Holders Kilkenny will face Galway in the 2015 Leinster SHC final after an emphatic 5-25 to 0-16 victory over Wexford at Nowlan Park.

Some of the names and faces may have changed but it was the same old Kilkenny as they scored at will and eased into a mouth-watering provincial decider on the first Sunday of July. Championship debutant Ger Aylward caught the eye with an astonishing haul of 3-5, while TJ Reid, Richie Hogan and Michael Fennelly were others to excel for the winners.

Hard to believe this was the Black & Amber's first competitive outing in twelve weeks!

Each side scored ten times in the first half but the All-Ireland champions' uncanny ability to find the net ensured them of a healthy 3-7 to 0-10 interval advantage, with all of their first-half scores bar TJ Reid's penalty goal seven minutes from the break coming from open play.

Quickfire goals from 2014 Hurler of the Year Richie Hogan and Aylward in the ninth and twelfth minutes respectively had the new-look Cats ahead by 2-5 to 0-6 after 21 minutes. There had been little between the teams up until then but - as is their wont - the Noresiders were able to get the vital scores when it counted most.

Ian Byrne - who hit seven first-half scores and eleven in all - had given the Slaneysiders the lead inside a minute only for John Power to reply. Aylward cancelled out a Byrne free and Byrne's third point (free) only seemed to antagonise the Black & Amber as Fennelly placed Hogan, who batted home the first goal of the match. The influential Hogan then pointed before picking out Aylward for the second major: 2-3 to 0-3. And it was 2-2 without reply when Hogan bagged another score.

Andrew Shore, Liam Og McGovern - with a good goal chance - and David Redmond pulled back Wexford points before Power's second point, from the left wing, left five between them. Again, Byrne replied from a soft free in front of the posts. Eoin Murphy got down well to divert a goalbound shot from David Redmond and Byrne tapped over a free to leave just three between the teams, 2-5 to 0-8.

Typically, Kilkenny netted their third goal in the 28th minute to double the difference, Reid rocketing home a penalty after he had been bundled over as he bore down on goal. Byrne and debutant Aylward traded scores as did Byrne (free) and Reid before the short whistle sounded with six between them.

The reigning Leinster champions would have wind advantage when the action resumed…

Mark Fanning saved a Reid shot immediately upon the resumption but the latter brushed himself down to nonchalantly float over the resultant '65'. Redmond replied with a lovely score but Cats veteran Eoin Larkin and Reid (free) were on hand to make it 3-10 to 0-11 after 41 minutes. Byrne (free) and McGovern brought the gap back to six but Hogan knocked over a trademark brace for the hosts before Reid's powerful running created an opening for Aylward, who cracked home his second major on 47 minutes. The No.13 followed up with a point to bring his tally for the day to 2-3 and leave four goals between the teams: 4-13 to 0-13.

It was 5-17 to 0-15 after an hour, with Aylward completing his hat-trick at the midway stage in the second half. Reid and Byrne (free) traded points as both teams emptied their benches as the game meandered to an inevitable conclusion.

Reid brought his tally to 1-7 and Aylward his to 3-5 as the winners continued to pick off scores at will with the game over as any sort of contest. The Black & Amber march on, then, while the Model County - who mustered just 0-3 from open play in the second half - go into tomorrow morning's Qualifier draw on the back of a humbling 24-point thumping.

Kilkenny - E Murphy; P Murphy, J Holden, J Tyrrell; P Walsh, K Joyce, C Buckley (0-1); M Fennelly (0-1), C Fogarty; W Walsh, R Hogan (1-5), TJ Reid (1-7, 1-0pen, 0-2'65, 0-2f); G Aylward (3-5), J Power (0-2), E Larkin (0-3). Subs: K Kelly (0-1) for J Power, S Prendergast for J Tyrrell, R Lennon for P Murphy, M Kelly for E Larkin.

Wexford - M Fanning; L Ryan, M O'Hanlon, E Moore; A Shore (0-1), L Chin, C Kenny; D Redmond (0-2), D O'Keeffe; S Tomkins, D Waters, I Byrne (0-11, 9f); P Morris, C McDonald, L Og McGovern (0-2). Subs: K Foley for P Morris, A Nolan for E Moore, H Kehoe for S Tomkins, P Doran for D Waters, E Martin for A Shore, G Sinnott for L Og McGovern.

Referee - D Kirwan.

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