Walsh Cup final defeat for Galway

Galway 1.18 Kilkenny 2.17
 

John McIntyre looked crestfallen after watching his side squander an eight-point lead and eventually lose to All-Ireland champions Kilkenny by two in extra-time in this humdinger of a Walsh Cup final in Freshford yesterday. Yet just a week before the same two sides meet again with the first points of the National League at stake, the new Galway boss still had reasons to be cheerful. His side suffered two yellow cards and had a late goal disallowed but still stood shoulder to shoulder with the game's greats, especially defensively. As Brian Cody observed: "It was exciting stuff and a good game for the first of February from both teams." And while McIntyre was disappointed not to win it, he was consoled that his new team "kept battling, their hearts are in the right place and it is something to build on. The Tribesmen fatally conceded two goals (one a penalty) within a couple of minutes of one another in the third quarter, and failed to score at all in the second period of extra-time. And they were gifted a goal themselves just six minutes in when a long-range Ger Farragher free dipped to beat Kilkenny 'keeper David Herity. But while still without the Portumna and Cappatagle players, Galway showed enough physicality and fire yesterday to prove that they won't be overawed by whatever their historic first year in Leinster throws at them.