A calamitous goal conceded by Kilkenny in injury-time gave Galway the opportunity to advance to the Church & General National Hurling League final. It looked as if the Connacht champions might have lost their chance when Eugene Cloonan's 65 drifted right of the posts in the 58th minute, leaving Kilkenny a point in front.
Nonetheless, Liam Burke levelled the match in the couple of minutes which remained before Alan Kerins somehow or other squeezed the ball through the massed ranks of Kilkenny's defence and into the net.
This was a vital victory for Galway. Year after year, the county emphasises how important doing well in the league is for their championship ambitions. Now, for the second time in four years, they have reached the final of the spring competition and can look forward to having competitive action up until the middle of May.
Manager Matt Murphy's reaction teetered between relieved satisfaction and irritable defiance at some of the media hits his team took during their 100 per cent run through the league to date.
Galway deserved the win for the manner in which they dug in to survive at stages of the match when it looked as if Kilkenny were going to pull away. It was probably hard on the Leinster champions, who displayed greater economy in the second half, but although they looked as if they had more in hand during a scrappy first half, they never managed to put the foot down and get away from Galway.
With Laois occupying his mind, Kilkenny's manager Brian Cody might have been quite happy to bow out at this stage, but his team gave a genuine performance in what turned into a compelling enough encounter in the second half.
In the forwards, Kilkenny's Charlie Carter gave a fine display after coming through his fitness test. For the first half hour especially he gave Padraig Kelly a rough time, culminating in a striking goal hit home in the 21st minute.
Carter was ably assisted by Henry Shefflin, who struck two points from play to add to the six he struck from dead-ball awards, and wing forwards PJ Delaney and Brian McEvoy. Delaney, in for the injured DJ Carey, gave a lively display which earned Cody's praise.
McEvoy made life miserable for Ronan Walsh, who was substituted just after half-time, using his speed and stamina to zip all around the field, and he threw in a couple of points for good measure.
Midfield was more Galway's, with Burke playing well for his three points and Nigel Shaughnessy working hard. Things went even better when Shaughnessy dropped back to mark McEvoy and Tom Kavanagh was introduced to the middle. In addition to rolling up his sleeves and getting quickly stuck in, the Abbey-Duniry hurler picked off two nice points.
Among the misgivings Murphy will have had with the performance was the subdued form of his left-sided attack. Kevin Broderick - kept scoreless - and Eugene Cloonan have had better days, although the latter's 1-3 from placed balls was clearly an important contribution.
In the fifth minute he had a penalty saved by James McGarry in the Kilkenny goal, but 10 minutes later he made no mistake when given a similar opportunity. Fergus Flynn's long-range free dropped into Mark Kerins and he was fouled. Cloonan's shot whistled high into the net.
The goal ended a period in which the match had been closely contested on the scoreboard and Galway went 1-3 to 0-3 ahead.
Burke stretched the lead, but Kilkenny came back and Carter's goal left only a point between the sides. But Kilkenny finished the half so strongly that they were two points to the good, 1-8 to 1-6, by the interval.
Galway centre forward Cathal Moore had been penalised, a little harshly, for overholding, and Eamonn Kennedy's long free dropped beautifully for Carter. He hit an angled shot into the net nearly before Padraig Kelly had a chance to locate his man.
Kelly's selection in the right corner had given much food for thought throughout last week, and Murphy admitted afterwards that the player didn't particularly like the position. Yesterday the more familiar wing back had a hard job with Carter and, even on occasions when he got the vital touch, uncharacteristically bad clearances renewed the danger.
Elsewhere the defence was quite good. Liam Hodgins played exceptionally well in the left corner, and while the jury is still out on acquired Clareman Fergus Flynn, he did concede scoreable frees.
In the rapid-fire early part of the second half Kilkenny initially threatened to put some daylight between themselves and the opposition. Shefflin slung up an over-the-shoulder point and Mark Kerins replied, both within 60 seconds of the restart.
Staccato bursts of scoring brought the match to the final quarter with the sides level and Galway beginning to look more urgent. Cathal Moore discovered his touch and loosened the tight grip Eamonn Kennedy had exercised on him for much of the afternoon.
Two points came from his intervention - one a free for Cloonan after Kennedy had been booked for bringing down Moore, the other an individual burst rounded off with a well-taken point which brought the sides level for the seventh time.
In the final few minutes, Shefflin's eighth point looked as if it might have been decisive. As the clock ran down, however, Galway summoned the willpower to make those late, telling strikes.
Galway: D Howe; P Kelly, B Feeney, L Hodgins; R Walsh, F Flynn, P Hardiman; N Shaughnessy (0-1), L Burke (0-3); A Kerins (1- 0), C Moore (0-2), K Broderick; O Fahy (0-2), M Kerins (0-2), E Cloonan (1-3, goal from penalty, points from frees). Subs: T Kavanagh (0-2) for Walsh (32 mins).
Kilkenny: J McGarry; J Butler, J Costelloe, W O'Connor; M Kavanagh, E Kennedy, P Barry; P Larkin, A Comerford; PJ Delaney (0-1), D Byrne, B McEvoy (0-2); K O'Shea, H Shefflin (0-8, six frees), C Carter (1-4). Subs: N Moloney for Larkin (42 mins); B Ryan for O'Shea (52 mins).
Referee: P O'Connor (Limerick).
