Second half substitute Iarla Tannian scored two goals to rouse the Tribesmen after it looked like Kilkenny were taking control.

Cyril Donnellan landed four points from play to nudge Galway into a deserved 0-13 to 0-9 half-time lead.

The Cats roared back to lead by 1-12 to 0-13 with TJ Reid netting, but Galway found their form again despite a lengthy injury stoppage for goalkeeper James Skehill.

The second half injury to Skehill saw the game held up for a number of minutes as he was placed on a stretcher and brought to hospital, but thankfully his injury was not as serious as first feared. The Cappataggle clubman was fit enough to travel home with the rest of the Galway panel afterwards.

In a hugely committed and fast-paced opening period, Galway looked that bit sharper and they seized the initiative on the scoreboard with Aidan Harte (0-2), Ger Farragher, Cyril Donnellan and Niall Healy all scoring.

TJ Reid, who enjoyed a battle royale with Damien Joyce, landed Kilkenny's opening point, while full-forward Richie Power then chipped in with a brace of frees to cut the gap to 0-5 to 0-3.

In sunny conditions, both Farragher and Power struck wides from placed balls but Galway, with a rock solid defence, continued to hold the edge as Donnellan, Farragher and David Burke landed further points.

Power and John Mulhall provided most of the resistance for the Cats, and Martin Comerford showed his attacking quality with two neat points from play, the first of which could have been a goal.

Whatever manager Brian Cody said at half-time worked a treat as Kilkenny, four points down at the break, dominated at the start of the second half.

Paddy Hogan hit a brace of '65s, Aidan Fogarty also split the posts and the key score came when TJ Reid capitalised on a mistake by Skehill who failed to clear his lines and the Ballyhale native clipped a ground shot to the net.

Farragher hit Galway's opening point of the second half but Michael Rice was able to cancel that out as the Cats raced into a sudden 1-14 to 0-14 lead.

There were five points between the sides when Reid pointed off his left after a forceful run, and Galway boss John McIntyre reacted by sending Iarla Tannian into the fray.

It proved to be a masterstroke as the Ardrahan clubman, February's Vodafone GAA Hurler of the Month, went on to have a match-winning role.

Galway whittled Kilkenny's lead down to 1-18 to 0-17 by the 60th minute, with Aonghus Callanan landing a point and Tannian finishing past goalkeeper PJ Ryan, following good work by Richie Cummins.

Farragher brought the sides level with another point and, but some of Galway's momentum was sapped away when Skehill sustained his injury.

The lengthy delay allowed both sides to regroup and they went point for point when play resumed. Two Power scores were answered by Tannian and Farragher.

John Tennyson floated over a long range effort to make it 1-21 to 1-20 for Kilkenny, with three minutes to go.

However, Cody's charges were left stunned when Tannian, whose participation was in doubt due to a hand injury, scrambled home his second goal.

Michael Rice and Aidan Fogarty tagged on late points as the Cats tried valiantly to get back on terms, but a Harte score from an acute angle and a superb save by substitute goalkeeper Colm Callanan from a Fogarty shot saw Galway prevail by the narrowest of margins.