MICHEÁL DONOGHUE SENT for the cavalry, and the cavalry delivered.
After their harrowing defeat to Tipperary last Sunday in Salthill, nine changes were made to the Galway team for this afternoon’s trip to Kilkenny and three in particular proved crucial, with Gavin Lee and Pádraic Mannion lording things in the backline while Declan McLoughlin made it three goals in two games with a brace of green flags, while adding in a couple of excellent points for good measure.
For Derek Lyng, Kilkenny’s first round win in Ennis afforded a little bit of breathing room, and while the player-by-player review will be mixed, with Martin Keoghan really the only impressive performer from midfield up, the resilience that his group showed to retrieve an eight-point deficit and score 1-6 unanswered through an 18-minute spell in the middle of the second half will be heartening.
Ultimately however, Galway found that little bit more at the end, with Darren Morrissey driving forward to win two frees that Jason Flynn converted, while Conor Whelan crowned their win with his first point of the afternoon with the last puck.
Over the course of the 70 minutes, Galway more than earned their victory. David Blanchfield and Huw Lawlor did their best to lock things down at the back and give Kilkenny a platform, while Aidan Tallis and Pádraic Moylan did enough to suggest they won’t relinquish their jerseys easily, but Keoghan carried too much of the scoring load up front for the Cats to deserve a result.
The Tullaroan wing-forward hit five of his seven points in the first half, while Galway struck from deep more often than not, with Mannion, Lee and Thomas Monaghan scoring two each from wing back. McLoughlin’s first goal after three minutes gave the westerners the dream start, and it was Kilkenny who were flattered by the half-time scoreline of 1-11 to 0-10.
Conor Whelan of Galway comes up against Paddy Deegan of Kilkenny. James Lawlor / INPHO
James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO
While the error count continued to be high, the contest was much livelier from the start of the second half, with Galway extending their lead through a run of scores from Gavin Lee, John Cooney and Cianán Fahy, then putting real daylight between the sides through McLoughlin’s second goal, slammed to the net after Tallis parried John Cooney’s initial shot.
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Regardless of who wears the black and amber jersey however, the residual quality that is their indomitability is evergreen. Billy Ryan and Shane Walsh both gave an injection of energy off the bench, they increased their control of the defensive sector to hold Galway scoreless for 18 minutes, and without ever looking like they were hurling with precision or crispness, they chipped away at the lead. Darach Fahy repelled one Eoin Cody effort on goal with a superb save but he could do nothing about the Ballyhale attacker’s second strike, whipped into the corner to draw the largest shout of the day from the crowd of 5,460.
Follow the formlines from last week, and that should have been enough. But Donoghue didn’t go back to his leaders for no reason, and four points in succession clinched a crucial away win, and left the top tier of the league very finely poised into the bargain.
Scorers for Kilkenny: Eoin Cody 1-6 (0-6f), Martin Keoghan 0-7, Cian Kenny 0-3, Peter McDonald 0-1, Pádraic Moylan 0-1, Luke Hogan 0-1.
Scorers for Galway: Declan McLoughlin 2-2, Gavin Lee 0-3, Tom Monaghan 0-3, Jason Flynn 0-3f, Pádraic Mannion 0-2, Tiernan Killeen 0-1, John Fleming 0-1, Conor Cooney 0-1f, Cianán Fahy 0-1, John Cooney 0-1, Conor Whelan 0-1.
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2-2 for McLoughlin as Galway bounce back with crucial win in Kilkenny
Kilkenny 1-19
Galway 2-19
MICHEÁL DONOGHUE SENT for the cavalry, and the cavalry delivered.
After their harrowing defeat to Tipperary last Sunday in Salthill, nine changes were made to the Galway team for this afternoon’s trip to Kilkenny and three in particular proved crucial, with Gavin Lee and Pádraic Mannion lording things in the backline while Declan McLoughlin made it three goals in two games with a brace of green flags, while adding in a couple of excellent points for good measure.
For Derek Lyng, Kilkenny’s first round win in Ennis afforded a little bit of breathing room, and while the player-by-player review will be mixed, with Martin Keoghan really the only impressive performer from midfield up, the resilience that his group showed to retrieve an eight-point deficit and score 1-6 unanswered through an 18-minute spell in the middle of the second half will be heartening.
