Kilkenny snatch Leinster title at the death after thrilling final against Galway

For the last two months, Leinster’s pedestrian and going-through-the-motions fare has lived quietly in Munster’s overbearing shadow. With a sensational closing act in this afternoon’s showpiece event, the lesser province wrestled back the narrative.

This Leinster final was six minutes into injury time when play seemed to spend an eternity in the corner where the Canal End meets the Hogan Stand. Fatigued players from both parishes were unable to make any meaningful contact.

Eventually, a stripey shirt got the sliotar across and in front of Galway's large rectangle. Padraic Mannion kicked possession into the path of Cillian Buckley. The Kilkenny sub dodged and ducked before delivering the game-winning goal to take silverware straight out of Galway’s grip. The maroon army collapsed in disbelief.

In the words of Kilkenny captain Eoin Cody when accepting the Bob O’Keeffe Cup, “there’s plenty of hurling in Leinster”.

For a patched-up Kilkenny, the victory and the breathing space it gives them is way more important than any provincial four-in-a-row. They were without the injured Mikey Carey, Richie Reid, and Adrian Mullen. Martin Keoghan departed midway through the first half. Avoiding the All-Ireland quarter-final gives them extra time to get bodies right.

For Galway, they will be absolutely sick. After reeling in an eight-point deficit in the final quarter to go two ahead in injury time, not to hold out will be hard to bounce back from.

That eight-point gap emanated from a Mikey Butler goal on 40 minutes and a six-in-a-row of points not long after. Butler’s goal was assisted by half-back David Blanchfield, his second green flag assist of the final. It left Derek Lyng’s side 3-17 to 1-15 in front on 49 minutes.

Galway refused