Farragher inspires incredible Tribe recovery

Galway 0-20 DIT 2-12

This was the first Leinster match to be played in Galway and for long periods in the opening half it seemed it would be marked down with a heavy home defeat.

DIT, much sharper than an under-strength Galway side, stormed into a 2-9 to 0-1 lead after 26 minutes of a game played in dense fog.

Goals from Wexford men Harry Kehoe after eight minutes and an overhead flick from Liam Og McGovern after 16 minutes saw the students pull clear. But Galway rallied and five unanswered points before the break reduced the deficit to 2-9 to 0-6 at the interval.

DIT managed just three points in the second-half and did not score after the 43rd minute when McGovern found the range to put them 10 points ahead.

But Galway, with Farragher inspirational, clawed their way back and were content to pick off points.

They still trailed by six with 10 minutes left but Farragher’s tenth point of the match levelled the game with two minutes left and victory was assured when Eanna Ryan and Keith Kilkenny landed late points to set up a semi-final meeting next weekend with Dublin.

Galway: G Farragher (0-10, 6f), E Ryan, K Kilkenny, A Smith (0-2) each, N Cahalan, A Cullinane, D Burke, I Tannian (0-1) each.

DIT: L Og McGovern (1-3), P Ryan (0-4, 3f), H Kehoe (1-0), P Morris, M Maloney (0-2) each, P Hartley (0-1).

GALWAY: J Grealish; D Collins, C O’Donovan, D Hayes; N Donoghue, J Lee, A Cullinane; N Cahalan, J Coen; E Ryan, K Kilkenny, A Smith; B Murphy, G Farragher, I Tannian. Subs: D Barry for O’Donovan 47, D Burke for Cahalan 49, N Healy for Murphy, 51.

DIT: F McGarry; P Donnelly, P Phelan, O Walsh; E Murphy, J Walsh, D English; L Barron, H Kehoe; M Maloney, P Hartley, J Mulrooney; P Ryan, L Og McGovern, P Morris. Sub: P Kelly for Barron 56.

Referee: B Gavin (Offaly).