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On the verge of retiring after the red card in last year’s Ireland final, Richie Hogan redeemed himself in dramatic fashion when Croke Park was once again Kilkenny’s field of dreams.
Brian Cody’s men looked destined for defeat as they trailed by five points with 59 minutes played, but they fought back with impressive style to claim the 72nd title from Leinster SHC.
Hogan’s intro made all the difference as the Danesfort man went 1-2 and also set a point for Liam Blanchfield in a dizzying final.
TJ Reid also scored for Kilkenny, as the Cats showed their never-die attitude to steal a win that seemed highly unlikely after they coughed up a 16-point lead over Dublin in the semi-final.
This was a much better display and 70 minute performance by a readjusted Kilkenny team that showed four changes from that win over Dublin.
Reid finished 1-13 although Hogan was the undisputed game-breaker and the veteran attacker could have scored a second goal, but he shot a little later when Kilkenny turned the screw in memorable fashion.
In addition to lifting the silverware, Kilkenny’s reward is a draw in the Irish semi-finals in fifteen days.
It was desperately tough on Galway, for whom talisman Joe Canning scored 0-14. They will be back to work next weekend in a quarter-final tie with all of Ireland.
Shane O’Neill’s men, operating with the captain and number eight Padraic Mannion as additional defender, settled in with a two-man full attack line from Conor Whelan and Brian Concannon.
Canning initially withdrew from forwards to fill the void in midfield alongside Johnny Coen, although Portumna’s man moved into attack in the quarter hour.
The Galway forwards continued to rotate with Niall Burke finishing the half alongside Concannan with Whelan dropping at 45.
It was a carefully choreographed game plan from Galway, although they found themselves on the wrong side of a series of calls from referee Fergal Horgan that led to Kilkenny scoring.
In fact, while Kilkenny was just one point behind after 26 minutes, 0-8 to 0-9, only one of his points had come from open play with TJ Reid setting up the rest from free play.
Eoin Cody was influential in this regard for the Cats, winning a series of releases for his clubmate Ballyhale to convert.
At the other end, there was a great moment in the 24th minute when Niall Burke caught a big ball from the sky only for winger Huw Lawlor to hold onto his shot, denying a clear scoring opportunity.
Horgan received a free pass, but not a warning, and all Galway got for Burke’s gigantic effort was one point from the foul.
Canning scored that and brought his score to 0-7 for the half when he split the posts from left wing under Cusack’s stands with a sumptuous game point.
That left Galway with a narrow 0-13 to 0-12 lead at halftime, although with the wings level four times, and never more than two between them, it looked like it was going to make it to the end.
They were tied twice more at 0-13 and 0-14 each in the third quarter before Canning gave Galway two points again.
Canning’s point in the 48th minute that left the Westerners 0-16 to 0-14 up was a pearl of a sideline cut on Hogan Stand’s tougher side.
Moments earlier he had been denied a goal by Galway for a Tommy Walsh line block.
Jason Flynn replaced Galway and also attempted a goal, but his run down the left and the shot was blocked for a 65 that Canning converted, leaving Galway 0-18 to 0-14 ahead.
Flynn added another from the right wing and roared with joy, five unanswered Galway points that left them 0-20 to 0-15 clear. They looked set for victory but Kilkenny somehow delivered, goals from Hogan and Reid on a blitzkrieg. period in minute 57 putting them back to an advantage.
Kilkenny finally finished stronger with four points in a row from Hogan, Conor Browne, Mossie Keoghan and Hogan again to seal a famous victory.
TJ Reid (1-10, 9 free), R Hogan (1-2), M Keoghan (0-2), C Browne (0-2), L Blanchfield (0-1), J Donnelly (0-1) , P Walsh (0-1), E Cody (0-1).
J Canning (0-14, 9 free, 1 sec, 1 65), J Coen (0-2), David Burke (0-2), C Whelan (0-2), C Mannion (0-1) , J Cooney (0-1), B Concannon (0-1), J Flynn (0-1).
E Murphy; T Walsh, C Buckley, C Delaney; P Walsh, H Lawlor, C Browne; C Fogarty, R Leahy; J Donnelly, TJ Reid, M Keoghan; W Walsh, C Fennelly, E Cody.
J Holden for Buckley (43-47, blood); R Hogan by W Walsh (45); L Blanchfield for Fennelly (51); R Reid for Fogarty (56); N Brassil for Cody (60); A Murphy for Leahy (62).
E Murphy; S Loftus, Daithi Burke, S Cooney; P Mannion; G McInerney, J Cooney, F Burke; J Coen, J Canning; C Cooney, C Mannion, N Burke; C Whelan, B Concannon.
A Harte for Loftus (h / t); J Flynn for N Burke (40); David Burke for C Cooney (59); Adrian Tuohey for Coen (69), S Linnane for S Cooney (70).
F Horgan (Tipperary).
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