Galway 2-13 Kilkenny 2-7:TWO YEARS ago Nowlan Park was the graveyard for Galway's All-Ireland campaign. On Saturday they banished those demons with a hard-fought win over Kilkenny in their own back yard.
The game hung in the balance right until Tara Ruttledge pulled on a loose ball to fire past Catríona Ryan with two minutes left to play. Up to then the Cats had kept in touch thanks mainly to the accuracy of Aoife Neary from frees.
Ironically it was one of her poorer efforts that helped to give her side the impetus to mount a comeback that made for a gripping second half as Neary’s free dropped short and Edel Maher was on hand to finish.
From then on the game ebbed and flowed right until Ruttledge raised the vital green flag.
Galway dominated the first half with their defence snuffing out any threat but the women from the West were not making it count on the scoreboard.
After 22 minutes they led by 0-6 to 0-2 with Niamh Kilkenny hitting four points, Aoife Connolly and Brenda Hanney had opened the scoring for the eventual winners before Aoife Neary got Kilkenny off the mark with a free eight minutes in.
Then, just before the break the game moved up a notch as first Brenda Hanney buried a goal and Niamh Kilkenny immediately tagged on a point. But Kilkenny quickly responded via Aisling Dunphy’s textbook ground stroke that flew into the net.
The high tempo continued after the restart as Maher got Kilkenny back into it with her goal. Aoife Neary and Aisling Dunphy’s efforts sandwiched a point from Galway sub Noreen Coen. Neary hit two frees to make it a one-point match entering the final quarter.
Player of the match Niamh Kilkenny was on target on the double with a free and another great score after a trademark run. Kilkenny sub Shelly Farrell pointed with ten minutes to go and it looked like the game was beginning to turn. A free from Niamh Kilkenny kept Galway out in front as the nerves began to fray.
Ruttledge then put the game beyond doubt with her goal. Captain Brenda Hanney got the last point of the day to seal the victory.
GALWAY: S Earner; T Manton, S Cahalan, L Ryan; AM Hayes; T Maher, H Cooney; N Kilkenny (0-8, 0-4 frees), AM Starr; O Kilkenny, S Tannian, A Connolly (0-1); T Ruttledge (1-0), B Hanney (1-2), V Curtin (0-1). Subs: M Conroy for Tannian (20 mins), N Coen (0-1) for O Kilkenny (28 mins).
KILKENNY: C Ryan; C Dormer, C Doherty, G Walsh; J Frisby, C Phelan, E Aylward; A Dunphy (1-1), A Dalton; A Neary (0-5, frees), A Fahey, D Gaule; M Dargan, E Maher (1-0), M Quilty. Subs: E Keane for Frisby (half-time), S Farrell (0-1) for Dargan (34 mins), M OConnor for Fahey (39 mins), K Fennelly for Dunphy (41 mins).
Referee: M O’Kelly (Cork).
