Slow starting Kilkenny pay the price in league defeat to Galway

Kilkenny fell to defeat against a much improved Galway side in round 2 of the Allianz Hurling League in UPMC Nowlan Park this afternoon.

It was a disappointing day at the office for the hosts and apart from another promising showing by Mossy Keoghan and a brief rally on the back of a well taken second half Eoin Cody goal, Derek Lyng's men were very much off their fluent best.

Cody's goal in the 63rd minute gave Kilkenny the lead for only the second time in the game but they couldn't build on it with Galway getting the final four scores of the game as three Jason Flynn frees and a Conor Whelan effort from play ensured the Tribesmen claimed their first win of the Division 1 campaign.

Very much like the meeting with Clare a week earlier, Kilkenny were flat-footed at the beginning and it was their opponents who immediately took control when Declan McLoughlin found the net after only three minutes of play.

While Keoghan, Cian Kenny and Peter McDonald kept the scoreboard ticking over for the Noresiders, points were being taken a lot more easier down the other end with Gavin Lee and Padraic Mannion excelling in defence and Tom Monaghan popping up with vital efforts from play.

With Keoghan scoring five points from play in the opening half, Kilkenny did get back to within four points at the interval but the comeback still didn't arrive instantly.

The opposite was almost true in fact with a second Declan McLoughlin goal leaving Galway eight clear by the 47th minute (2-15 to 0-13).

It was from here that the Cats threw the shackles off a bit and with impact off the bench, they began to motor with 1-6 on the spin as three Eoin Cody frees and points from play by Keoghan and Cian Kenny left just two between them before Cody then rattled the net with an expertly taken goal.

Kilkenny looked to have all the momentum at this point but the energy it took to reach that point looked to leave it's mark as Jason Flynn knocked over three successive frees to leave Galway two clear before Conor Whelan then knocked over the insurance score as the visitors claimed a 2-19 to 1-19 victory.

Kilkenny now have a six day turnaround before they face near neighbours Wexford in the next round of games on Saturday evening.

Teams and Scorers

Kilkenny: Eoin Cody (1-6, 0-6 frees); Martin Keoghan (0-7); Cian Kenny (0-3); Luke Hogan, Padraic Moylan, Peter McDonald (0-1 each)

Galway: Declan McLoughlin (2-2); Tom Monaghan, Gavin Lee (0-3 each); Jason Flynn (0-3, 0-3 frees); Padraic Mannion (0-2); Conor Cooney (0-1, 0-1 free); Cianan Fahy, John Cooney, Tiernan Killeen, Conor Whelan, John Fleming (0-1 each)

Kilkenny: Aidan Tallis; Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor, Padraic Moylan; Michael Carey, David Blanchfield, Zach Bay Hammond; Paddy Deegan, Peter McDonald; Martin Keoghan, Cian Kenny, Luke Connellan; Luke Hogan, Eoin Cody, Gearoid Dunne. 

Subs: Shane Murphy for Bay Hammond, 24 mins; Billy Ryan for Hogan, h-t; Billy Drennan for Connellan, 47 mins; Harry Shine for Deegan, 53 mins; Eoghan Lyng for Moylan, 61 mins.

Galway: Darach Fahy; Shane Morgan, Fintan Burke, Darren Morrissey; Padraic Mannion, Gavin Lee, TJ Brennan; Cianan Fahy, Tom Monaghan; John Cooney, Tiernan Killeen, Declan McLoughlin; Conor Whelan, Conor Cooney, John Fleming. 

Subs: Daithi Burke for Brennan, 53 mins; Jason Flynn for J.Cooney, 55 mins; Kevin Cooney for C.Cooney, 57 mins; Sean Linnane for Fleming, 66 mins; Anthony Burns for McLoughlin, 69 mins.

Referee; Thomas Walsh (Waterford)