Kilkenny vs Galway mhc final

lilpaulie85 · August 16, 2009, 03:09:41 PM

Predictions please. I think galway will win by about two.

GY Joe · August 17, 2009, 09:14:56 AM

This will be a titanic battle going on form. I would have said that this Kittens team were hard beat after their good win over a very handy Tipp side, but going on Galways performance yesterday after coming in 'cold' with due respect to Antrim, this has the look of a classic and a preface of battles to come in the senior grade. I think above all Galway minor teams that this one has the potential to give Galway 5 or 6 seniors. Richie Cummins, Niall Burke, Glennon, O'Regan in midfield, one Joe Cooney and the full back all looked serious players. In fact there were more great displays but cant name them all.

I think Galway can win this by 3. Thats a big score considering how close the battles between KK and Galway have been in underage in the recent past.

PLus - we owe them after last year.

Fair play Mattie, keep it up.

bottlethrower7 · August 17, 2009, 09:24:11 AM

I disagree. I think this final is Kilkenny's to lose. In fairness its always hard to call a game with the Galway minors because they improve so much from game to game. They went into yesterday's game on the back of a facile victory over Antrim. In the first half yesterday they struggled in patches, but to be fair Waterford were limited to shooting from long-range. Galway improved as the game went on and enjoyed long spells of dominance in the second-half. What would worry me from their point of view is that they struggled to pull away from Waterford during those spells of dominance. They weren't scoring freely, though were still controlling matters out the field. They then conceded that goal, to a keeper who is still making elementary mistakes (I was surprised hes still on the team after last years final).

Kilkenny are a bigger, physical side. They'll be a different proposition for Galway than that Waterford side. They'll hit harder, and they'll have a lot more presence out the field.

I agree this has the makings of a classic, and though very astute on the line, I think Mattie still has some uncertainties over some of his defensive positions.

I think if Galway had the games under their belt that Kilkenny have, they'd win. I expect they'll be a little cold at the outset though, and this could prove decisive, because of how hard they had to work for their scores yesterday.

GalwayBayBoy · August 17, 2009, 02:43:40 PM

Should be a great game alright. I'm sure the Galway lads will be keen to put right last year's final result. One they really left behind them badly. They look to have a good mix of size, speed and skill and seem to be a well balanced outfit. Never seen a Galway team so good at fetching high ball either which has been a weakness down through the years. Shows that it is something they are working hard at with the underage teams. The full-forward line is dangerous, with two nippy corner-forwards (Cummins and Maloney) working off the big man Badger at full-forward. Niall Burke was very good at centre-forward. Won a ton of possession from puck-outs. I thought the full-back Daithi Burke and the corner-back Coen were excellent. Young Coen has a touch of the Ollie Cannings about him. Like a magnet to every loose ball. In many ways I thought the two midfielders Glennon and Regan were the most impressive of the lot. Great stickmen, delivered in some wonderful passes and scored 0-6 from play between them I think. The keeper however made another howler to go with the one he made last year so I'd be surprised if Kilkenny are not told to shoot on sight in the final as he seems prone to errors.

Galway were slow enough getting going yesterday as they often are when they get to this stage but once they got up to speed you could tell they were comfortably the better side alright. Hopefully the game will bring them on again. Didn't see the Kilkenny v Tipp game but I heard the cats were pretty good especially in the first half so it should be a good quality final.

seafoid · August 20, 2009, 08:03:11 PM

It's great to see a J Cooney playing on a Galway team in an AIF. Brings me back to 1990 and the summer he was conceived. I remember it well. Ffrench's niteclub I believe. Bryan Adams agus mar sin de.

thejuice · September 06, 2009, 02:02:48 PM

Great first half by Galway. No 8 is cleaning up in midfield. Hope they can continue in this fashion in the second half. Nice flick by the forward for the first goal to lift off the turf. Galway certainly have the better hurlers.

INDIANA · September 06, 2009, 02:29:47 PM

Fine win by Galway. Better side by a considerable margin. One of the best minor teams I've seen in a long time. Skill-level was a credit to them.

magickingdom · September 06, 2009, 02:42:33 PM

great game imo but galway had that bit extra. no problems with slipping on the pitch despite the rain. .

GY Joe · September 06, 2009, 03:24:06 PM

Well done Galway, A fine minor team indeed Mattie wasnt talking sh1te. There is the prospect of 5 or 6 seniors from that team if they keep it up. Comfortably the better team I thought.

johnpower · September 06, 2009, 03:39:34 PM

Quote from: GY Joe on September 06, 2009, 03:24:06 PM

Well done Galway, A fine minor team indeed Mattie wasnt talking sh1te. There is the prospect of 5 or 6 seniors from that team if they keep it up. Comfortably the better team I thought.

Well done

Galwaybhoy · September 06, 2009, 04:23:31 PM

Great victory, I thought we were going to throw it away in the second half, it has been that sort of year for Galway. Heartache in so many matches this year, the senior hurlers leading the Cats by four and lost, ahead against Waterford by four with a minute left and lost, the camogie girls leading Kilkenny by four points and lost by a point, the footballers lost by a point to Donegal and then the u21s leading well against Clare at half time only to fall behind and come back in the second half and then nearly win it in extra time with a late Canning goal before losing by two points. I thought it would be the same story for the minors today but fair play to them they held Kilkenny well in the second half and scored some cracking points. A great All-Ireland win, and one badly needed after a tough year of following Galway.

GalwayBayBoy · September 06, 2009, 05:37:55 PM

Great win for the lads. Made up for throwing away last year's final. Very good game given the conditions at the time. Some real prospects on that Galway team and you would be looking for at least 5 or 6 of them to make it into the senior team. Daithi Burke imperious at full-back. Both corner-backs are very tidy defenders. Flaherty did well at centre-back. The two midfielders are excellent. David Glennon especially is a mighty bit of stuff. Niall Burke a great prospect at centre-forward. His free-taking went a bit wonky in the second-half alright but he was very good in the first half. Both corner-forwards Richie Cummins and Shane Maloney have what it takes. Maloney still only 16 so it may be a while until he graduates to the senior team.

Well done to both teams. Some great skills on display.

Capt Pat · September 06, 2009, 08:03:21 PM

I missed the minor match today but saw last years and as mentioned above that is really 2 in a row they should have in the bag. Can a senior title be far away for Galway given the amount of underage talent? with Joe Canning on board it is surely inevitable.

Only joking, how long have we been saying that for. I think the curse of Biddy Earley has moved from Clare to Galway.

Reillers · September 06, 2009, 08:08:28 PM

Well done to the Galway lads, deserved it last year, threw it away, delighted they won today. Hopefully they'll have success in their future.

orangeman · September 06, 2009, 08:10:34 PM

According go the Bishop, justice was done today after last year's unjust result. Fairly partisan comment I thought.