Ultimately however, Galway found that little bit more at the end, with Darren Morrissey driving forward to win two frees that Jason Flynn converted, while Conor Whelan crowned their win with his first point of the afternoon with the last puck.
Over the course of the 70 minutes, Galway more than earned their victory. David Blanchfield and Huw Lawlor did their best to lock things down at the back and give Kilkenny a platform, while Aidan Tallis and Pádraic Moylan did enough to suggest they won’t relinquish their jerseys easily, but Keoghan carried too much of the scoring load up front for the Cats to deserve a result.
The Tullaroan wing-forward hit five of his seven points in the first half, while Galway struck from deep more often than not, with Mannion, Lee and Thomas Monaghan scoring two each from wing back. McLoughlin’s first goal after three minutes gave the westerners the dream start, and it was Kilkenny who were flattered by the half-time scoreline of 1-11 to 0-10.
While the error count continued to be high, the contest was much livelier from the start of the second half, with Galway extending their lead through a run of scores from Gavin Lee, John Cooney and Cianán Fahy, then putting real daylight between the sides through McLoughlin’s second goal, slammed to the net after Tallis parried John Cooney’s initial shot.
Regardless of who wears the black and amber jersey however, the residual quality that is their indomitability is evergreen. Billy Ryan and Shane Walsh both gave an injection of energy off the bench, they increased their control of the defensive sector to hold Galway scoreless for 18 minutes, and without ever looking like they were hurling with precision or crispness, they chipped away at the lead. Darach Fahy repelled one Eoin Cody effort on goal with a superb save but he could do nothing about the Ballyhale attacker’s second strike, whipped into the corner to draw the largest shout of the day from the crowd of 5,460.
Follow the formlines from last week, and that should have been enough. But Donoghue didn’t go back to his leaders for no reason, and four points in succession clinched a crucial away win, and left the top tier of the league very finely poised into the bargain.
Scorers for Kilkenny: Eoin Cody 1-6 (0-6f), Martin Keoghan 0-7, Cian Kenny 0-3, Peter McDonald 0-1, Pádraic Moylan 0-1, Luke Hogan 0-1.
Scorers for Galway: Declan McLoughlin 2-2, Gavin Lee 0-3, Tom Monaghan 0-3, Jason Flynn 0-3f, Pádraic Mannion 0-2, Tiernan Killeen 0-1, John Fleming 0-1, Conor Cooney 0-1f, Cianán Fahy 0-1, John Cooney 0-1, Conor Whelan 0-1.
Kilkenny
1. Aidan Tallis (Lisdowney)
4. Pádraic Moylan (Dicksboro), 2. Mikey Butler (O’Loughlin Gaels), 3. Huw Lawlor (O’Loughlin Gaels)
5. Michael Carey (Young Irelands), 6. David Blanchfield (Bennettsbridge), 7. Zach Bay Hammond (Thomastown)
9. Peter McDonald (Thomastown), 8. Paddy Deegan (O’Loughlin Gaels)
10. Martin Keoghan (Tullaroan), 11. Cian Kenny (James Stephens), 12. Luke Connellan (Thomastown)
13. Luke Hogan (O’Loughlin Gaels), 14. Eoin Cody (Shamrocks Ballyhale), 15. Gearóid Dunne (Tullaroan)
Subs
Galway
1. Darach Fahy (Ardrahan)
4. Darren Morrissey (Sarsfields), 6. Gavin Lee (Clarinbridge), 2. Shane Morgan (Loughrea)
7. TJ Brennan (Clarinbridge), 3. Fintan Burke (St. Thomas’), 5. Pádraic Mannion (Ahascragh Fohenagh)
9. Tom Monaghan (Craughwell), 8. Ciarán Fahy (Ardrahan)
15. John Fleming (Meelick-Eyrecourt), 11. Tiernan Killeen (Loughrea), 10. John Cooney (Sarsfields)
14. Conor Cooney (St. Thomas’), 22. Declan McLoughlin (Portumna), 13. Conor Whelan (Kinvara)
Subs
Referee: Tomás Walsh (Waterford).
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Division 1A Hurling Galway Hurling Kilkenny