Conor Whelan snatches point for Galway against Kilkenny

Galway 2-23 Kilkenny 0-29

Galway manager Henry Shefflin was on a hiding to nothing in this match. Provincial champions Kilkenny arrived short four of their best players, leaving their opponents presumed winners of this Leinster round-robin contest in front of 9,621 spectators.

Shefflin is, naturally, aware that those suppositions, rarely a comfortable way to embark on a match, create specific anxieties when Kilkenny are the opposition.

The match swung from one which Galway weren’t winning by enough, considering their dominance of possession and chances, to one that was now in the balance to one they were likely to lose, as the second half progressed and Kilkenny kept their noses in front.

That they almost pulled off their first victory in a provincial group match against Galway was a tribute to how hard they worked to stay afloat, regardless of two goals that looked as if they would alter the trajectory of the match.

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It also reflected a dominant middle third display that saw their centrefield and half forwards shoot 0-16 from play, Martin Keoghan and John Donnelly outstanding in the quality of their marksmanship.

Galway brought troubles on their own head. Their wides count of 14 doubled that of their opponents. Their concession of short puck-outs enabled Kilkenny to build from the back without interference and lack of awareness allowed defenders to take possession when unmarked.

The late charge brought about by the arrival of the tall poppies, Jonathan Glynn back in championship harness after five years in absentia and Jason Flynn. Huw Lawlor isn’t the most obviously accommodating full back for a spell of retro attacking but a chance did arise only for Aidan Tallis to make a fine save from Glynn.

TJ Reid had just pushed Kilkenny two ahead going into injury-time when Galway launched a frantic recovery. Reid was seen by many as hard done by when he looked to have been fouled but instead the free went against him for overholding the ball.

Evan Niland, introduced in the second half, had remedied one of Galway’s problems – some errant free-taking by Conor Cooney – and he was flawless from placed balls, including one from his own 45.

For this one in injury-time, he cut the margin to just one, 2-22 to 0-29.

Galway had started as if they were going to dominate the match. Their forwards were moving in all directions and their backs read the play so well that they frequently were waiting for the ball.

Four times in the opening quarter they led by four. Cathal Mannion was irrepressible, shooting 0-4 and providing the assist for Gavin Lee’s 20th-minute goal. Both he and Brian Concannon in the lead-up turned down points to play the ball to a better placed man.

Lee came in from the right and finished with aplomb.

Kilkenny were the ones who wrested control of the match however and shot the next three points to annul the goal. They pulled clear by half-time, reeling off five points in a row from Reid, a free, Keoghan, Phelan, outfielding David Burke, and Mikey Butler steaming forward to take a pass from David Blanchfield. They led 0-16 to 1-9 at the break.

Galway, who had lost corner back Darren Morrissey to a dislocated shoulder after 28 minutes, needed to get back in contention but couldn’t get a run on the scoreboard. Then in the 42nd minute, Lee pointed and in the following two minutes, Concannon scored the second goal, taking advantage of Tallis’s failure to control Conor Cooney’s dropping shot. Conor Whelan struck for his second and the scores were level.

Kilkenny refused to wobble and hit two points in response to lead 0-21 to 2-13. That was the pattern of play from then on: Galway trying to bridge the gap and Kilkenny maintaining it.

Shefflin reflected on the theme of the afternoon.

“The story of the game again today was Kilkenny’s efficiency, which is always high. They were up at 70 per cent while we were around 60 per cent and that probably meant we were chasing the game at the end.

“If we had taken a few chances, we probably might have gotten ahead but that’s the brilliance of Kilkenny, the way that they go about it and perform like that every day, no matter who’s playing.”

So, he hadn’t planned specifically for his opponents’ missing players.

“Absolutely not. I knew what Kilkenny were going to bring because people had the narrative that they’re down a few and this was Galway’s game. That’s dangerous, as we know, with the quality of the Kilkenny players.”

Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng praised his team’s work rate and the cohesion of his squad.

“It’s not an easy place to come and play, so really happy with the panel to be honest. It was a panel performance. Look, we’ll have competition but we are going to need it.”

GALWAY: D Fahy; D Morrissey, F Burke, P Mannion; S Linnane, C Fahy (0-2), Daithí Burke; R Glennon, David Burke; G Lee (1-2), T Monaghan, B Concannon (1-1); C Whelan (0-3), C Cooney (0-4, 2f, 1 65), C Mannion (0-4).

Subs: J Grealish for Morrissey (29 mins), E Niland (0-7, 6f) for Monaghan (45), Joseph Cooney for David Burke, J Glynn for Concannon (both 58), J Flynn for Lee (69).

KILKENNY: A Tallis; M Butler (0-1), H Lawlor, T Walsh; D Blanchfield (0-1), P Deegan (capt), S Murphy; C Kenny (0-3), R Reid (0-2); M Keoghan (0-4), J Donnelly (0-4), T Phelan (0-3); B Ryan (0-1), TJ Reid (0-8, 6f, 1 65), L Hogan.

Subs: O Wall for Hogan, J Molloy (0-2) for Ryan (both 48 mins), D Corcoran for R Reid (72), G Dunne for Keoghan (74).

Referee: Thomas Walsh (Waterford).