Kilkenny 1-26
Galway 0-22
KILKENNY AGAIN SHOWED they are the masters of the second-half as they blew Galway away after the restart to claim the Leinster hurling final to claim a 71st provincial title.
Like they did in last year’s All-Ireland final against the Tribesmen and against Dublin in the Leinster semi-final this year, Brian Cody’s side excelled in the second 35 minutes, and they have now outscored their opponents by 28 points in their last three championship second-halves.
The introduction of Richie Hogan and John Power proved crucial to Kilkenny’s recovery as they had trailed by 0-13 to 0-10 at the interval.
Hogan hit five points in a sterling performance, and he also kickstarted the performance of those around him, including Jonjo Farrell who fired a goal in the 44th minute, which drew Kilkenny level.
And from there on Kilkenny never looked like losing, as Galway’s hunger for the physical battles waned, their inability to dominate aerially, along with some stray passing out of defence cost them in the end.
It had been such a bright start from Galway again – just like it was last September. Joseph Cooney scored their first point inside two minutes and Farrell levelled the game, and the teams traded scores before Galway took control.
Daithi Burke was their star performer at full-back, and he negated the threat of TJ Reid and then Colin Fennelly in a shining first-half.
Galway hit five points in a row from the 20th to the 30th minutes, and they led by 0-10 to 0-6 as Kilkenny struggled to find their men up front.
Meanwhile, Cathal Mannion and Conor Whelan were two live wires for Galway, and outside of the free-taking of TJ Reid, Kilkenny looked bereft of ideas.
However they scored three of the last four points of the half, and when Farrell scored his second point, Kilkenny only trailed 0-13 to 0-10 at half-time.
But Kilkenny opened up after the break, they commanded the third-quarter, as they did last September, and Farrell’s goal was crucial.
He found the net after an assist from Conor Fogarty, and with Hogan dominant up front after the restart the champions could not be stopped.
Scorers for Kilkenny: TJ Reid 0-10 (0-7f, 0-1 ’65), J Farrell 1-4, R Hogan 0-5, C Fogarty 0-3, W Walsh 0-2, J Power 0-1, M Fennelly 0-1.
Scorers for Galway: J Canning 0-6 (0-6f), C Mannion 0-5, C Cooney 0-3, C Whelan 0-3, J Cooney 0-2, D Glennon 0-1, C Donnellan 0-1, A Smith 0-1.
Kilkenny
1. Eoin Murphy (Glenmore)
2. Paul Murphy (Danesfort)
3. Joey Holden (Ballyhale Shamrocks)
4. Robert Lennon (Bennettsbridge)
5. Padraig Walsh (Tullaroan)
6. Kieran Joyce (Rower Inistioge)
7. Cillian Buckley (Dicksboro)
8. Conor Fogarty (Erins Own)
9. Michael Fennelly (Ballyhale Shamrocks)
10. Walter Walsh (Tullogher Rosbercon)
11. TJ Reid (Ballyhale Shamrocks)
12. Lester Ryan (Clara)
13. Jonjo Farrell (Thomastown)
14. Colin Fennelly (Ballyhale Shamrocks)
15. Eoin Larkin (James Stephens)
Subs
20. Richie Hogan (Danesfort) for Larkin (35)
22. John Power (Carrickshock) for C Fennelly (35).
Galway
1. Colm Callanan (Kinvara)
2. Johnny Coen (Loughrea)
6. Daithi Burke (Turloughmore)
20. Gearoid McInerney (Oranmore/Maree)
5. Padraic Mannion (Ahascragh/Fohenagh)
3. John Hanbury (Rahoon/Newcastle)
7. Aidan Harte (Gort)
8. David Burke (St Thomas’)
9. Davy Glennon (Mullagh)
10. Niall Burke (Oranmore/Maree)
11. Joseph Cooney (Sarsfields)
12. Joe Canning (Portumna)
13. Conor Whelan (Kinvara)
14. Cathal Mannion (Ahascragh/Fohenagh)
15. Conor Cooney (St Thomas’)
Subs
24. Cyril Donnellan (Padraig Pearses) for J Cooney (46)
4. Fergal Moore (Turloughmore) for Coen (54)
25. Jason Flynn (Tommy Larkins) for N Burke (57)
22. Andy Smith (Portumna) for Glennon (59)
17. Paul Killeen (Tynagh-Abbey/Duniry) for Hanbury (66).
Referee: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary).
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