Ruttledge goal seals victory for Galway

GALWAY banished nightmares of Nowlan Park with a 2-13 to 2-7 victory over Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final.

The game hung in the balance right until Tara Ruttledge pulled on a loose ball to fire past Catriona Ryan with two minutes left to play. Up to then the Cats kept in touch thanks mainly to the accuracy of Aoife Neary from frees.

Ironically, it was one of her poorer efforts that helped to give her side the impetus to mount a comeback that made for a gripping second-half. Neary’s free dropped short and Edel Maher was on hand to finish. From then on the game ebbed and flowed right until Ruttledge raised the green flag.

Galway dominated the first half but, despite having the vast majority of possession, were not making it count on the scoreboard.

After 22 minutes they led by 0-6 to 0-2 with Niamh Kilkenny hitting four points. Aoife Connolly and Brenda Hanney had opened the scoring for the winners before Aoife Neary got Kilkenny off the mark.

Then, just before the break, the game moved up a notch as Brenda Hanney buried the ball in the net.

Niamh Kilkenny immediately tagged on a point as the scoreboard began to give a truer reflection of the pattern of the game.

Then a green flag by Aisling Dunphy, a classic ground stroke, seemed to wake the home side.

Veronica Curtin scythed through the Cats defence moments later to tap over to register the last score of a half that had really exploded in the last minutes. The high tempo continued after the restart as Maher got Kilkenny back into it.

Aoife Neary and Aisling Dunphy’s efforts sandwiched a point from Galway sub Noreen Coen. Neary hit her fourth and fifth free to make it a one point match as the final quarter dawned.

Player of the match Niamh Kilkenny was on target on the double with a free and another great score after a trademark run. Kilkenny sub Shelly Farrell then split the posts with ten minutes to go and it looked like the game was turning. But a free from Niamh Kilkenny kept the Westerners out in front as the nerves began to fray.

Ruttledge then put the game beyond doubt with her goal. Captain Brenda Hanney got the last point of the day and then it was time to batten down the hatches as Galway stood firm.