Forward power helps Kilkenny retain Leinster minor hurling title

Kilkenny fought off difficult conditions to defeat Galway in some style during Saturday's Leinster Minor Hurling decider in Portlaoise.

Three late goals from Cian Byrne, Ollie O'Donovan and Diarmuid Behan put some gloss on the final scoreline but Kilkenny were still very deserved winners as they advance to the All-Ireland semi-finals.

The incessant wind and rain made it very difficult for the players and a sure sign of this was the fact the scoreline read 0-1 apeice halfway through the first half.

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Helped by a Cian Hannon goal, Galway had the champions in a bit of bother during that opening period but an opportunistic Jake Mullen goal and further points from Kevin Buggy and Ollie O'Donovan eventually saw Niall Bergin's team lead 1-6 to 1-3 at the break.

The Tribesmen looked to be in a decent point at this juncture with a very strong wind behind them but Kilkenny went up a few gears in the third quarter with successive efforts from man of the match O'Donovan, Eoin Brennan and Cian Byrne seeing the Cats power six points clear on the scoreboard.

Galway really struggled for scores in the second half with only the free-taking of Cillian Roche and Jack Shaughnessy keeping them honest until the floodgates opened when Kilkenny found the net on three occasions inside the final 10 minutes as they wrapped up a 61st provincial crown.

Teams and Scorers

Kilkenny; Jake Mullen (1-4, 4fs), Cian Byrne, Ollie O'Donovan (1-2 each), Diarmuid Behan (1-0), Eoin Brennan, Kevin Buggy, Ben Nevin (0-1 each)

Galway: Jack Shaughnessy (0-4, 4fs), Cian Hannon (1-0), Cillian Roche (0-3, 1f), Ronan Cahalan (0-1)

Kilkenny: Jake O’Doherty (Mooncoin); Oisin Henderson (Dicksboro), Larry Phelan (James Stephens), David McGee (O'Loughlin Gaels); Ben Nevin (Thomastown), Josh Dowling (Erin's Own), PJ Mackey (Rower Inistioge); Diarmuid Behan (James Stephens), Brian Hickey (Dunnamaggin); Kevin Buggy (Erin's Own), Ollie O’Donovan (John Lockes), Jake Mullen (Shamrocks Ballyhale); Eoin Brennan (Erin's Own), Conor Holohan (O'Loughlin Gaels), Cian Byrne (O'Loughlin Gaels).

Subs: Adam Maher (O'Loughlin Gaels) for Holohan (53 mins), Darragh Hickey (Emeralds) for B.Hickey (56 mins), Killian Ryan (Shamrocks Ballyhale) for McGee (59 mins), Kealan Barcoe (Young Irelands) for Mackey (59 mins), Sean Hanrahan (Tullogher Rosbercon) for O’Donovan (62 mins).

Galway: Oisin O’Connell; Lee Murphy, Senan Coen, Aodhan McDonagh; Robert Burke, Shay Brady, Daire Zimmerer; Sean Moran, Cian Hannon; Gus Lohan, Jack Shaughnessy, Ronan Cahalan; Tadhg Mac Cartaigh, Cillian Roche, Ethan Coleman.

Subs: Jody Canning for Lohan (41 mins), Mikey Maher for Coleman (47 mins), Luke Tully for Coen (49 mins), Cian O’Loughlin for Cahalan (58 mins), Stephen Keane for Hannon (62 mins).

Referee: Padraig Dunne (Laois)

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