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Kilkenny joy continues - through to 4 finals for second year in a row

  • 29-08-2004 10:31AM
    #1
    kilkennycat2004
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 366 ✭✭


    Below is the Indo report on an amazing second half come back by the under 21 cats. 0-13 to 0-6 down six minutes into the half they found another gear which brought them to a relatively comfortable victory.

    KILKENNY reached their fourth All-Ireland final of the year when their under 21 hurlers defeated Galway in a thrilling semi-final at Portlaoise on Saturday.

    The Cats, the reigning All-Ireland champions at this level, looked in deep trouble early in the second half as an inspired Galway side - who lost to the Leinster men in last year's final - surged into a commanding 0-13 to 0-7 lead.

    However, Kilkenny produced some absolutely spell-binding hurling midway through the second half, scoring 10 points without reply to turn the game on its head.

    Cha Fitzpatrick started the devastating blitz with two points from frees. Substitute Sean O'Neill added another, which was quickly followed by a marvellous point Ciaran Hoyne and two more from Shane Hennessey.

    Two more points from Willie O'Dwyer put Kilkenny ahead, and they continued to press home their superiority with three more unanswered points from substitute Eoin Reid, Conor Phelan and Fitzpatrick to leave them 0-17 to 0-13 ahead with nine minutes remaining.

    Ger Farragher got a point back for Galway after 54 minutes, but the Cats were on the prowl and three more points from Fitzpatrick, Reid and O'Dwyer put it beyond doubt.

    Kilkenny closed the scoring with another point from Fitzpatrick to run out comfortable winners and leave Galway devastated once again.

    Kilkenny now have qualified for All-Ireland finals at all four grades. In the minor final, they will meet Galway once again, while the senior and intermediate teams will both play Cork in their finals. The U21s now face Tipperary in what will be a repeat of the '93 All-Ireland final, with Portlaoise again likely to be the venue.

    Kilkenny had outstanding players in David Herity, John Tennyson, Michael Fennelly and PJ Delaney and senior star Tommy Walsh in defence. Richard Power was magnificent at midfield, while in attack Cha Fitzpatrick, another member of the senior panel, Shane Hennessey and man of the match Willie O'Dwyer were superb. Indeed, even substitutes Sean O'Neill and Eoin Reid also contributed handsomely to their cause.

    For a disappointing Galway side, no fault could be laid at the door of goalkeeper Paul Dullaghan, David Collins, Shane Kavanagh, Tony Reagan and Kevin Hayes in defence, or Tom Tierney at midfield.

    In an attack that looked so good in the first half, Ger Farragher, Joe Gantley and Niall Healy were most prominent.

    Galway were more than a match for the reigning champions in the opening period and the sides were level at 0-4 each after 15 minutes, with Farragher accounting for three of Galway's points, and Cha scoring two for Kilkenny.

    Fitzpatrick then gave Kilkenny the lead, but Galway then produced their best hurling and a succession of points from David Collins, Joe Gantley, Niall Healy and Ger Farragher again saw them lead by 0-8 to 0-5 with five minutes to go to half-time.

    Fitzpatrick and Willie O'Dwyer traded points with Callanan and Kenneth Burke to leave Galway ahead by three points, 0-10 to 0-7, at the break.

    Early in the second half, Galway enhanced their lead with points from Eoin Lynch, Niall Healy and Ger Farragher to move six clear by the 37th minute, but it all unravelled after that as Kilkenny cut loose.

    Scorers - Kilkenny: C Fitzpatrick 0-8, W O'Dwyer 0-4, S O'Neill 0-2, S Hennessey, E Reid, C Hoyne, R Power, C Phelan, J Phelan 0-1 each. Galway: G Farragher 0-6, J Gantley 0-2, N Healy 0-2, A Callanan, K Burke, D Collins, E Lynch, A Cullinane 0-1 each.

    Kilkenny: D Herity; S Maher, J Tennyson, M Fennelly; T Walsh, PJ Delaney, C Hoyne; R Power, P Cleere; C Phelan, J Phelan, C Fitzpatrick; W O'Dwyer, S Hennessey, B Dowling. Subs: S O'Neill 0-2 for J Phelan, E Reid 0-1 for Dowling, E Larkin for Power.

    Galway: P Dullaghan; D Hayes, S Kavanagh, D Collins; E Lynch, T Reagan, K Hayes; C Ryan, T Tierney; G Farragher, A Garvey, J Gantley; A Callanan, K Burke, N Healy. Subs: A Cullinane for Burke, L Howley for C Ryan, E Ryan for Garvey.

    Referee: S McMahon (Clare).


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