Shefflin's Galway beat Cody's Cats with last-gasp Cooney free

Conor Cooney was the Galway hero when he landed a free from distance on the right to snatch victory in the final play of a thriller in Salthill as Henry Shefflin got the bragging rights over his old mentor Brian Cody.

Kilkenny struck for an equalising goal in the third minute of injury-time but Cooney kept his nerve to land the winner.

There was a tense handshake afterwards as Shefflin went to commiserate with Cody, with the Kilkenny manager clearly unhappy with referee Colm Lyons after a dramatic contest.

The sides were level four times in the opening half but Galway went in leading by 1-17 to 2-08 after a frenetic opening half.

Kilkenny captain Eoin Cody opted to play against the wind in the opening half and Galway came out of the blocks shooting three points in the opening two minutes with brothers Pádraic and Cathal Mannion finding their range along with their cousin Brian Concannon.

Pádraig Walsh settled Kilkenny with a point and then Cody, a nephew of Galway manager Shefflin, pointed before he fired home the opening goal following a good run from Walter Walsh to lead by 1-02 to 0-03 after just six minutes.

Galway got back on level terms after 12 minutes when Conor Cooney pointed a long-range free and efforts from Cianan Fahy and Joseph Cooney edged them in front.

TJ Reid, who missed two frees in the opening half, found the range from 60 metres before Billy Ryan shot home their second goal after 16 minutes after a good pass from Cody.

But with Galway executing multiple turnovers, they pulled away with Tom Monaghan and Joseph Cooney both shooting three points from play by the break, with the Tribesmen hitting 1-10 from turnovers before the interval.

A couple of Reid points after his goalkeeper Eoin Murphy had caved from Fahy,