10 minutes: Galway's biggest days tend to be ignited by strong starts to matches, which invariably involve goals. In the Leinster final Joe Canning was on the mark inside three minutes. Now he makes the opening for himself, travelling (quite a distance) and drawing fouls but advantage is played and he finishes with gusto.
Kilkenny 0-1 Galway 1-1
16 minutes: An early indicator that Kilkenny are feeling more stressed than usual comes with the award of a close-in free. Trailing by four at an extremely early stage of the match, Henry Shefflin gets a rush of blood and goes for goal – a choice that may have implications later – but is blocked. He subsequently and uncharacteristically puts the 65 wide. Kilkenny 0-1 Galway 1-2
Half-time: Kilkenny 0-7 Galway 1-9
54 minutes: A barnstorming start to the second half sees Kilkenny raise their game. All down its spine, the team is performing better. Central to this is Shefflin, now orchestrating the attack from centre forward. He supplies half of the six unanswered points that push Kilkenny into the lead, which is secured by a free from around his own 65.
Kilkenny 0-14 Galway 1-10
55 minutes: Apparently moving decisively in one direction, the match lurches again within a minute. Not having scored for 18 minutes Galway pounce to regain the lead. Cyril Donnellan launches a high ball that breaks off Brian Hogan and Kieran Joyce, with David Burke challenging. Niall Burke is on hand to gather the ball – from close to but not off the turf – and finish expertly.
Kilkenny 0-14 Galway 2-10
60 minutes: Shefflin cuts through the Galway defence and passes to Colin Fennelly for what looks like a certain goal. James Skehill does extremely well to save but fouls the ball by lying on it. Shefflin takes the point on offer to equalise.
Kilkenny 0-16 Galway 2-10
67 minutes: The biggest call of the match. Skehill torpedoes Eoin Larkin as he advances on the ball and Barry Kelly spreads his arms for a penalty. Shefflin looks to the line for direction. Manager Brian Cody shrugs. Juggling the prospect of winning the final or losing it, he plays safe and takes the point to push Kilkenny one ahead with minutes remaining. Kilkenny 0-19 Galway 2-12
73 minutes: A tight call for Kelly and he judges Jackie Tyrrell to have fouled Davy Glennon on the left wing, roughly 40 metres out. Canning has just missed a free from roughly the same neighbourhood a couple of minutes previously. This time he makes sure, drilling the ball with a flat trajectory over the bar to tie it all up.
Kilkenny 0-19 Galway 2-13
