League holders Galway defeated Kilkenny for the second year in a row in the National Hurling League following a fine match at Pearse Stadium. Galway’s win ended Kilkenny’s unbeaten run in the League and has ensured that the League will become most competitive.
Galway led by 2-7 to 2-5 at the end of an astonishing first half, but that only tells half the story as the Cats raced into a 2-3 to 0-0 lead after four minutes. However, Galway eventually settled into the game and outscored Kilkenny by 2-7 to 0-2 by half time.
A fired up Kilkenny side started in top gear and were 2-1 to 0-0 ahead after just two minutes. Eoin Larkin pointed after 16 seconds before Michael Fennelly and Eddie Brennan followed up instantly with goals. Galway finally got off the mark with a Joe Gantley goal, and a Richie Hogan free made it 2-4 to 1-0.
Galway then hit three points in succession to close the gap to four and incredibly fought back to lead by 2-6 to 2-5 with half-time approaching. Iarla Tannian got the second Galway goal. Ger Farragher added a pointed free and incredibly Galway led by two at half time, a situation that looked most unlikely at the start of the game.
Tannian got his second goal rather fortuitously shortly – goalie keeper Colin McGrath seemed to lose sight of the ball - after the restart, either side of points from TJ Reid and Cha Fitzpatrick to make it 3-10 to 2-8. A further defensive slip up ended with Cyril Donnellan notching a fourth Galway goal and they led by 4-11 to 2-8 with 16 minutes left. It meant that the game had seen an 18 point swing, from the Cats leading by nine early on, to now trailing by the same margin.
Michael Fennelly and Hogan pointed before Colm Fennelly claimed a third Cats goal 4-11 to 3-10 with eleven minutes to go after a Galway defensive mistake and it was game on again.
The nine-point gap was down to three but Galway held out, with Tannian and Callinan steadying the ship with late points to ensure they won by four in the end. The win leaves Galway now in second place in Division 1 and their clash with Dublin in Parnell Park in two weeks will see a clash of the top two in the league.
Galway: C Callanan; D Collins, C O'Donovan. G O'Halloran; D Barry, T Og Regan, A Cullinane (0-1); G Farragher (0-8, 0-5 frees, 0-1 65), D Burke; E Ryan, A Smith (0-1), C Donnellan (1-0); J Gantley (1-0), I Tannian (2-2), A Callanan (0-2). Subs: D Joyce for A Cullinane (57 mins), J Coen for J Gantley (70 mins), K Kilkenny for E Ryan (71 mins).
Kilkenny: C McGrath; C Fogarty, J Dalton, P Murphy; T Walsh, J Tyrrell, JJ Delaney; M Fennelly (1-3), PJ Delaney; C Fennelly (1-0), E Larkin (0-2), TJ Reid (0-2); E Guinan, E Brennan (1-0), R Hogan (0-5, 0-3 frees, 0-1 65). Subs: J Fitzpatrick (0-1) for J Tyrrell (41 mins), J Mullhall for E Guinan (46 mins).
Referee: C McAlister (Cork).
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