All-Ireland camogie semi-final: Galway 1-14 Kilkenny 0-11Champions Galway are back in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie final as a Carrie Dolan penalty in the opening minute of the second half ensured a comfortable progression against a hard-working but less experienced Kilkenny unit in Thurles.It was two points apiece after 10 minutes but though Kilkenny were playing with the wind, they were unable to get past player of the match, Ciara Hickey and as Caoimhe Kelly, Ailish O’Reilly and Niamh McPeake ratcheted up points from play before the end of the first quarter, there were some worrying signs for Jimmy Meagher’s crew.The response was encouraging, as Kilkenny’s full-back line began to impose themselves, with Tiffanie Fitzgerald prominent, and Ava Brett doing her job on Aoife Donohue, who moved deeper as proceedings evolved.Laura Murphy and Laura Greene worked their way into the fray around the middle, meaning Galway were not making such easy inroads with their runners.They needed Aoife Prendergast’s radar to be in from placed balls to move the scoreboard, however, and the Dicksboro sharpshooter was pretty spot on, adding to her opening brace with two from just inside the Galway half.When Sarah Barcoe provided Kilkenny’s first score from play in the 21st minute, the sides were level on 0-5 each.It was Galway that finished the half better though, Kelly slotting her second point and Dolan her side’s first from a free to make it 0-7 to 0-5 at the change of ends.Disaster struck for the Noresiders with the concession of that penalty within a minute of the restart, when Greene shouldered Dolan off the ball, after the midfielder had just failed to gather a lovely Kelly stick-pass when through on goal.Kilkenny had the ball cleared though, so it was needless and Dolan punished the transgression with a low, powerful drive beyond Aoife Norris.Prendergast responded with another free from distance and though Donohue left the fray with a knee injury, her replacement Shannon Corcoran provided the assist for a beautiful Kelly point immediately after, and Niamh Niland grabbed her second with a wristy finish.Galway's Ally Hesnan and Ciara Hickey celebrate at the final whistle. Photograph: Tom Maher/Inpho Galway were going through the gears now, having shaken off the rust of a four-week break and their greater physicality and know-how was on full display.Caoimhe Keher-Murtagh did make one careering run through the middle and though Sarah Healy blocked her kick, a free was awarded that Prendergast sent fizzing about an inch over the crossbar.But they just could not make any real impact on the meanest defence in the game – one that might be augmented by multiple All Star Shauna Healy, who has returned to training recently and was part of the extended squad for this game.Róisín Black, Hickey and Dervla Higgins were outstanding, the latter even going forward to score a fantastic point.She went off after suffering a knee injury though and if there was one concern for Galway boss Cathal Murray, it was those injuries, as Sabina Rabbitte also left the pitch within minutes of being introduced off the bench.Galway had to play the last 10 minutes or so – including seven minutes of injury time – with just 14 payers and a heavily limping Dolan ended up just taking up a position at full forward.Kilkenny reduced the margin to six by the final whistle, but Galway had more than enough done.GALWAY: S Healy; R Hanniffy, R Black, K Manning; D Higgins (0-1), C Hickey, K A Porter; A Hesnan, C Dolan (1-4, 3f); N McPeake (0-2), A Donohue, A O’Reilly (0-1); A Keane, N Niland (0-2), C Kelly (0-3). Subs: S Corcoran for Donohue (inj, 41 mins); A Kelly (0-1) for Keane, S Rabbitte for Kelly, M Dillon for Niland (all 54); L Kelly for Higgins (57).KILKENNY: A Norris; M Teehan, T Fitzgerald, N Deely; A Carroll, A Brett, C Dowling; L Greene, L Murphy; A McHardy, A Prendergast (0-8, 8f), E Shortall; S Fitzgerald, C Keher-Murtagh, S Barcoe (0-1). Subs: K Nolan for S Fitzgerald (inj, 37 mins); C Doheny (0-1) for Shortall (40); R Phelan (0-1) for McHardy (49); R Dowling for Carroll (60).Referee: Andy Larkin (Cork).