Kilkenny stayed on course for a third Leinster U20 hurling championship title in five years by handing Dublin on 1-22 to 2-13 defeat at Parnell Park last night.

Henry Shefflin’s team hit the ground running in the capital with a Patrick Lacey goal after five minutes, but Dublin would draw level seven minutes later through the scores of Daniel O’Kelly.

The Cats pushed three ahead once more prior to a George O’Toole goal helping the hosts go in all square at the break (1-9 to 1-9).

With Lacey to the fore for them, Kilkenny sent over the first seven points of the second-half to take a firm grip of the contest and would be nine to the good before Luke Hayes bagged a consolation goal for the capital lads.

It means that Shefflin’s side now face Galway in the James Nowlan Cup decider after the Tribesmen defeated Wexford (2-23 to 1-16) after extra time in Portlaoise.

Jack Nolan’s point saw Wexford edging a 0-8 to 0-7 lead at half-time and the scores of Colin Carey and Ryan Donohoe stretched that advantage to three early in the restart.

Jason Rabbitte helped bring Galway level and they’d move up by four prior to conceding a Ryan Dornan goal in the 47th minute.

Two Sean O’Brien frees steered the Slaneysiders back in front and, while Galway levelled matters, Wexford looked on their way with another O’Brien free late on but a Ciaran Leen ‘65’ would force extra time at O’Moore Park.

Galway hit 1-4 unanswered, including a Brian Callanan goal, to rock their opponents and the second-half of the added periods would see Ronan Cahalan firing in their second major to cement their provincial final place.

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