Galway 2-23
Kilkenny 0-29
GALWAY CAPTAIN CONOR Whelan rescued a draw when he pointed in the fifth minute of added time in this Leinster SHC clash at Pearse Stadium.
Kilkenny looked set for victory when TJ Reid put them two in front going into injury-time but after Evan Niland reduced the margin, Whelan saved Galway with his last-gasp score in front of a crowd of 9,631.
Galway won the toss and opted to play against the strong wind in the opening and they went in trailing by 0-16 to 1-9 after Kilkenny finished the half strongly.
Galway got on top initially and were good value for their 0-4 to 0-1 lead after seven minutes with two points from Cathal Mannion and one apiece from Brian Concannon and Cianan Fahy.
Kilkenny, like Galway operating a two-man full-forward line, reduced the gap with efforts from Martin Keoghan and John Donnelly, but it took them until the end of the first quarter to get back on level terms when they hit three points in-a- row to tie the game at 0-7 apiece, before Keoghan, who hit 0-4 in the first half, edged Kilkenny in front for the first time.
But then Galway struck for a goal. Whelan fed Brian Concannon who set up his cousin Cathal Mannion but rather than pick off an easy point he threaded the ball across and Gavin Lee found the net for the second week in-a-row with a low shot to the left corner.
Earlier, new Kilkenny goalkeeper Aidan Tallis did well to save from Mannion and they responded well to the concession of the goal with TJ Reid and Keoghan drawing them level with points.
Galway lost corner-back Darren Morrissey to a shoulder injury, with TJ Reid restoring Kilkenny’s lead with a free.
Two more points from Mannion — Galway’s only scores before the break after the goal in 19th minute — cut the gap to the minimum, but Kilkenny finished the half strongly with five points without reply.
Reid got two of them, one from play, with Keoghan getting another along with corner-back Mikey Butler after Tom Phelan shot his second to take a four-points lead into the break.
The sides twice exchanged points in the opening four minutes of the second half with Lee and Whelan scoring for Galway and John Donnelly and Phelan hitting the target for the Cats.
David Blanchfield went forward to point for Kilkenny to put them five in front but after Lee reduced the margin, Galway got a break when Tallis batted down a long ball from Cooney and Brian Concannon pounced for a goal.
Whelan tied the sides immediately afterwards for the fifth time and they were still level at 2-16 to 0-22 after 51 minutes before Kilkenny hit four in a row before Galway rallied again.
They brought on Johnny Glynn for his first action in five years but Tallis denied him from close range and Reid’s eighth point of the contest seemed poised to secure victory for the Leinster champions before Galway rallied and Whelan ensured a share of the spoils.
Galway scorers: Evan Niland 0-7 (0-6f), Gavin Lee 1-2, Cathal Mannion 0-5, Brian Concannon 1-1, Conor Whelan 0-3, Conor Cooney 0-3 (0-2f, 0-1 ’65) Cianan Fahy 0-2.
Kilkenny scorers: TJ Reid 0-8 (0-6f, 0-1 ’65), John Donnelly 0-4, Martin Keoghan 0-4, Tom Phelan 0-3, Cian Kenny 0-3, Richie Reid 0-2, Jordan Molloy 0-2, Billy Ryan 0-1, Mikey Butler 0-1, David Blanchfield 0-1.
Galway
1. Darach Fahy (Ardrahan)
17. Darren Morrissey (Sarsfields), 4. Fintan Burke (St Thomas’), 6. Padraic Mannion (Ahascragh-Fohenagh)
5. Seán Linnane (Turloughmore), 7. Cianan Fahy (Ardrahan), 3. Daithi Burke (Turloughmore)
8. Ronan Glennon (Mullagh), 9. David Burke (St Thomas’)
10. Gavin Lee (Clarinbridge), 11. Tom Monaghan (Craughwell), 12. Brian Concannon (Killimordaly)
15. Cathal Mannion (Ahascragh-Fohenagh), 14. Conor Cooney (St Thomas’), 13. Conor Whelan (Kinvara)
Subs
2. Jack Grealish (Gort) for Morrissey (28)
23. Evan Niland (Clarinbridge) for Monaghan (42)
26. Johnny Glynn (Ardrahan) for Concannon (58)
24. Joseph Cooney (Sarsfields) for David Burke (58)
25. Jason Flynn (Tommy Larkins) for Lee (69)
Kilkenny
1. Aidan Tallis (Lisdowney)
2. Mikey Butler (O’Loughlin Gaels), 3. Huw Lawlor (O’Loughlin Gaels), 4. Tommy Walsh (Tullaroan)
5. David Blanchfield (Bennettsbridge), 6. Paddy Deegan (O’Loughlin Gaels), 7. Shane Murphy (Glenmore)
8. Cian Kenny (James Stephens), 9. Richie Reid (Ballyhale Shamrocks)
10. Martin Keoghan (Tullaroan), 11. John Donnelly (Thomastown), 12. Tom Phelan (Conahy Shamrocks)
13. Billy Ryan (Graigue Ballycallam), 14. TJ Reid (Ballyhale Shamrocks), 24. Luke Hogan (O’Loughlin Gaels)
Subs
15. Owen Wall (O’Loughlin Gaels for Hogan (42)
18. Jordan Molloy (O’Loughlin Gaels) for Ryan (48)
19. Darragh Corcoran (Ballyhale Shamrocks) for R Reid (72)
22. Gearóid Dunne (Tullaroan) for Keoghan (72)
Referee: Thomas Walsh (Waterford).
