O’Shea points the way as driven Galway U20s gain revenge on the Cats

Kilkenny 1-11

THE Galway U20 hurlers were in no mood to risk a second outbreak of local supporter censure when squaring up to Kilkenny in the Leinster semi-final at O’Moore Park, Portlaoise on Friday night.

Steeled by the events in July of 2019 after under-performing at the same stage of the provincial championship to the same opposition, the young Tribesmen were driven to make amends – an attitude reflected in a massive work ethic on their way to a deserved five-point win.

Unlike their trouncing of Laois the previous weekend, Galway had to roll up their sleeves to gradually wear down a Kilkenny team which ran out of ideas and energy down the home stretch in setting up a final collision with Dublin on January 3.

Though the underfoot conditions were on the soft side – hardly a surprise in the depths of winter – this was a no-holds barred struggle for supremacy. The teams were level seven times during a cracking and high tempo opening-half until Galway kicked on approaching the break.

Four unanswered points from free-taking ace Donal O’Shea (two), midfielder Alex Connaire and substitute Seán McDonagh saw Galway go from a point in arrears to leading by 0-11 to 0-8 at the interval.

It opened a little daylight and given that they had been playing with the wind, Galway needed at least that cushion heading out for the concluding 30-plus minutes . . . only for the second-half to start disastrously for them.

Within four minutes, Kilkenny were back in front – the product of a neatly-taken goal from Eoin Guilfoyle, who also tacked on a pointed free. With the elements now behind them, the reigning champions looked in a strong position.

This was the crisis period for Galway; the time to test the team’s bottle and character. The response, however, was emphatic. Jeffrey Lynskey’s charges raised the intensity levels and with their defence becoming even more resolute, they remarkably didn’t concede another score from play.

Galway went on to outscore Kilkenny by 0-8 to 0-2 from the 34th minute to the finish and though the young men in black and amber were not short of either territory or possession late on, the opposition posts were guarded with admirable zeal.

Given that it was a match where two thirds of the 30 points scored came from placed balls, you’d be inclined to think that this was no great spectacle. To the contrary, it was a compelling battle in which the better team ultimately carried the day.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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