Kilkenny 3-16 NUI Galway 2-12
Ballyragget was the venue for Sunday’s Walsh Cup clash between Kilkenny and NUI Galway. The Cats lined out without their manager Brian Cody and senior team players who were involved in training. With most of the Kilkenny minors fronting the panel they still managed to earn the spoils with a 3-16 to 2-12 victory.
The Cats were in control from the start with NUI Galway under pressure from an early stage after conceding points to Rory Hickey (2 ) and Canice Maher. When Padraig Walsh scored his goal in the 20th minute (1-6 to 0-2 ), NUI looked to be in big trouble.
While Niall Burke grabbed NUI's third point in the 26th minute, this was cancelled out when Kilkenny added their second goal from a penalty by Hickey.
That goal helped the Cats into an interval lead of 2-10 to 0-3. Three minutes after the restart, Cathal Kenny pointed and Padraig Walsh got his second goal— it was game over. Laois will now host Kilkenny in this weekend's semi-final showdown.
Scorers -- Kilkenny: R Hickey 1-7 (1-0 pen, 7f ), P Walsh 2-0, C Kenny 0-3, J Brennan 0-2, R Doyle, J Lyng, C Maher, P Guinan 0-1 each. NUI Galway: J Conlon 1-2 (0-1f ), N Burke 0-3 (0-3f ), S Brennan 1-0, R Shanahan 0-3, E Noone 0-2 (1 '65' ), D O'Donovan, G Kelly 0-1 each.
Kilkenny: D Walsh; I Duggan, M Walsh, A Cuddihy; D Healy, R Doyle, B Kennedy; L Harney, J Lyng; C Kenny, J Gannon, R Hickey; C Maher, J Brennan, P Walsh. Subs: G Aylward for Gannon (inj ), P Guinan for C Maher (inj ), P Gahan for L Harney, J Holden for Lyng.
NUI Galway: D Touhy; N Casey, P Kelly, M Kelly; P Gordon, P Nihill, S McCormack; M Keating, D O'Donovan; J Cooney, J Conlon, N Burke; S Glynn, C Morey, G Kelly. Subs: R Shanahan for S Glynn, E Noone for J Cooney, S Brennan for S McCormack, J Morris for N Casey.
Referee: B Kelly (Westmeath ).
