By Paul Keane

Substitute Cian Salmon delivered a rich bounty for Galway at Croke Park, making one goal and scoring another to secure their Electric Ireland All-Ireland minor hurling final place.

The Clarinbridge man entered the play with just 14 minutes to go as Galway sought to shake off Kilkenny at the second attempt following last weekend's 2-20 to 0-26 draw.

It looked like Kilkenny's day with just five minutes remaining when they led by four and appeared to be in a comfortable position.

But Galway's subs would ultimately turn the game for them as Jack Kenny fired a 55th goal with virtually his first touch after Salmon's great catch and lay off.

And with time almost up, Salmon himself was perfectly placed to flick home from close range after Thomas Monaghan's high ball into the danger area.

The result seals their passage to a September 6 final clash with Tipperary or Dublin who meet in the second semi-final.

Kilkenny will kick themselves for not sealing their progression to the decider a week earlier. They'd moved six clear early in extra-time only to find themselves one down late on. Andy Gaffney's 82nd minute free conversion ultimately rescued a second date for Pat Hoban's side.

They were slow out of the blocks in the rematch too, falling 1-1 to 0-0 down early on.

Jack Coyne grabbed both of those scores for Galway and his seventh minute goal was expertly taken after a probing run by Brian Concannon.

Kilkenny soon took control of the game though and with the wind behind them shot bursts of three and then four points without reply.

That second spree of scoring saw them move 0-9 to 1-3 ahead approaching half-time though Evan Niland's second converted just before the break left just two in it.

That was the same margin that Kilkenny led by at the break a week earlier so they weren't about to take anything for granted.

They were also about to concede the wind advantage and were duly reeled in by the 44th minute as Galway fought back to level terms, 1-9 to 0-12.

Kilkenny appeared to have put themselves in a winning position when they surged four clear again with just seven minutes remaining.

But they were suckered by that thrilling late response for Galway who summoned all their courage to seal a two-point win.

Scores and teams:

Scorers for Galway: J Coyne (1-2), E Niland (0-5, five frees), J Kenny (1-0), C Salmon (1-0), M Lynch, I O'Brien, T Monaghan (0-1 each)

Scorers for Kilkenny: A Gaffney (0-6, three frees, two '65s'), J Connolly, C Hennessy (0-2 each), S Mahony, D O'Connor, M Cody, R Leahy, T O'Dwyer, E Delaney, J Donnelly (0-1 each)

Subs for Galway: C Fahy for Grealish (28), L Forde for Lynch (43), C Salmon for Burke (46), J Kenny for Concannon (54), R Malone for Monaghan (61).

Subs for Kilkenny: J Donnelly for O'Connor (40), E Delaney for Connolly (45), B Sheehan for O'Dwyer (54), N Walsh for Bergin (59), J Cuddihy for Mahony (60).

Galway: D Gilligan; C Connor, J Fitzpatrick, S Bannon; C Mulry, I O'Brien, A Greaney; J Grealish, F Burke; J Coyne, T Monaghan, B Concannon; M Lynch, E Niland, S Loftus.

Kilkenny: S Muprhy; M Cody, T Walsh, C McGrath; C Doheny, R Bergin, D Mullen; D Joyce, J Connolly; C Hennessy, S Mahony, T O'Dwyer; A Gaffney, R Leahy, D O'Connor.

Referee: C Lyons (Cork).