Kilkenny 3-6
Galway 0-13

Spare a though for the Galway minor hurlers who suffered sheer heartbreak after clawing their way back after a disastrous opening half and looked poised to capture the All Ireland minor title.

Mattie Murphy was bidding for his fifth All Ireland minor title in eight appearances against a strong fancied Kilkenny side at the end of an absorbing encounter it was the Kilkenny side that lady luck shone on.
Galway had conceded two dreadful goals in the opening half and despite doing much of the hurling the Galway side trailed by 2-5 to 0-6 at the break.

Galway stormed out of the blocks in the second half and the Tribesmen scored seven unanswered points to take a two point lead. It was looking good but the Tribesmen needed to add to their tally and in the end were hit with two late sucker punches.

Kilkenny didn’t score in the second half until the twenty sixth minute and in two minutes scored 1-1 to deny Galway the title.

Joe Brennan had the opening point for Kilkenny but Bernard Burke put Galway ahead with a brace of points.

A second Brennan free left Kilkenny level after ten minutes, but Galway struck a purple patch with Niall Burke pointed three
times to push Galway 0-5 to 0-3 ahead by the end of the opening quarter.

It was then that the first disaster struck when a long delivery from wing forward Joe Brennan went all the way to the roof of the Galway net that left the Kilkenny cats level.

Although Bernard Burke added a Galway point Kilkenny were now on a roll and finished the half with Cathal Kenny pointing a sideline and Brennan adding a pointed free before Thomas Breen goaled again when Galway goalie Fergal Flannery and full back Ronan Burke got their calls wrong and as both went for a long delivery that had come in from centre back Richard Doyle and the ball broke favourably to Breen who was on hand to crash it to the net.

Peter McCarthy added a point that put Kilkenny 2-5 to 0-6 ahead at the break.

Galway stormed out in the second half but missed a glorious goal chance when the ball broke to Niall Burke but he mishit his effort.

David Burke pointed a sixty five before Domhnaill Fox added another and when Niall Burke scored a super point, Galway were back in contention.

Winning the midfield exchanges David Burke landed a brace of points that had Galway level at the three quarter stage.

Martin Dolphin came into the Galway and made a big impact and Niall Burke put Galway ahead before Richard Cummins, who was tightly marshalled, added another that put Galway two points clear with thirteen minutes remaining.

While Kilkenny also squandered opportunities, Galway had chances to seal victory but the Tribesmen failed to score in the final twelve minutes.

Although Kilkenny failed to score for twenty six minutes, that all changed with four minutes left to play.

Galway lost the ball in the half forward line and it broke upfield
to substitute Danny Brennan who soloed through to point.

Two minutes later Brennan struck for a goal and left Galway heartbroken as Kilkenny held out for victory.

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