Lots of positives for Cats despite key men missing
BY NIALL SHERRY, SPORTS EDITOR
SPORTSEDITOR@KILKENNYOBSERVER.IE
LEINSTER GAA HURLING SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Round 2, Pearse Stadium
Galway 2-23 Kilkenny 0-29
Kilkenny had to settle for a share of the spoils from their road trip to the west as Conor Whelan’s injury time score levelled matters in Pearse Stadium last Sunday. Leading by two points as the game entered additional time, Galway managed to notch a brace of scores to leave the Leinster Championship wide open. The Cats have a free weekend now but face another two away games against Carlow and Dublin over the following two weekends which will go a long way to shaping the table.
With Eoin Cody and Adrian Mullen missing, manger Derek Lyng made one change to the named line-up, with O’Loughlin Gaels Luke Hogan coming in for his club mate, Owen Wall. It was a big day for Aidan Tallis, who took the No.1 jersey with Glenmore’s Eoin Murphy suffering a mild concussion in the big win over Antrim the previous weekend.
The opening score of the game came inside the first two minutes when Brian Concannon sent over a lovely score having found a pocket of space just inside the ’65. The home side doubled their lead soon after, again the ball into TJ didn’t stick and Cianan Fahy burst forward before rifling over, showing his undoubted versatility. Kilkenny got off the mark following a long Aidan Tallis restart. Luke Hogan battled well, and the loose ball was picked up by Mossy Keoghan who turned onto his right side before splitting the Galway posts for his first point of the day.
Cathal Mannion then intercepted a Shane Murphy handpass before striking a long-range effort over the bar before the same player got the better of Tommy Walsh and creating the angle to tag on another nice score. John Donnelly broke the scoring sequence in the 7th minute when he struck over a quality effort from tight to the left sideline, a much-needed score for Derek Lyng’s side.
A free followed for Henry’s men, converted by St Thomas’s Conor Cooney before Richie Reid popped over a fine point, having had an earlier sighter that tailed a little wide, but the Shamrocks Ballyhale players effort was cancelled out by another placed ball from Cooney. Richie then lost possession and Galway powered forward through Ahascragh’s Cathal Mannion whose goal bound shot was deflected behind for a ‘65 by championship debutant Aidan Tallis. Conor Cooney made no mistake from the placed ball and the Galway lead was back to 3 points. Some hunger and desire then saw the Cats win the ball back and move it to Tom Phelan, who was in space out on the right sideline. The Conahy Shamrocks man fired over a cracking point to keep the visitors well and truly in the game, despite playing with the aid of a very strong typical Salthill wind!
Cian Kenny continued his recent good scoring form by striking a splendid point from his own ‘65 to reduce the Tribesmen’s lead to just one point. A long ball into the Galway defence was caught superbly by TJ who turned for goal, but Waterford whistler Thomas Walsh blew for some holding going on off the ball. TJ popped over the placed ball to level matters with 17 minutes played in Pearse Stadium. Conor Cooney then pulled a free wide and from the restart, Mossy collected the ball and fired over to nudge Kilkenny into the lead for the first time in the game.
Then came the first of three majors for the men in maroon. Brian Concannon was heavily involved, the Killimordaly man found Mannion in space and the Ahascragh player gave a short pass to Gavin Lee who struck a fierce shot across Aidan Tallis and into the Kilkenny net. Shefflin’s men up by two points in the blink of an eye. TJ Reid then had two free’s in quick succession, the first pulled wide, the second, normal service resumed. Billy Ryan then went on a surging run and despite being held up by the Galway defence, he gave a pass to Mossy who with little room to maneuver in, managed to send the sliotar between Darach Fahy’s posts.
Kilkenny skipper, Paddy Deegan who was coming into the game a little more, then picked out TJ with a lovely long pass, but Fintan Burke was deemed to have fouled the multiple All-Star and the Shamrocks man converted the resulting free. Cathal Mannion then notched his 3rd point of the game when he collected the ball, turned Tommy Walsh and fired over to deadlock matters again. The same player then benefited from a misplaced hand pass from Cian Kenny before striking over a lovely point off his right side, to highlight the influence he was having on the round two encounter.
The Noresiders were then awarded a free, when Galway sub Jack Grealish was blown for a clear ‘throw ball’ and TJ punished the indiscretion to level matters for the fourth time. The championship’s all-time top scorer then struck from play to edge the cats ahead and this was built on by another fine point from Tullaroan’s Mossy Keoghan, his 4th point of the day. Tom Phelan then took a wonderful catch before racing towards the Galway goal and rifled over for his second point of the game which was now in the first of three additional minutes.
A long diagonal ball from David Blanchfield was collected by Mikey Butler who showed all the skills of a forward when dissecting the posts with a beautiful effort for the final score of the opening period in Salthill to leave Kilkenny up by four at the short whistle.
The home side got the scoreboard moving after the interval through their goal scorer, Gavin Lee when the Clarinbridge man fired over having been picked out by his captain Conor Whelan. Galway’s Sean Linnane was then turned over after some great pressure by the Cats and Conahy’s Tom Phelan capitalised on this by rifling over a tidy score. The battle between Mikey Butler and Conor Whelan was a great watch in itself, and the Kinvara man pointed after getting an inch of space from the All-Star corner back.
Thomastown’s John Donnelly was next to register, benefiting from TJ’s pressure to pop over from close range before David Blanchfield surged up the Pearse Stadium pitch, shortened his grip and split the posts for a nice score. The Tribesmen then reduced the Kilkenny lead when Gavin lee pointed after good work from Cianan Fahy. Derek Lyng then made his first change in personnel in the 42nd minute, when Owen Wall replaced Luke Hogan, an O’Loughlin for an O’Loughlin.
The visitors’ four-point lead was about to be reduced to the bare minimum. Conor Cooney’s attempted point from halfway was batted down by Aidan Tallis but Brian Concannon reacted sharply to sweep to the Kilkenny net, as the Galway supporters found their voices. Henry’s men had a spring in their step and captain Conor Whelan struck over a point from the restart to level matters in Salthill once more.
The Cats needed to respond, and they did via a point from Billy Ryan, reward for a lot of hard work in the game so far. Henry Shefflin then sent on Evan Niland for Tom Monaghan as he sought to ensure that any placed ball efforts would be converted, having watched Conor Cooney have a mixed 45 minutes on free taking duty. John Donnelly then picked out Richie Reid in the centre of the field and the Shamrocks man struck his second point out west.
David Burke was then fouled by Billy Ryan which gave Evan Niland his first opportunity from the placed ball and the Clarinbridge man duly obliged. Another O’Loughlin’s player then entered the fray, this time it was Jordan Molloy sent on for Graigue Ballycallan’s Billy Ryan. Niland then punished John Donnelly’s foul to land his second point in quick succession before Mossy recycled the sliotar well and passed to Molloy who split the posts with his first action following his introduction.
Lyng’s charges hadn’t created any real goal chances thus far, but the speedy Owen Wall almost raised a green flag in the 51st minute when he raced away from his marker before striking a shot which netminder Darach Fahy managed to bat away to safety. Kilkenny halted the Galway break away, albeit illegally, but with the aid of the Salthill wind, Evan Niland struck over his 3rd point since coming on. TJ then nudged his side ahead with his 6th point after Jack Grealish picked up a yellow for a foul on Mossy.
Jordan Molloy notched his second score from play having been set up by The Village’s Cian Kenny to put the visitors up by 2 points before Richie Reid set up John Donnelly for another score for the All-Ireland intermediate club winner. Moments later, it would be TJ who provided the assist for the Thomastown man to push the Cats lead out to four points.
Evan Niland then struck over another placed ball to keep things very interesting in Pearse Stadium, before his more experienced opposition dead-ball specialist TJ Reid did likewise. The Clarinbridge man dispatched his next free from halfway to really show his manager that he is the man to be trusted with placed ball duty.
Cathal Mannion then rifled over a sweet point from out on the right as the home side’s support went up another level. Huw Lawlor then saw his pass cut out by Cianan Fahy who took a few steps before striking over a lovely effort to reduce the Marble City men’s lead to one point. The Cats hit back themselves, Cian Kenny sending over his third point of the day after good battling by Owen Wall. Evan Niland then hit his first point from play, from out on the right as the Westerners raised the noise level in Salthill.
Henry’s charges were pushing hard for a possible equalising score, or possibly better, and it nearly came in the 68th minute, but for the strong wrists of Lisdowney’s Aidan Tallis, who prevented a near certain 3rd goal for the home side. The ball was worked down the other end and Kilkenny were awarded a ‘65 which TJ nailed to leave the black & amber men 2 points up as the game was about to enter injury time.
Two more scores came during the 3 minutes of additional time, the seemingly more reliable of the Galway free takers, Evan Niland fired over another placed ball, before their lively skipper, Conor Whelan found another inch of space to strike a fine equalising score to leave the scoreboard in Salthill reading, Galway 2-23, Kilkenny 0-29.
Scorers for Kilkenny: TJ Reid 0-8 (6fs, 165), Martin Keoghan and John Donnelly 0-4 each, Cian Kenny and Tom Phelan 0-3 each, Richie Reid and Jordan Molloy 0-2 each, Mikey Butler, David Blanchfield, and Billy Ryan 0-1 each.
Scorers for Galway: Evan Niland 0-7 (6fs), Gavin Lee 1-2, Brian Concannon 1-1, Cathal Mannion and Conor Cooney (2fs, 165) 0-4 each, Conor Whelan 0-3, Cianan Fahy 0-2.
Kilkenny: Aidan Tallis; Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor, Tommy Walsh; David Blanchfield, Paddy Deegan, Shane Murphy; Cian Kenny, Richie Reid; Billy Ryan, John Donnelly, Tom Phelan; Martin Keoghan, TJ Reid, Luke Hogan.
Subs: Owen Wall for Hogan (42), Jordan Molloy for Ryan (48), Darragh Corcoran for R Reid (70+2), Gearoid Dunne for Keoghan (70+4).
Galway: Darach Fahy; Darren Morrissey, Fintan Burke, Pádraic Mannion; Seán Linnane, Cianan Fahy, Daithí Burke; Ronan Glennon, David Burke; Gavin Lee, Thomas Monaghan, Conor Cooney; Cathal Mannion, Conor Whelan, Brian Concannon.
Subs: Jack Grealish for Morrissey (29), Evan Niland for Monaghan (45), Joseph Cooney for David Burke (58), Johnny Glynn for Concannon (58), Jason Flynn for Lee (69).
Referee: Thomas Walsh (Waterford).
