Galway are the new Leinster Minor Hurling Championship champions after an extraordinary comeback victory over Kilkenny in Portlaoise yesterday.
Kilkenny looked to be cruising at one stage after opening up a 12-point lead in normal time, but Galway battled back before eventually claiming a dramatic 3-20 to 3-19 win after extra time.
Despite the heartbreak, Kilkenny manager Gordon Byrne said he was hugely proud of his players and quickly turned attention towards the All-Ireland series.
“Hugely proud of the lads and what they’ve done and where they’ve come from.
“They are all gutted there at the minute, but look, we can pick them back up.
“We’re not done yet. We have an All-Ireland series to look forward to so we have to get the heads up and drive on for that now again.”
Kilkenny will now regroup ahead of the All-Ireland series, with Byrne confident his side can respond strongly after the narrow final defeat.
