Far from their best, but Kilkenny still had plenty left in the tank
Kilkenny were nine points to the good nine minutes into the second half and coasting when there was a notable drop in the intensity that had characterised their performance up to that stage.
They endured that blip but not without some discomfort as Joe Canning fired over four points and wing-back Paul Hoban managed to find the net in the 57th minute in a period of dominance that belied what Galway had mustered up until then.
Kilkenny’s advantage was reduced to one on the hour mark before Colin Fennelly settled them down and TJ Reid, scorer of 14 points, added his third 65 of the day. Canning mishit a free when attempting to make it a two-point game but compensated shortly afterwards with a placed ball from further out.
Richie Hogan, subdued by his high standards, sent over his second point in injury-time and Reid followed it with a long-range free to secure Kilkenny’s second win on the bounce but it was too close for comfort for most of the 7,402 in attendance.
The fare was mediocre for the most part. The wide count for both teams – Kilkenny hit 12 while Galway amassed 14 – was far from satisfactory as were the handful Galway dropped short.
Once more, Kilkenny were winning the majority of the individual tussles and had sidelined Canning, operating at full-forward, to a bit-part role in the first half. The indiscipline in the Galway back-line was dreadful and compounded by their forwards’ inability to make the ball stick when it came their way.
Brian Cody knew his team could have killed off this game as a contest long before Hogan and Reid’s insurance points in additional time.
Galway had a goal chance in the fifth minute but Joey Holden expertly hooked Jason Flynn, denying him a shot from point-blank range.
But the lion’s share of goal chances fell to Kilkenny. Walter Walsh could have netted either side of half-time. His first attempt in the 19th minute was put out for a 65 by James Skehill; his second in the 44th was also negotiated by the Galway goalkeeper.
But it was Hogan who had the clearest sight of Skehill’s net in the 37th minute when Colin Fennelly drove hard at the Galway full-back line before offloading to his team-mate who failed to fully connect when attempting a double and sent the ball wide.
“We had the opportunities,” said Cody. “We had a decent lead at half-time and in the first five minutes, 10 minutes of the second half, we had opportunities for scores which we didn’t take so that’s the way it went. In the second half then, it wasn’t the most brilliant game I’d say out there.”
It certainly wasn’t, although Kilkenny were full value for their 0-13 to 0-5 half-time lead. Galway had gone ahead in the first minute but it was the only occasion in the entire game. Kilkenny took over from the 12th minute when Conor Fogarty fired over the first of those seven unanswered points. Three of them were from Reid frees as ball was coming the way of their forwards at a rate of knots.
At the other end, Kilkenny were more than coping with what was fired at them. Over the entire 74 minutes, Canning was reduced to one free in their jurisdiction. “In fairness, the backs were very, very good I thought and they had to be,” reviewed Cody.
“I thought Pádraig Walsh was outstanding to be fair but overall we’d not be completely happy with the performance.”
Canning’s appearance around the middle was a trigger for Galway’s revival and he had four points to his name in the second before Hoban’s goal. The defender found the corner of the net through a mass of bodies although in the build-up there was a question about the number of steps he had taken.
Once more, Cody was economical with his use of the bench despite there being more players than just Kevin Kelly guilty of performing below par. It didn’t matter and neither did their temporary second-half wilt. It was still too good for Galway.
TJ Reid (0-14, 7 frees, 3 65s); R Hogan, C Fogarty, J Maher (0-2 each); C Fennelly (0-1).
J Canning (0-8, 3 frees); P Hoban (1-0); I Tannian, D Glennon (0-2 each); J Flynn, P Brehony (0-1 each).
R Reid; S Prendergast, J Holden, JJ Tyrrell; P Walsh, J Holden, C Buckley; L Ryan, C Fogarty; C Fennelly, TJ Reid, J Maher; W Walsh, K Kelly, R Hogan.
JJ Farrell for K Kelly (62).
J Skehill; G McInerney, F Moore, Daithí Burke; A Harte, David Burke, P Hoban; A Smith, D Glennon; N Burke, I Tannian, C Whelan; C Mannion, J Canning, J Flynn.
E Burke for C Mannion (h-t); M Keating for A Smith (41); P Brehony for C Whelan (52); S Maloney for I Tannian (60); R Cummins for J Flynn (68).
B Kelly (Westmeath)
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