Kilkenny 2-14, Galway 1-13

The Cats were on the prowl and Galway hurling followers left Semple Stadium in Thurles shattered and wondering what the future is for Galway hurling at adult level, as Kilkenny gave the Tribesmen a lesson in the Bord Gais All Ireland Under 21 semi final on Saturday.

STRIKE . . . Galway's Conor Kavanagh celebrates after blasting home a goal against Kilkenny in the All-Ireland U-21 semi-final but the joy was short-lived as the Cats dethroned the holders. Photo: Damien Eagers/SPORTSFILE

Only four points separated them at the end but Kilkenny's dominance was awesome and the young Cats side amassed as many wides as they did scores during the hour. Had they been on target they would have left Galway well and truly sickened and as it was, it looked like Kilkenny did their best to lose this game but Galway simply weren't good enough to win it.

The team lacked leadership and not even the great Joe Canning could do anything to stop the rot and the Portumna star who finished the game with eight points, three sublime sideline cuts, four frees and a point from play, would have been disappointed with his own game. Canning came into the game with a niggling injury and was superbly marshalled by a number of the Kilkenny defence, but the main problem was a lack of supply to the ace marksman.

Kilkenny did all the work in the early stages and Kilkenny led by 0-7 to 0-2 after twenty minutes and it wasn't looking good for Galway. Manager Vincent Mullins switched Joe Canning to the forty and this began to reap rewards. Eoin Forde hit over his second point before Canning sliced a sideline cut between the post and when Canning was involved with Kevin Keehan to set up Conor Kavanagh for a Galway goal, the Tribesmen were suddenly level at the break with the scoreboard reading Kilkenny 0-7 Galway 1-4.

The second half opened at a blistering pace and Canning (3) and Sean Glynn exchanges points with John Mulhall and Colin Fennelly (2) as Galway led by 1-8 to 0-10 six minutes into the second half. Richie Hogan fired over a brace of points within a minute and Fennelly added his fourth minor before Richie Hogan sealed the game with a Kilkenny goal, all with four minutes. Kilkenny had turned a one point deficit to a five point advantage and Galway supporters could not be faulted if they headed for the exits.

After ten scoreless minutes John Greene pointed and when Conor Kavanagh and a second Joe Canning sideline split the posts Galway had it back to a two point ball game. Richie Hogan pointed again in a ball that looked wide, before Canning pointed his third sideline. Then Hogan struck for his second goal and Galway had no answer after that. Hogan ended the game with a tally of 2-5 of which just a point came from a free. Had he pointed all the chances he missed Galway would have been trounced, but Kilkenny march on.