Allianz HL D1A: Galway impress in Salthill

Allianz Hurling League Division 1A

Galway 0-35 Kilkenny 0-17

By Billy Coss at Pearse Stadium

A slick and economical Galway outfit made it three wins on the bounce in Allianz Hurling League Division 1A with a surprisingly lop-sided 18-point victory over Kilkenny in Salthill.

Aaron Niland, Cathal Mannion and Rory Burke inflicted the bulk of the damage with a combined return of 23 points for the ultra-impressive winners. They were among 13 different scorers for the Tribesmen who secured their top-flight safety and kept themselves in contention for a final place.

For all the sharpness and cohesion from the hosts, it was a lacklustre showing from the Noresiders who are embroiled in a relegation battle.

Midfielder Cian Kenny was their shining light with a 10-point haul, including six from play. Their already understrength line-up was further weakened by the loss of defender Mikey Carey to an apparent hamstring injury in the second half.

Aaron Niland, one of the stars of a new-look Galway side this spring, was entrusted with the free-taking responsibilities and hit the target five times in opening up a 0-7 to 0-5 lead by the quarter-hour mark.

Cian Kenny and Eoin Cody were both on target twice for Kilkenny who soon began to lose ground and trailed by 0-15 to 0-9 at the break. By then, Niland had accumulated nine points and 2025 All-Star Cathal Mannion three of his half dozen.

Cillian Trayers, Joshua Ryan and captain Darren Morrissey led a stout defensive effort, and Galway would accelerate even further clear with a run of seven unanswered points after the restart that saw Tiernan Killeen and Ronan Glennon register scores.

Trailing 0-22 to 0-9, Kilkenny raised five of the next seven white flags with Cian Kenny continuing his productive evening’s work. But Galway would soon reassert their dominance and a 10-point lead on 56 minutes would stretch to 18 by the finish after an utterly clinical spell of finishing.

Aaron Niland took his return up to 13 points before his withdrawal while Conor Whelan and Rory Burke also topped up their tallies. All of Micheál Donoghue’s subs also got in on the act through TJ Brennan, Jason Rabbitte, Oisín Lohan, Evan Niland and Conor Cooney. Cian Kenny and Liam Moore brought the lone replies in the remainder of a forgettable second half from the Cats.

Galway move on to a clash with Limerick in a fortnight, while Kilkenny travel to neighbours Tipperary. The counties will renew rivalries in their Leinster Senior Hurling Championship round-robin opener at the same venue in six weeks’ time.

Scorers for Galway: Aaron Niland 0-13 (9fs, 165), Cathal Mannion 0-6, Rory Burke 0-4 (1sl); Tom Monaghan and Conor Whelan 0-2 each; Tiernan Killeen, Ronan Glennon, TJ Brennan, Padraic Mannion, Jason Rabbitte, Evan Niland, Conor Cooney and Oisín Lohan 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kilkenny: Cian Kenny 0-10 (4fs); Eoin Cody and Liam Moore 0-2 each; Jordan Molloy, John Donnelly and Tom Phelan 0-1 each.

Galway: Darach Fahy; Joshua Ryan, Cillian Trayers, Kieran Hanrahan; Ronan Glennon, Padraic Mannion, Darren Morrissey; Cian Daniels, Tiernan Killeen; Darragh Neary, Cathal Mannion, Rory Burke; Thomas Monaghan, Conor Whelan, Aaron Niland.

Subs: Jason Rabbitte for Monaghan (53), Conor Cooney for Neary (53), TJ Brennan for Morrissey (59), Evan Niland for Burke (62), Oisín Lohan for Aaron Niland (63).

Kilkenny: Aidan Tallis; Rory Garrett, Mikey Carey, Ivan Bolger; David Blanchfield, Darragh Corcoran (captain), Paddy Deegan; Cian Kenny, Jordan Molloy; Liam Moore, Eoin Cody, Luke Connellan; Niall Shortall, Martin Keoghan, Tom Phelan.

Subs: John Donnelly for Connellan (29), Ian Byrne for Moore (temporary, 35-HT), Killian Doyle for Shortall (HT), Richie Reid for Deegan (46), Shane Murphy for Carey (47), Ian Byrne for Molloy (53).

Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork).