GAA: Galway share spoils with Dublin

Galway 1-12, Dublin 1-12

Substitute Paul Casey struck a last minute equaliser to give Dublin the draw which guaranteed their top flight status at Tuam Stadium.

A game played in wind and rain is hardly a backdrop for assessing championship prospects but both sides will look to the positive and in this context it will be their performances against the wind which were more telling.

Dublin did not use the elements in the opening half and the sides turned around level at 0-6 each. All six Dublin points came from play, wing-forwards Enda Crennan and Senan Connell firing over two apiece with Ciaran Whelan, who started well but faded, also chipping in one.

But the Galway defence, led by Divilly, was outstanding and the sort of team O¹Mahony prepares can be gauged from the fact that they didn't concede a single inside their 50 metre line in the opening half.

All six Galway points came from their full-forward line with Derek Savage, Padraig Joyce and John Donnellan scoring two each. But Galway shot nine wides in the opening half, Joyce the main culprit with six of them.

Jason Sherlock had two good goal chances blocked by Gary Fahey and goalkeeper Alan Keane before being withdrawn at the break and it looked ominous for Dublin when Kieran Comer edged Galway in front for the first time two minutes after the restart.

It looked much more bleak after 49 minutes when Comer fisted a goal after a quick free by Joyce and then Joyce pointed superbly to put the All-Ireland champions four points to the good.

However, Galway were to score just one more point from there to the end as Dublin, no doubt aware that scorelines elsewhere were not going in their favour, regrouped and Ray Cosgrove ignited the comeback when he fisted home a high delivery from wing-back Peadar Andrews eighteen minutes from the end.

The Kilmacud Crokes player levelled the match with nine minutes remaining with a free before Joyce landed one from 40 metres three minutes later. Darren Magee and Cosgrove both hit the upright in the closing stages but it was left to substitute Casey to rescue them in the final minute with a point.