"The Better Team Lost"

All Ireland Minor Final
Kilkenny 3-6
Galway 0-13

By Dermot Kavanagh

Galway were by far the better of two poor teams, yet it was Kilkenny who brought home the cup.

Any quality hurling that was on offer was played by the Galway men. 

They began the game  the same air of confidence that mapped their semi-final win over Cork. 

However no sooner had they built up a credible 4-point lead by the 15th minute, they then conceded a soft goal in one of Kilkenny's rare attacks. 

Galway responded and as half-time approached they were looking good. 

However, they then conceded another soft goal and found themselves 5-points in arrears at half time. 

Galway were brilliant in the third quarter as they turned that 5-point deficit into a 2-point lead. 

In that period they also missed an open goal.  As the game went into its final five minutes Galway lead by two points, with Kilkenny almost incredibly not having scored once in that period. 

Galway even squandered two further chances to put the game beyond doubt. 

Kilkenny, as is their tradition, never gave up and a somewhat lucky goal in the 58th minute put them back in front. 

With the game almost over, Kilkenny scored their first point of the second-half to seal an unlikely and very lucky win.

Galway will rue the two soft goals conceded and the missed goal opportunities of the second half.

The better team lost.