Donal O’Shea shows pedigree as Galway see off Cats

Son of former Tipp boss Eamon hit 0-12

Galway’s Donal O'Shea with James Brennan of Kilkenny. Picture: INPHO/Morgan Treacy

Leinster U20 HC: Galway 0-19 Kilkenny 1-11

 Donal O'Shea was Kilkenny's chief tormentor again with a dozen points as Galway secured their Bord Gais Energy Leinster U20 HC final place.

The son of former Tipperary senior manager Eamon O'Shea went two points better than the 0-10 he struck against Kilkenny in Galway's 2018 All-Ireland minor final win.

Galway have won the last three All-Ireland minor titles, two of those at Kilkenny's expense, and drew many of their U20 players from those wins.

They took their time to shake off a determined Kilkenny side managed by Derek Lyng and the holders actually led with 20 minutes to go.

But two separate Galway scoring bursts of 0-4 without reply helped Jeff Lynskey's side to regain pole position and they finished strongly.

They will return to action in the provincial final on January 3 and will benefit from this arm wrestle in heavy conditions against an old enemy.

The sides were level eight times up to 0-8 apiece in the first-half and while Galway led 0-11 to 0-8 at the interval, Kilkenny failed to convert two Eoin Guilfoyle goal chances.

Guilfoyle eventually got his goal two minutes after the restart and Ian Byrne added a point to put Kilkenny into a 1-9 to 0-11 lead.

It remained that way with 40 minutes played but Kilkenny only added two more points, both Guilfoyle frees, while Galway reeled off those eight points in two bursts of 0-4 to surge through.

Galway scorers: D O'Shea (0-12, 11 frees); C Flaherty (1 free), D Shaughnessy, S Neary, A Prendergast, A Connaire, S McDonagh, J Fleming (0-1 each).

Kilkenny scorers: E Guilfoyle (1-7, 7 frees); C Heary (0-2); E Cody, I Byrne (0-1 each).

Galway: D Fahy; O Salmon, TJ Brennan, J O'Donoghue; D Kilcommins, C Flaherty, D Shaughnessy; I McGlynn, A Connaire; A Prendergast, S Neary, C Walsh; J Fleming, O Flannery, D O'Shea.

Subs: S McDonagh for Flannery 25, A Brett for Prendergast 57, M Kennedy for O'Shea 61, E Lawless for Salmon 62, C Killeen for Connaire 65.

Kilkenny: D Mason; S Staunton, D Corcoran, D O'Keeffe; M O'Neill, D Blanchfield, C Murphy; K Egan, M O'Connell; E Cody, C Kenny, C Heary; I Byrne, S Donnelly, E Guilfoyle.

Subs: J Morrissey for Byrne 39, J Brennan for Staunton 43, C Brennan for O'Connell 50, C Kelly for Murphy 54, C Kinsella for Donnelly 59.

Referee: R Fitzsimons (Offaly).