First half blitz sees Galway beat spirited Kilkenny in U20 semi-final

The Tribesmen led by a staggering 1-13 to 0-3 at half-time as they blitzed a Kilkenny side that looked out of sorts.

Diarmuid Kilcommins of Galway in action against Timmy Clifford of Kilkenny. Picture: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Galway 1-18 Kilkenny 1-13 

A first half scoring blitz meant that Galway reached another Leinster U20 final, but the Tribesmen left Tullamore after their five-point victory over Kilkenny still with plenty to think about.

Setting up a repeat of the delayed 2020 decider against Dublin, Galway led by a staggering 1-13 to 0-3 at half-time as they blitzed a Kilkenny side that looked out of sorts.

Enter the second half and the tables turned, with Galway looking a shadow of their first-half selves and Kilkenny showing what they were made of, with a comeback that fell just short.

Galway led 0-8 to 0-1 at the first half water break with Donal O’Shea landing four of those scores. O’Shea was on target a couple of minutes later with a goal as they oozed dominance all over the field.

They kept tagging on the scores and with a 13-point lead at half-time, the game looked over.

Kilkenny bossed the second half and with Eoin Guilfoyle nailing the frees, they began to eat away at the lead. A Tomas Dunne goal from a penalty rebound came in the middle of a 14-minute Galway scoreless spell and only five points separated the sides with eight minutes to go.

Galway defended with their lives to hold off a late barrage of Kilkenny attacks to advance to the Leinster final.

Scorers for Galway: D O’Shea 1-7 (0-3f and 0-1 ’65), S McDonagh 0-3 (0-2 s/l cuts), S Neary, J Cooney 0-2 each, D Kilcommins, N Collins, C Flaherty and P Commins 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kilkenny: E Guilfoyle 0-7 (0-5f and 0-1 ’65), T Dunne 1-0, A Tallis (f), P McDonald, S Staunton, C Kenny, C Kelly and B Drennan 0-1 each.

GALWAY: P Rabbitte; E Lawless, E Grace, C Brennan; S Quirke, S Neary, E Duggan; I McGlynn, J O’Donoghue; D Kilcommins, S McDonagh, J Cooney; N Collins, D O’Shea, O Flannery.

Subs: A Connaire for I McGlynn (33), P Commins for O Flannery (40), C Flaherty for E Duggan (47), O Slevin for J Cooney (53), T Killeen for S McDonagh (56)

KILKENNY: A Tallis; D Fogarty, J Young, P McDonald; S Staunton, C Beirne, P Dempsey; C Kenny, P Moylan; C Brennan, C Kelly, J Morrissey; T Clifford, L Moore, E Guilfoyle.

Subs: P Cody for L Moore (20), I Byrne for C Brennan (25), T Dunne for P Dempsey (ht), B Drennan for J Morrissey (37), G Murphy for C Kelly (55)

Referee: Patrick Murphy (Carlow)