Kilkenny’s dominance of Leinster hurling continued at Croke Park this afternoon as they pulled clear of first-time finalists Galway during a disappointingly one-sided second half.
The Tribesmen played well below par as the Cats won a record sixth successive Leinster SHC title, with top scorer Henry Shefflin contributing 1-07.
Shefflin and Damien Hayes traded goals as Kilkenny claimed a 1-08 to 1-05 half-time lead, in front of 31,376 spectators.
Hayes top-scored for Galway with 1-01, but substitutes Richie Hogan and Aidan Fogarty added a scoring threat to see Kilkenny to their 67th provincial success.
A swirling wind played havoc with both sides’ attacking play, eventual winners Kilkenny hitting 17 wides.
But, most tellingly, Galway got their tactics badly wrong, withdrawing top scorer Damien Hayes (1-01) to midfield and opting to play long balls in which were meat and drink to the Kilkenny backs.
Kilkenny half-backs Tommy Walsh, JJ Delaney and first half substitute John Tennyson mopped up a huge amount of possession and the westerners’ main attacking threat, Joe Canning, was isolated for most of the opening hour.
Canning hit two late points, including a trademark sideline cut, but the damage had been done by that stage.
The expected test did not come for Brian Cody’s men who are now just two matches away from an historic All-Ireland five in-a-row.
Incredible, the result marked Kilkenny’s 12th Leinster title in 13 years and their 20th Championship win in-a-row – Galway, who prevailed in an epic 2005 All-Ireland semi-final, are the last county to topple the Cats in Championship fare.
Cody added Eoin Larkin to the Kilkenny attack, replacing Richie Hogan from the recent Leinster semi-final victory over Dublin.
Injuries forced Galway manager John McIntyre to delay his team announcement, but David Collins (calf muscle) and Iarla Tannian (quad muscle) were fit to start.
McIntyre made three changes to the team that overcame Offaly in last weekend’s semi-final replay, Collins, Adrian Cullinane and Aidan Harte starting in place of John Lee, David Burke (suspended) and Eanna Ryan.
Galway hit the front after just 12 seconds, Aonghus Callanan playing the ball through for Harte to slot over from the right wing.
Wides from Michael Fennelly and Henry Shefflin got Kilkenny off to an inauspicious start.
Larkin flicked the ball around advancing Galway goalkeeper Colm Callanan, but it beat everyone to cross the end line, including the lurking Martin Comerford.
A brace of frees from Shefflin got Kilkenny off the mark and the Championship’s record scorer teed up TJ Reid for a third, from play.
It was a cagey opening from both sides, pockmarked by wides at either end. Kilkenny goalkeeper PJ Ryan was not his usual reliable self when failing to clear his lines, with Harte and Damien Hayes sniffing around for a goal and causing concern near the Kilkenny square.
Kilkenny feed off early goals and one duly arrived in the 13th minute.
Shefflin drifted menacingly in behind the corner back on the left, getting onto a breaking ball to stick it into the bottom right corner of the net, giving Callanan little chance.
The Cats sandwiched a Ger Farragher free with two scores from play from Michael Rice, the second after a quickly won puck-out.
Crucially, Galway kept in touch thanks to a 19th minute goal from Damien Hayes. Noel Hickey and Ryan failed to clear a Farragher delivery, it diverted through the goalkeeper’s legs and Hayes flung his hurley to touch it home.
The pace of the match quickened as Eddie Brennan pointed from near the sideline and Iarla Tannian raced into a central position to score and make it 1-06 to 1-03. Shefflin took his tally to 1-03 and Richie Power nabbed a point from play, answering another Farragher free.
General play was lacklustre and the intensity was lacking, however, and there was little for the supporters to get their teeth into.
Galway closed out the first half’s scoring, Joe Canning winning a right-sided free which Farragher converted for a 1-08 to 1-05 scoreline.
McIntyre’s charges were very much still in the running at this stage, and they maintained that three-point gap – 1-09 to 1-06 – as Farragher’s fourth free cancelled out a Shefflin opener at the start of the second half.
But Galway’s first Leinster final appearance went into freefall thereafter, Kilkenny scoring seven unanswered points before substitute Kevin Hynes registered the Tribesmen’s third point from play, in the 58th minute.
The contest went flat as Shefflin (0-02), TJ Reid (0-02), Power and substitutes Richie Hogan and Aidan Fogarty sent a succession of scores over Callanan’s crossbar.
Both sides went into double figures in terms of wides, and Galway tired somewhat, looking lethargic after two hard-fought games against Offaly.
The NHL Division 1 champions struggled to win their own puck-outs, midfield duo Rice and Fennelly combining well with Kilkenny’s all-conquering half-backs in that area.
The Cats, meanwhile, showed signs of their attacking class as young substitute Hogan danced away from Galway captain Shane Kavanagh to score a skilful point soon after his introduction. Rice’s drilled pass set up another new man in, Fogarty, for a point and a comfortable lead at 1-14 to 1-06.
Slack marking allowed Shefflin to play a long range free short to Reid who picked off his third point from play, and wides from Hayes and substitute Eoin Lynch did little for Galway’s dwindling confidence.
A soccer-style dribble from Rice, after he lost his stick, also showed Kilkenny’s ease on the ball.
Hynes’ point was followed by Hayes’ first and a third from Power in the 61st minute, Fogarty doing the hard graft to create a third point for the full-forward.
The remaining minutes saw the pace slacken as the result became painfully obviously for the first-time finalists.
Credit to Galway, they kept hunting for scores but it was goals they needed and subsequent points from Lynch, after a delightful flick from Joe Canning, substitute Cyril Donnellan and Canning himself mattered little in the end.
Kilkenny were operating in a low gear and playing well within themselves, they could afford to. Larkin and Shefflin closed out the champions’ scoring as they cruised into the All-Ireland semi-finals with a galling degree of comfort.
Scorers: Kilkenny: H Shefflin 1-07 (0-05f), TJ Reid, R Power 0-03 each, M Rice 0-02, E Brennan, R Hogan, A Fogarty, E Larkin 0-01 each
Galway: D Hayes 1-01, G Farragher 0-04 (0-04f), J Canning 0-02 (0-01sl), A Harte, I Tannian, K Hynes, E Lynch, C Donnellan 0-01 each
KILKENNY: PJ Ryan; J Dalton, N Hickey, J Tyrrell; T Walsh, B Hogan, JJ Delaney; M Rice, M Fennelly; TJ Reid, E Brennan, E Larkin; M Comerford, R Power, H Shefflin.
Subs used: J Tennyson for B Hogan (29 mins), A Fogarty for Comerford (43), R Hogan for Brennan (48), J Mulhall for Power (68).
GALWAY: C Callanan; D Joyce, S Kavanagh (capt), O Canning; D Barry, T Og Regan, D Collins; G Farragher, A Cullinane; A Callanan, A Harte, A Smith; D Hayes, J Canning, I Tannian.
Subs used: E Lynch for Cullinane (26 mins), C Donnellan for Callanan (43), K Hynes for Farragher (54), J Gantley for Smith (67).
Referee: Michael Wadding (Waterford)
