Galway minors defeat Kilkenny to move within 60 minutes of minor five in a row
Danny Glennon of Kilkenny in action against Joshua O'Connor of Galway at Semple Stadium. Photo by Piaras Ó MÃdheach/Sportsfile
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It took Galway 55 years to win their first All-Ireland minor hurling title but now they are on the cusp of winning their second in just over a month after continuing their dominance over Kilkenny in the grade at Semple Stadium.
Galway defeated Kilkenny in the delayed 2020 decider last month to win a record fourth in a row but the Cats’ hopes of getting revenge for losing the last three finals to them never looked like materialising.
Kilkenny had the benefit of two matches on their way to winning the Leinster title but Galway, despite it being this team’s maiden voyage in this campaign, got an upper hand early on and never relented.
They will now meet Cork in the final, which has been provisionally fixed for Semple Stadium next Saturday. It will be Galway’s 17th final appearance in 23 years, eleven of which they have won and they will be searching for their 15th title in history when they take on a fancied Cork side.
This Galway side has many links to the past, the most poignant being the introduction of Anthony Keady, son of the late 1988 Hurler of the Year Tony, while another member of that double-winning team in the late eighties, Eanna Ryan, had his son Joshua at midfield.
The top scorer was Rory Burke, whose dad Richard was goalkeeper for Galway in the 1993 All-Ireland final loss to Kilkenny, and the accuracy of the Oranmore/Maree clubman, who is underage again next season, was key as he landed 10 points.
The sides twice exchanged points in the opening 12 minutes but Galway, backed by the breeze, got the next four scores with Burke landing a couple of frees and John Cosgrove and Michéal Power shooting efforts from play to lead by 0-6 to 0-2 after 17 minutes.
Burke was in superb form from placed balls he struck seven before the break, six from frees and one from a ’65.
The Tribesmen were on top in most positions with full-back Tiernan Leen outstanding, while captain Diarmuid Davoren was rock solid outside him.
Yet, Kilkenny should have got in for two early goals but Danny Glennon clipped the top of the crossbar after just half a minute while Galway goalkeeper Darragh Walsh, the only one to start the 2020 final last month, produced a superb save to deny him after 16 minutes.
Kilkenny did manage to reduce the margin through Ben Whitty and Harry Shine.
But the scores came easier to Galway and with Burke bringing his opening half tally to seven points from placed balls, they led by double scores at the break by 0-12 to 0-6 with Darragh Neary and Dylan Dunne also picking off good scores from play.
Galway full-back Tiarnan Leen was outstanding but Kilkenny got some hope from points from Joe Fitzpatrick and another free from Shine to trail by six at the break.
Cosgrove extended Galway’s lead directly after the restart but then Glennon finally got in for a goal for Kilkenny and Shine quickly added two points to cut the gap to 0-13 to 1-8 after 34 minutes.
Keady made an impact after his introduction and Galway responded well and outscored Kilkenny by five points to one to lead by 0-18 to 1-9 before the Cats hit back with efforts from Cillian Hackett and a second from wing-back Fitzpatrick. Oisin Lohan made it 0-19 to 1-11 at the second water break.
Kilkenny badly needed another goal to get back in contention but the Galway defence was outstanding and limited the Leinster champions to a single point in the final quarter.
All six Galway forwards scored and they pushed on for victory when Lohan took his haul to three points and Leen crowned an outstanding display to go forward from his full-back berth and shoot a point as they set up a final meeting with Cork.
D Walsh; M Tarpey, T Leen (0-1), J O’Connor; D Dunne (0-1), D Davoren, N Gill; J Ryan, C Lawless; D Shaughnessy (0-1), M Power (0-3), D Neary (0-2); J Cosgrove (0-2), R Burke (0-10, 0-9f, 0-1’65), O Lohan (0-03).
A Keady for Lawless (38), C Headd for Dunne (57), T Nolan for Power (58), M O’Connor for Ryan (60).
A Dunphy; E Rudkins, B Hughes, S Moore; J Fitzpatrick (0-2), G Dunne, O Lyng; A Ireland Wall, K Doyle; J Walsh, H Shine (0-7, 0-6f), B Whitty (0-1); D Glennon (1-1), K Carey, T Dunne.
K Corcoran for Rudkins (7), C Hackett (0-1) for Walsh (ht), D Queally for Ireland Wall (47), M Brennan for Whitty (55).
Rory McGann (Clare).
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