Kilkenny make it six Leinster titles on the trot as Galway revival falls short

Leinster SHC Final: Kilkenny 3-22 Galway 1-20

From the seemingly routine to the suddenly desperate, Kilkenny wrapped up their sixth successive Leinster hurling title in Croke Park on Sunday, and 77th in all, with a brief sigh of relief. Then perhaps a satisfied smile.

After playing with typical Kilkenny heart and common sense, they either blinked or simply backed off, allowing Galway to come from 13 points down in the 58th minute, to twice make it a four-point game – including right at the end of normal time.

Then in the three minutes of added time that followed, Kilkenny hit another 1-1 without reply, including a second goal gifted to Martin Keoghan, one which replacement Galway goalkeeper Darragh Walsh will wish to forget. And that was that.

It all made for a heart-quaking last 10 minutes for Galway and their supporters, who were left wondering what might have been if only they’d come alive a lot earlier. On a grey afternoon at GAA headquarters, they failed to produce a single shot at the Kilkenny goal in the first half, also going for long passages where they appeared to forget how to score from play at all.

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When Paddy Deegan’s long-range point put Kilkenny 13 points up in the 58th minute, 2-19 to 0-12, some of those among the crowd of 37,503 were eying up the exits. Then it all changed dramatically when Galway hit 1-6 within the next eight minutes, starting with a point from play by midfielder Seán Linnane.

The excellent Cathal Mannion added another, and replacement Tiernan Killeen promptly chipped in with two more. Up to that point, Galway had been unable to get a clear shot at the Kilkenny goal. In the 63rd minute, Mannion sent a free short to Brian Conconnon, who tore into the Kilkenny defence, and shot cleanly into the top right corner.

Two more scores, one from Kevin Cooney and a Mannion free, slimmed the gap to four, and suddenly anything seemed possible. Two more points were exchanged – Kilkenny’s Billy Ryan scoring after a brilliant fetch from the majestic Huw Lawlor, then another from Cooney – before the black-and-amber wave came again, pulling up the drawbridge for good.

Luke Hogan’s long-range shot from under the Hogan Stand fell short, only Walsh completely misread the trajectory of the ball in the Galway goal. It dropped over his head and into the path of Keoghan, who nonetheless pounced with beautiful timing.

Galway goalkeeper Darragh Walsh drops the ball ahead of Martin Keoghan scoring a goal for Kilkenny during the Leinster final at Croke Park. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho

It was rough luck on Walsh, the Turloughmore goalkeeper called into the action at half-time and his first championship game for Galway after Éanna Murphy was forced to retire with a suspected concussion. That resulted from an accidental collision with Keoghan after he scored Kilkenny’s first goal, two minutes before half-time.

Mullen then had the last say, bringing his tally to 0-3 for the afternoon, one of the 10 different Kilkenny scorers. Not long after referee Johnny Murphy blew for time as Galway manager Micheál Donoghue made his way over the Walsh, still grounded in some state of disbelief. A word or two of consolation later and Walsh was back on his feet.

Still Kilkenny’s eight-point winning margin in no way flattered. Galway were out of contention for long stretches, especially for the 36 minutes or so in the middle period of the game when they couldn’t produce a single score from play.

In the meantime, the 37-year-old TJ Reid started to show once again his genius for making time and space into dimensions that suit his needs. In the 32nd minute, he caught his first clean ball in front of goal, only to be called for over-carrying

A minute later, Reid took a pass from John Donnelly, on the 20m line, rocketing a shot into the lower left corner that was brilliantly saved by Éanna Murphy. But Martin Keoghan pounced for the rebound, a split-second before Murphy could clear on the second attempt. Murphy also took a knee to the head for his efforts, which forced his half-time retirement.

At that stage Kilkenny were up 1-9 to 0-8, their four-point advantage defined by Keoghan’s goal. In the 56th minute, Keoghan’s pass to Reid was deftly finished low into the Galway net, and that defined Kilkenny’s overall superiority. Reid finished with 1-4, and his 14th Leinster title.

Kilkenny, with the slight breeze, scored first through Mullen after two minutes, before Galway scored the next three – Cooney, a Mannion free, and TJ Brennan giving them an early advantage.

By the 15th minute, there were 10 scores, five each, from 10 different players. They were level six times in the mostly subdued first half, the sparsity of goal chances from both teams certainly surprising, as if they was some sudden allergy to direct ball.

Kilkenny's TJ Reid celebrates scoring a goal. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho

Galway’s shortcomings were ultimately collective. Conor Whelan started well, but was less effective in the second half, and David Burke ultimately struggled around midfield. Without Mannion’s consistency it might have been a lot worse. He finished with 0-11, including four from play.

These slim scoring pickings by Galway for the first hour were also down to the sheer dominance of Lawlor at full back, and Richie Reid at centre back. Cian Kenny also had an excellent game at midfield alongside Jordan Molloy; they finished with 0-4 between them.

Galway also shot 10 wides, including six in the first half, at which point Cooney was the only player among their full-forward line to score from play. Mannion’s free at the start of the second half briefly reduced the margin to three again, before Kilkenny promptly hit three without reply, including a brilliant point from Billy Ryan.

Had Galway somehow managed to stay closer, it might have made for a different outcome. Kilkenny, however, are deserving champions once again.

KILKENNY: E Murphy; M Butler, H Lawlor, T Walsh; M Carey (0-2), R Reid, P Deegan (0-1); C Kenny (0-2), J Molloy (0-1), J Donnelly (0-1), A Mullen (0-4), B Ryan (0-3), S Donnelly (0-2), TJ Reid (1-4, four frees), M Keoghan (2-2).

Subs: D Blanchfield for Walsh, L Hogan for Donnelly (both 58 mins); S Murphy for Butler (66); K Doyle for Molloy (70); H Shine for Ryan (71).

GALWAY: É Murphy; P Mannion, Daithí Burke, F Burke; C Fahy, G Lee, TJ Brennan (0-1); S Linnane (0-1), David Burke; J Fleming (0-1), C Mannion (0-11, 7f), T Monaghan (0-1); C Whelan, B Concannon (1-0), K Cooney (0-3).

Subs: D Morrissey for F Burke (37 mins, inj); D Walsh for Murphy (half-time), R Glennon for David Burke (43); T Killeen (0-2) for Fleming (53); A Burns for Monaghan (66).

Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)