All-Ireland MHC Final/Galway 3-12 Kilkenny 1-18: Such was the ferocity of this magnificent minor final that at several periods in the final minutes either side looked a sure bet to prevail. In the end, nobody did, a fitting result considering the commitment and resilience that was on display. Great hurling in blustery conditions.
The final 10 minutes was nerve-jangling stuff with 3-4 being posted between the two sides. In injury-time, the much-hyped 16-year-old Richie Hogan made his first contribution of the day to level the contest.
The two managers had little to gripe about, but Galway's Mattie Murphy did point out a difference of opinion his side had with the elements: "We played against the wind in both halves. It changed direction. Other than the wind we gave it a good shot and we are delighted with the lads.
"Kilkenny won the toss and they played with the wind. At that stage, the wind was definitely blowing into the Canal end, but five minutes into the second half I threw up a piece of grass and it definitely went the other direction, into the Hill end."
The replay will be held next Sunday at 2.0. The venue will be decided today but it will certainly not be on the undercard of next Saturday's under-21 All-Ireland hurling final in Nowlan Park, between Kilkenny and Tipperary. Nor, as Murphy pointed out, will it be within seven or even 27 miles of Kilkenny.
Such a stance is understandable considering how the marginal favourites' tag on Galway's shoulders was completely erased by the massive Kilkenny support in Croke Park yesterday. Galway had a mere 2,000 tickets.
Nevertheless, they still managed to dominate the first 25 minutes.
Their chief magician Karl Wade stepped up and his two early points were a precursor to a brilliant goal in the 14th minute. Getting possession 35 yards out he accelerated away from two players, stepped inside a third before sending the sliotar high to the net.
Gavin Nolan, Kilkenny's best forward on the day, reduced the deficit with a point but Wade struck two, one from play, while another outstanding talent, Barry Hanley, added another to stretch Galway's lead to seven points.
The fear of being so far behind at half-time must have sprung Kilkenny to life with Maurice Nolan, Eoin Guinan and Nicholas Kenny all finding their range.
"We certainly didn't do ourselves justice in the first half," said Kilkenny manager Br Damien Brennan. "We were just wondering what was going wrong. Maybe the occasion, some of these lads are very young.
"We got settled back down at half-time and put our plan together again. We said we were going out to do ourselves, our families, our clubs, our teachers - the people who care about us - we said we were going out to do them justice. And that's what we did."
The rehabilitation certainly continued in the second half with Maurice Nolan adding two more frees to coincide with another impressive strike from Gavin Nolan.
Yet, every time Kilkenny appeared to be turning the tide Galway found a score. Barry Hanley kept them two clear with a point from near the touchline. He then got another entering the final quarter.
Kilkenny then started to give their increasing support something to cheer about with a 60-second blitzkrieg that levelled the contest.
Nolan registered his fifth free while the excellent wing forward pairing of Gavin Nolan and Kenny followed suit. 1-11 to 0-14, and the standard was about to go up another notch.
Hanley fired a goal that was cancelled out two minutes later by substitute Mathew Ruth before Guinan gave Kilkenny the lead for the first time.
Then more calamity. Hanley slipped his man and, despite a last-gasp hook from Kieran Joyce, the ball slid into the Kilkenny net. John Hughes appeared to have added the insurance with a point. However, the defending champions kept their cool with Nolan and Kenny again pointing before Hogan equalised.
Big brother Patrick Hogan could have won it at the death but his speculative shot sailed wide. Seconds later, everyone exhaled.
GALWAY: M Herlihy; P Loughnane, G Mahon, C O'Donovan; M Ryan, J Lee, K Kilkenny; A Carey (0-1), D Kennedy; D White, K Hynes (0-1), F Coone; K Wade (1-5, three frees), J Canning (0-1), B Hanley (2-3). Subs: J Hughes (0-1) for D Kennedy (38 mins), E Collins for D White (41 mins), K Coen for F Coone (49 mins), P Madden for M Ryan (53 mins).
KILKENNY: L Tierney; J Maher, K Joyce, E Walsh; N Prendergast, R Maher, S Prendergast; P Hartley, P Hogan (0-2); G Nolan (0-4), M Nolan (0-5, 5f), N Kenny (0-3); R Hogan (0-1), E O'Donoghue, E Guinan (0-3). Subs: M Ruth (1-0) for E O'Donoghue (50 mins), N Delahunty for E Walsh (52 mins).
Referee: J Sexton (Limerick).
