Galway rescue a point in entertaining Kilkenny clash

A point from Galway captain Conor Whelan in the fifth minute of added time rescued a draw in this Leinster SHC clash with Kilkenny at Pearse Stadium.

The Cats looked set for victory when TJ Reid put them two up going into stoppage time but after Evan Niland reduced the margin to the minimum, Whelan struck the equaliser from distance.

Kilkenny led by 0-16 to 1-09 at the break after playing with the strong breeze.

Galway got on top initially and were good value for their 0-04 to 0-01 lead after seven minutes with two points from Cathal Mannion and one apiece from Brian Concannon and Cianan Fahy.

Kilkenny, like Galway operating a two-man full-forward line, reduced the gap with efforts from Martin Keoghan and John Donnelly, but it took them until the end of the first quarter to get back on level terms when they hit three points in a row to tie the game at 0-07 apiece, before Keoghan, who hit 0-04 in the first half, edged Kilkenny in front for the first time.

But then Galway struck for a goal. Captain Conor Whelan fed Brian Concannon who set up his cousin Cathal Mannion but rather than pick off an easy point he threaded the ball across and Gavin Lee found the net for the second week in a row with a low shot to the left corner.

Earlier new Kilkenny goalkeeper Aidan Tallis did well to save from Mannion and they responded well to the concession of the goal with TJ Reid and Keoghan drawing them level with points.

Galway lost corner-back Darren Morrissey to a shoulder injury, with TJ Reid restoring Kilkenny's lead with a free.

Two more points from Mannion — Galway’s only scores before the break after scoring the goal in 19th minute — cut the gap to the minimum, but Kilkenny finished the half strongly with five points without reply.

Reid