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Galway will meet Dublin next weekend in the All-Ireland U20 final after beating Kerry in an entertaining semi-final at the LIT Gaelic Grounds.
Kerry led 1-07 to 1-05 at halftime after a good first half in which Galway got a huge boost when winger Cian Monahan found the net after seven minutes.
But Kerry finished the half strong and Ruaidhri O Beaglaoich landed a fine goal after Sean Keane’s pitch was knocked on its way by Eddie Horan to lead by two at halftime.
Galway, with Matthew Tierney kicking some excellent points off ball set, dominated the second half and walked away to set up a final encounter with Dublin.
Both sides were badly affected by Covid-19 and did not have multiple players, but they still produced a quality performance.
Eddie Horan, one of Kerry’s latest trades, made an instant mark with two excellent points early in the game, but then a play started by a Ryan Monahan delivery ended with his twin brother Cian shooting into the net after seven minutes later. that he ventured up the field.
Galway should have scored a second goal late in the first quarter, but Lithuania-born Kerry goalkeeper Deividas Uosis, who is due to join the Brisbane Lions in Australia, made a point-blank save to turn off Matthew Cooley.
Another of the latest changes, Uosis scored a 45 just before half-time for the first of the talented goalkeeper’s three points.
Horan added a third point and forward Paul Walsh kicked two good scores from the right, but had to leave at halftime with a hamstring injury.
Kerry’s lead at halftime came when a Sean Keane delivery was brought down by Horan and Ruaidhri O Beaglaoich exploded into the left corner in the 27th minute.
Cian Hernon, one of the players selected by Galway coach Donal Ó Fatharta, was excellent in midfield for Galway.
The pressure led to plenty of free play and Tierney hit four balls in the third quarter to get ahead.
Goalkeeper Uosis tied for the sixth time with 13 minutes remaining, but Galway edged them 0-06 to 0-01 after that in a strong finish.
Winger Monahan again came forward and he fired a point to get ahead of them after 50 minutes and they never gave up.
Kerry, who had lost Sean Keane to a black card before the break, finished with 14 men when winger Luka Brosnan picked up a black card after 54 minutes.
That left them with a mountain to climb and Galway did not allow them to take a look.
Two points from Cooley and one from Hernon put Galway on track and they finished strong with Nathan Grainger and Patrick Kelly shooting points in the final stages to seal a well-deserved victory.
Galway: Conor Flaherty; Jonathan McGrath, Seán Fitzgerald, Jack Glynn; Cian Monahan (January 1), Tony Gill, Jack Kirranne; Conor Raftery, Cian Hernon (0-01); Alan Greene, Matthew Tierney (0-06, 0-05f, 0-01m), Ryan Monahan; Patrick Kelly (0-01, 0-01f), Oisín Gormley (0-01), Matthew Cooley (0-04, 0-03f).
Subs used: Eoin Mannion for Gormley (45 minutes), Jason Reilly for Greene (54 minutes), Nathan Grainger (0-01) for Tierney (58 minutes), Macdara Geraghty for Cooley (62 minutes).
Kerry: Deividas Uosis (0-03, 0-02f, 0-01’45); Owen Fitzgerald, Alan Dineen, James McCarthy; Luke Brosnan, Dylan Casey, Seán O’Brien; Seán O’Connell, Michael O’Gara; Seán Keane (0-01), Eddie Horan (0-03), Killian Falvey; Paul Walsh (0-02), Seán Horan, Ruaidhri Ó Beaglaoich (1-00).
Subs used: Dylan Geaney (0-01) for Walsh (ht), Jack Kennelly for Casey (35 minutes), Conor Hayes for Keane (49 minutes), David Mangan for Falvey (54 minutes), Darragh Lynch for S Horan (57 minutes).
Referee: B Tiernan (Dublin).
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