Cats Down Out-Of-Form Galway At Pearse Stadium

Allianz National Hurling League Division One
Galway 0-12 Kilkenny 1-20

Kilkenny enhanced their Allianz National Hurling League Division One-winning prospects and could have ended Galway's at Pearse Stadium on Sunday, when the Cats recorded a 1-20 to 0-12 decision.

This was a poor effort over which Galway boss John McIntryre will mull: they struggled to adapt to the wind at their backs and were worse against it in the second period.

The Tribesmen were plagued by errant first-half shooting - they hit nine wides with the wind; Kilkenny exhibited no such profligacy in either half. Michael Grace and Niall Healy exchanged early scores, before PJ Delaney and Martin

Comerford eased The Cats into a 0-3 to 0-1 ascendancy. Ger Farragher - Galway's best forward on the day - tapped over two frees before missing another.

Kilkenny even could afford spurning a penalty opporunity. Ciaran O'Donovan pulled down Richie Power and was given a yellow card. However, the penalty was blocked on the line by Damien Joyce and Michael Rice missed the rebound.

Another Farragher point left them level, but Grace responded with two scores, only for the Castlegar clubman to reduce the deficit to 0-6 to 0-5.

Eddie Brennan became Kilkenny's fifth forward to score, though another Farragher free left one in it at the break - 0-7 to 0-6.

Galway looked rudderless and badly needed a start entirely opposite to the one they endured in the second period, a Richie Power goal within 30 seconds leaving four points in it.

He had another effort at a 'major' blocked; then Farragher reduced the margin to a goal, but Galway fell apart thereafter.

Tommy Walsh and Eoin Larkin showed the composure that Galway lacked in the opening period to make it 1-9 to 0-7.

Richie Power collected and played in Comerford, who put The Cats six ahead. Ger Mahon then gifted a ball to Rice, who extended the advantage further.

Power's subsequent three white flags, one of them a free, brought his tally to 1-4 and the grim faces on the home fans reflected Galway's problems. They trailed now by 1-14 to 0-7.

Farragher, who remained a threat, went for a goal from a close-range free. It was blocked and Brian Hogan went down the other end to score, before substitute Richie Murray finally notched the hosts' second point since the break.

They were getting going now, all too late: Cyril Donnellan and Aongus Callinan got off the mark, though there were goals potentially on. John Tennyson responded to leave the score at 1-16 to 0-10.

Donnellan doubled his own tally but the imperious Tennyson notched his third white flag - arguably the score of the day from long-range.

Niall Healy added a free for Galway, making it 1-17 to 0-12, before Rice connected mid-air with a roving sliotar to make it a nine-point game. Eoin Larkin's score left it 1-19 to 0-12 - his second point of the game.

Rice accumulated four points totally and his point was the game's last. Kilkenny clearly are back in business to some degree after this. Galway badly need their Portumna men and have showed poor form in all outings so far this term.