The two early goals sowed the seeds for Cuala's historic Leinster Club SHC success, according to top marksman David Treacy.

Treacy contributed 11 points to the Dalkey side's 3-19 to 1-16 win over O'Loughlin Gaels in Portlaoise but he pointed to Colm Cronin and Con O'Callaghan's first-half strikes as being all-important.

The experience gained from last year's final defeat to Oulart-The Ballagh was also significant, he added.

"We were quite wasteful in the first half and I thought we were going to rue those chances," Treacy remarked to RTÉ Sport.

"I missed a couple of handy frees and we also missed a goal chance. If we had lost the match, I'm sure Mattie (Kenny) would have given me a hiding.

"The goals gave us a buffer and we managed to see it out towards the end. We had a five-point lead at the break and then at times had to sit deep to see it out. We knew O'Loughlin's, like any other Kilkenny team, were going to come at us.

"They did, but we were able to keep tapping over the points. We weren't forcing goals like we did in last year's final against Oulart."

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