Jake Mullen, Kilkenny, and Aodhán McDonagh, Galway, in Electric Ireland Leinster MHC Final action. Photo by Tyler Miller/Sportsfile
Electric Ireland Leinster MHC Final
Kilkenny 4-11 Galway 1-8
Kilkenny secured back to back Leinster Minor Hurling titles when they got the better of Galway at a rainswept Laois Hire O'Moore Park.
Goals from Jake Mullen, Ollie O’Donovan, Cian Byrne and Diarmuid Behan gave the Cats the edge, but it was only at the start of the final quarter that they gained proper superiority on the scoreboard.
Galway gave their opponents plenty to think about in a first half that was dominated by the windy conditions which made quality hurling very difficult.
A Cian Hannon goal enabled Galway to move into a 1-2 to 0-3 advantage, but the back end of the opening period was controlled by their opponents with Jake Mullen’s goal getting the ball rolling.
Ollie O’Donovan, Kevin Buggy and Mullen all added to the Kilkenny tally and while Ronan Cahalan replied for the Tribesmen, it was the winners that led 1-6 to 1-3 at the change of ends.
Galway did have the aid of a strong breeze in the second period, but they couldn’t make it count with a Cillian Roche scored their only point prior to the 50th minute.
In that same spell the Cats raced clear with four points on the trot via Mullen, Cian Byrne and Eoin Brennan.
A Jack Shaughnessy free reduced the gap back to six before Kilkenny moved up a gear as they scored three goals inside the final 10 minutes.
Ollie O’Donovan knocked in a rebound effort in the 51st minute before Diramuid Behan and Cian Byrne scored fine individual goals to put the result to bed.
Galway’s final points arrived from placed balls via Cillian Roche and Jack Shaughnessy as Kilkenny made it Leinster title number 61 at the minor grade with a defiant 4-11 to 1-8 success come the final whistle.
Scorers for Kilkenny; Jake Mullen 1-4 (4fs), Cian Byrne 1-2, Ollie O’Donovan 1-2, Diarmuid Behan 1-0, Eoin Brennan 0-1, Kevin Buggy 0-1, Ben Nevin 0-1.
Scorers for Galway: Jack Shaughnessy 0-4 (4fs), Cian Hannon 1-0, Cillian Roche 0-3 (1f), Ronan Cahalan 0-1.
Kilkenny: Jake O’Doherty; Oisin Henderson, Larry Phelan, David McGee; Ben Nevin, Josh Dowling, PJ Mackey; Diarmuid Behan, Brian Hickey; Kevin Buggy, Ollie O’Donovan, Jake Mullen; Eoin Brennan, Conor Holohan, Cian Byrne.
Subs: Adam Maher for Holohan (53), Darragh Hickey for B.Hickey (56), Killian Ryan for McGee (59), Kealan Barcoe for Mackey (59), Sean Hanrahan for O’Donovan (62).
Galway: Oisin O’Connell; Lee Murphy, Senan Coen, Aodhan McDonagh; Robert Burke, Shay Brady, Daire Zimmerer; Sean Moran, Cian Hannon; Gus Lohan, Jack Shaughnessy, Ronan Cahalan; Tadhg Mac Cartaigh, Cillian Roche, Ethan Coleman.
Subs: Jody Canning for Lohan (41), Mikey Maher for Coleman (47), Luke Tully for Coen (49), Cian O’Loughlin for Cahalan (58), Stephen Keane for Hannon (62).
Referee: Padraig Dunne (Laois)
