THE MORNING after the night before is never as fun.
Hurling hit Saturday night fever when Cork won their first Munster title since 2018.
But Galway failed to repeat the dose in a more sombre affair at Croke Park against Kilkenny – and their seven year wait for provincial glory goes on.
The Cats romped to their sixth Bob O’Keeffe Cup in a row in a game that lacked intensity and quality at times, but Derek Lyng’s men got the All-Ireland semi-final spot they craved minus injured hitman Eoin Cody.
It looked all over when TJ Reid’s goal and Paddy Deegan’s quickfire point sent them 2-19 to 0-12 ahead with 57 minutes on the clock.
But a spirited Galway revival reeled them in again – as a blistering final quarter from the Maroon made a game of it from nothing.
Cathal Mannion – who scored 0-10 – caused havoc when he was moved to the edge of the square, and his quick free saw Brian Concannon hit the net.
Tiernan Killeen’s brilliant cameo yielded 0-2 and a team deft of ideas suddenly had plenty.
They fired 1-6 without reply to get back within four – but Mossy Keoghan’s lucky second goal at the death sealed it when stopper Darragh Walsh missed Luke Hogan’s ball and the Tullaroan man stroked home.
Stalwart Reid, 37, showed no signs of stopping with 1-4 to bag his 14th Leinster crown.
Adrian Mullen and Billy Ryan shone and fired 0-3 each as full-back Huw Lawlor starred all day long to make sure Galway’s fightback was in vain.
Their impressive rally just came too late, as they failed to score from the play for 25 minutes in the second half as the Cats slowly picked them off without setting the world alight.
But Micheál Donoghue’s men were right in the game until Keoghan’s first goal on the break.
Paddy Deegan’s runs up the left flank were causing problems, and his wonderful crossfield ball was fetched by TJ Reid.
The stalwart eyeballed the bottom corner and Eanna Murphy wonderfully saved – but Keoghan pounced to lash in the rebound to open up a four-point cushion at the interval. It should have been more, but they racked up eight wides.
It was a triple whammy for Galway, as stand-in stopper Murphy was injured by Keoghan in the process and was replaced by third-choice Walsh at the break.
Key defender Fintan Burke was marking TJ – and also had to go off when he sustained an injury in the lead-up to the green flag.
The Tribes started brilliantly, and exploded from the blocks when Johnny Murphy threw in the ball, and hassled and harried the Cats relentlessly.
Skipper Conor Whelan reverted to the half-forward line once more and was tracked by Deegan as they went 0-3 to 0-1 ahead thanks to Kevin Cooney, Cathal Mannion and TJ Brennan.
But Kilkenny soon found rhythm, as every long Galway ball was mopped up by the brilliant Lawlor and the Tribe’s efficiency started to wander.
Lyng’s men fired 0-3 on the bounce thanks to some slick forward movement, as John Donnelly fed Keoghan to fire a beauty over the shoulder.
John Donnelly fired over thanks to selfless work from TJ Reid and Jordan Molloy followed suit a minute later when Lawlor fetched another high ball and raced forward like a train.
But Galway just about stayed afloat in the Kilkenny storm, as Mannion started coming into his own and fired over two rockets from play, the second of which he had no right to score before the killer blow.
Deegan’s ball was far from simple for Reid to gather, but he composed himself and eyed up his target, before Murphy saved it and Keoghan made no mistake from close range.
With Darach Fahy suspended and Murphy injured, Walsh came out to mind the sticks after the restart but his outfield players totally lost their way.
Workmanlike Kilkenny could sense it, and thrived on it without even hitting top gear. Aimless ball was gathered by Lawlor and Richie Reid and each failed Galway delivery seemed to result in a Cats score.
Mikey Carey, TJ and Billy Ryan turned the screw as Cathal Mannion began to do it all himself for Galway, and planted over a free from his own 45’.
But their lack of scoring threat outside their star forward was stark, as Kilkenny kept the board ticking over from all over the pitch.
Cian Kenny sparked a flurry of 1-5 without reply that left Galway on life support.
Keoghan and Stephen Donnelly turned the screw before Reid’s fifth goal of the championship, when Keoghan selflessly played him in and the finish was never in doubt.
But Donoghue’s men produced a stunning revival out of nowhere, but they should have rallied earlier.
The Cats nodded off this time, and the Maroon fired 1-6 without reply as their bench gave them a new lease of life.
Killeen injected badly needed pace into their attack, Mannion moved closer to goal and Ronan Glennon started to settle the ship in the middle.
Mannion got the ball rolling before Killeen’s super double, and Mannion was the man again when he gambled and took a scorable free short.
Brian Concannon had his thinking cap on too – and raced towards Hill 16 to fire past a furious Eoin Murphy.
Mullen and Mannion swapped screamers to set up a grandstand finish – as the Ahascrahg-Fohenagh man somehow stayed on his feet under the Cusack Stand to fire over the bar with Deegan breathing down his throat.
With four in it, and as many minutes to go, the Cats deservedly survived. Lawlor fetched another Whelan ball inside and Billy Ryan finished the move.
Luke Hogan fired a similar effort inside at the other end, and Walsh was left red-faced for Keoghan to lash home and that was that, before the brilliant Mullen sealed it.
The last four beckons once more, but it remains to be seen if Kilkenny can end their 10-year wait for the big one.
GALWAY 1-20
KILKENNY 3-22
GALWAY: E Murphy; P Mannion, Daithí Burke, F Burke; C Fahy, G Lee, TJ Brennan 0-1; S Linnane 0-1, David Burke; J Fleming 0-1, C Mannion 0-10, 7f, T Monaghan 0-2; C Whelan, B Concannon 1-0, K Cooney 0-3.
Subs: D Morrissey for F Burke 37mims; D Walsh for Murphy HT, R Glennon for David Burke 44, T Killeen 0-2 for Fleming 54, A Burns for Monaghan 67,
KILKENNY: E Murphy; M Butler, H Lawlor, T Walsh; M Carey 0-2, R Reid, P Deegan 0-1; C Kenny 0-2, J Molloy 0-1; J Donnelly 0-1, A Mullen 0-4, B Ryan 0-3; S Donnelly 0-2, TJ Reid 1-4, 4f, M Keoghan 2-2.
Subs: L Hogan for S Donnelly 59mins; D Blanchfield for Walsh 59, S Murphy for Butler 67, K Doyle for Molloy 71, H Shine for Ryan 73
REFEREE: J Murphy (Limerick)
