EOIN CODY RETURNED to the Kilkenny team with a bang, sniping the match winning goal with just seconds of normal time remaining in a Parnell Park cracker.
Kilkenny are now back on top of the Leinster SHC with one game to go – against Wexford at home next weekend.
After back-to-back draws, against Galway and then, remarkably, Carlow last weekend, Kilkenny desperately needed a win on their travels but were made to fight.
In fact, Dublin will be kicking themselves that they didn’t claim a landmark win, the biggest of the Micheal Donoghue era, with the scores tied for the eighth time in the second-half and almost 70 minutes played.
Cody, back available again after an ankle injury, ultimately propelled Kilkenny to a win that will do all sorts of positive things for their mindset after last weekend’s stumble against Carlow.
Cody finished with 1-3 in front of 7,028 but his heroics were outdone by John Donnelly who turned in perhaps his best game yet for Kilkenny, scoring seven points from play.
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.
They will travel to Galway in Round 5 next weekend knowing that a win will secure their place in the All-Ireland series.
Kilkenny scorers: 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.
Dublin scorers: 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.
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