was the start of a comeback from Brian Cody's men.

But Dublin, spurred on by a raucous crowd, simply pushed on and brilliantly-worked scores from McCormack and Maurice O'Brien came either side of a serious shoulder injury to centre-back Joey Boland which delayed the game by four minutes.

Kilkenny fought to garner some sort of a response, but they were losing the battles all over the field. Dublin never yielded an inch in the physical stakes and refused to cede any advantage when they Cats tested them in the second half.