Tight win for Galway

By Michael Moynihan, Pearse Stadium.

Galway 0-20 Kilkenny 0-18

This was a tight win for Galway at home, edging out visitors Kilkenny by two points in sunny Salthill.

Kilkenny appeared to win the toss and faced the breeze in the first half, but in terms of conditions the pitch had the biggest influence of proceedings - a yielding surface with deep dividing lines was a trial to all the players, betraying them with odd bounces when not trapping the ball in the turf.

Galway’s positives weren’t confined to the sight of Joe Canning on the field in springtime. Once home centre-back Greg Lally got to grips with Richie Hogan the men in maroon had a firm footing for their attacks.

Andrew Smith and Jonathan Glynn used their strength well in the middle third and accurate free-taker Jason Flynn helped them to a five-point lead as half-time approached.

Credit to Kilkenny, they rallied in the final minutes of the half and two late Hogan frees made it 0-11 to 0-8 at the break.

Galway dominated much of the second half thanks to the arrival of Canning as a half-time substitute and Glynn’s ball-winning, but Hogan kept Kilkenny in touch almost single-handedly.

When he departed injured with just over ten minutes remaining Kilkenny looked likely to struggle, but they cut the deficit to two with time running out, and Colm Callanan in the Galway goal needed to make three smart saves to close out the home side’s victory.

Scorers for Galway: J. Flynn 0-11 (0-7 fs, 0-1 65); J. Canning 0-4 (0-1 sl, 0-2 fs); D. Higgins 0-2; C. Mannion, J. Regan and A. Smith 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kilkenny: R. Hogan 0-10 (0-8 fs); L. Ryan and M. Kelly 0-2 each; J. Farrell, P. Walsh, W. Phelan and W. Walsh 0-1 each.

GALWAY: C. Callanan, P Mannion, J. Hanbury, J. Coen, D. Collins (c), G. Lally, G. McInerney, I. Tannian, J. Cooney, A. Smith, J. Glynn, D. Higgins, J. Regan, C. Mannion, J. Flynn.

Subs: J. Canning for Higgins, HT; B. Molloy for J. Flynn, 62; A. Harte for Tannian, 64; K. Hynes for Lally, 69; E. Burke for Regan, 70.

KILKENNY: E. Murphy, P. Murphy, M. Walsh, S. Prendergast, P. Walsh, K. Joyce, C. Buckley,

W. Phelan, L. Ryan, W. Walsh, R. Hogan (c), M. Ruth, M. Kelly, J. Farrell, J. Power.

Subs: J. Tyrrell for M. Walsh (inj), 11; K. Hogan for R. Hogan 57; K. Kelly for M. Kelly, 60

Referee: B. Kelly (Westmeath).