Galway 0-23 Kilkenny 1-12
Galway manager Brian Hanley, who last month guided them to a record fourth All-Ireland minor hurling title in a row in the 2020 decider, said this semi-final win over Kilkenny is the best this management team has produced.
This was Galway’s first game in this season’s competition but despite just a few weeks preparation, they still had too much for Leinster champions Kilkenny at Semple Stadium.
Galway will now go on to meet Cork in the final on Saturday week, seeking their 15th crown in the grade.
“This is the best victory we have had as a management team since we won the Under-16 three years ago, followed by the two minors,” said Hanley.
“We are trying to develop a brand of hurling that suits Galway and to produce that with no games is absolutely brilliant. These lads have been in the shadows of two All-Ireland winning teams and had to do a lot on their own it’s a credit to them, their families and their clubs. For them to produce that was absolutely brilliant.”
Hanley’s men had only one starting survivor from that win but despite this being their first match of the campaign they were still too good for the Leinster champions.
The sides twice exchanged points in the opening 12 minutes but Galway, backed by the breeze, got the next four scores with Rory Burke landing a couple of frees and John Cosgrove and Michéal Power converting efforts from play to lead by 0-6 to 0-2 after 17 minutes.
Kilkenny hit back and while Danny Glennon was denied a couple of goal chances by the crossbar and Galway goalkeeper Darragh Walsh, the only one to start the 2020 final last month, they reduced the margin through Ben Whitty and Harry Shine.
But the scores came easier to Galway and with Burke, son of former Galway goalkeeper Richard, bringing his opening half tally to seven points from placed balls, they led by double scores at the break by 0-12 to 0-6 with Darragh Neary and Dylan Dunne also picking off good scores from play.
Galway full-back Tiernan Leen was outstanding but Kilkenny got some hope from points from Joe Fitzpatrick and another free from Shine to trail by six at the break.
Cosgrove extended Galway’s lead directly after the restart but then Glennon finally got in for a goal for Kilkenny and Shine quickly added two points to cut the gap to 0-13 to 1-8 after 34 minutes.
Galway, who brought in Anthony Keady, son of the late 1988 Hurler of the Year Tony, responded well and outscored Kilkenny by five points to one to lead by 0-18 to 1-9 before the Cats hit back with efforts from Cillian Hackett and a second from wing-back Fitzpatrick before Oisin Lohan made it 0-19 to 1-11 at the second water break and they pushed on from there.
Galway: D Walsh; M Tarpey, T Leen (0-1), J O'Connor; D Dunne (0-1), D Davoren, N Gill; J Ryan, C Lawless; D Shaughnessy (0-1), M Power (0-3), D Neary (0-2); J Cosgrove (0-2), R Burke (0-10, nine frees, one '65), O Lohan (0-3) Subs: A Keady for Lawless (38 mins), C Headd for Dunne (57 mins), T Nolan for Power (58 mins), M O'Connor for Ryan (60 mins).
Kilkenny: A Dunphy; E Rudkins, B Hughes, S Moore; J Fitzpatrick (0-2), G Dunne, O Lyng; A Ireland Wall, K Doyle; J Walsh, H Shine (0-7, six frees), B Whitty (0-1); D Glennon (1-1), K Carey, T Dunne Subs: K Corcoran for Rudkins (7 mins), C Hackett for Walsh (half-time), D Queally for Ireland Wall (47 mins), M Brennan for Whitty (55 mins).
Referee: R McGann (Clare).
