Kilkenny overturned a six-point deficit to beat Galway by 1-16 to 0-15 at the Gaelic Grounds.

This four-point victory means the holders are through to their fourth successive league final and a tenth in total under Brian Cody's watch.

John Power netted the decisive score from close range at the start of the fourth quarter, while Padraig Walsh produced an outstanding Man of the Match display in the No.5 jersey usually manned by his older brother Tommy.

A run of five consecutive points from centre forward Conor Cooney in the second quarter was instrumental in giving Anthony Cunningham's charges a 0-11 to 0-6 half-time lead. The sides shared ten scores in the opening 18 minutes but Galway then hit six in a row to take control of the game coming up to the break.

There was big news in the Galway camp prior to throw-in with both captain Joe Canning and centre Joseph Cooney drafted into the starting XV, wearing the No.19 and 18 jerseys respectively. Kilkenny started as selected and opened the scoring in the fourth minute when midfielder Michael Fennelly took a pass from Ballyhale Shamrocks clubmate TJ Reid before firing over.

Andy Smith replied but Henry Shefflin restored the Cats' lead with an excellent point from the middle of the pitch on six minutes. Within 50 seconds, Conor Cooney made it 0-2 apiece with another superb score. An exquisite long-range missile from goalkeeper Colm Callanan (free) propelled the Tribesmen into the lead for the first time.

The action was frantic but incohesive as both Richie Hogan and Conor Cooney missed shots at either end before Niall Burke doubled the gap with a lovely strike from the left wing: 0-4 to 0-2 after 13 minutes. However, thanks to scores from Colin Fennelly and Reid (free), the Noresiders were level by the end of the first quarter.

Canning and Shefflin - with a fantastic score over his own head - traded points and Galway full back Ronan Burke executed a vital block to deny Reid the opening goal of the game after great work from John Power. Cathal Mannion edged the westerners back in front and Galway came within inches of finding the net in the 24th minute when Conor Cooney's shot was deflected by Canning and then a Kilkenny defender before trickling inches wide of the target.

From the resulting '65', Cooney made it 0-7 to 0-5. The men in maroon then registered wides number six and seven while, at the other end, Reid pulled a straightforward free to the left of the uprights and wide. Conor Cooney stretched the gap to three points … seconds earlier Padraig Walsh executed a goal-saving hook on Padraig Brehony as the midfielder was in the process of pulling the trigger.

A brace of Cooney frees left the westerners ahead by double scores with four first-half minutes left. Cooney drilled over his fifth successive point from a long-range free two minutes from the short whistle. Colin Fennelly had the sliothar in the top right corner of the Galway net a minute from the break but the whistle had - harshly - already sounded for an alleged push on full back Burke.

The Cats fired their second score of the second quarter from a Reid free in the second minute of first-half injury time and went into the interval trailing by five.

Kilkenny were level within ten minutes of the restart, however. They looked like a different animal when they re-emerged and quickly set about eating into the leeway with two points from TJ Reid either side of a Colin Fennelly over. The first of those two Reid points came from a free and the piece of skill from Shefflin that created the second was worth the price of entry.

Fittingly, it was Shefflin who equalised with a sumptuous strike after Reid had clipped over a free: 0-11 apiece after 45 minutes. Andy Smith's wonderful effort momentarily had the Tribesmen back in front but Padraig Walsh got forward to cancel that one out almost immediately.

Galway were out of luck in the 50th minute when David Burke connected perfectly with Canning's delivery from a sideline cut but could only double the sliothar onto the crossbar with Cats custodian Eoin Murphy beaten. And it was a four-point swing as Colin Fennelly restored Kilkenny's lead seconds later.

Power took his eye off the ball for a split second and a Kilkenny goal chance went a-begging. Having trailed by six points going into injury time at the end of the first half, Brian Cody's never-say-die charges led by one at the end of the third quarter - 0-13 to 0-12.

The gap rose to four in the 54th minute when Power plucked the sliothar from the sky (after a long Eoin Murphy free) before planting an unstoppable shot to the back of the Galway net from close range. Wing back Cillian Buckley cancelled out Conor Cooney's point with a stunning strike from distance.

Cooney's eight point came in the 61st minute and reduced the arrears to just a goal, 1-14 to 0-14. When Burke closed the gap to two with five minutes left, Shefflin's fourth point from play pushed the Black & Amber back into a three-point lead. And three minutes from the end, Man of the Match Padraig Walsh speared over the insurance point - a majestic score from inside his own half.

A forest of Kilkenny defenders repelled Cooney's close-range free in injury time and the holders held on to book their place in the 2014 national hurling league final.

Kilkenny - E Murphy; P Murphy, JJ Delaney, B Kennedy; P Walsh (0-2), B Hogan, C Buckley (0-1); M Fennelly (0-1), R Hogan; W Walsh, C Fennelly (0-3), TJ Reid (0-5, 4f); J Power (1-0), M Kelly, H Shefflin (0-4). Subs: L Ryan for W Walsh, A Fogarty for R Hogan.

Galway - C Callanan (0-1f); J Coen, R Burke, D Collins; A Harte, J Cooney, Daithi Burke; David Burke (0-1), P Brehony; N Burke (0-1), C Cooney (0-8, 3f, 1'65), A Smith (0-2); J Canning (0-1), J Glynn, C Mannion (0-1). Subs: D Glennon for N Burke, D Hayes for P Brehony, K Hynes for A Smith, J Flynn for C Mannion.

Referee - J McGrath. Tweet

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