Player ratings: Dylan McHugh and Shane Walsh lead the way in Galway's shock win over Dublin
HOW GALWAY RATED: Galway's Dylan McHugh celebrates at the full-time whistle. Pic: ©INPHO/Leah Scholes
: Retained 67% of his kickouts despite going long with a remarkable 17 of them. Dealt with the press and pressure from Hill 16 impressively in the second half.
: Another conquest. The man-marker started out on the in-form Cormac Costello and limited him to a point from play. His drives forward forced Costello into a foul and yellow card in the second half.
: He was moved from full-back but didn’t look uncomfortable for it. Even when he was unable to stop a Con O’Callaghan point with a dive attempt, his response was excellent. Won the next kickout and carried hard as Galway responded with a Shane Walsh free.
Followed Paul Mannion absolutely everywhere. The 2023 All-Ireland final managed to find space once when he swung over a point on his right but was limited otherwise and taken off midway through the second half.
The passage that summed him his influence best came with Galway’s equaliser on the hour mark. He rose above James McCarthy under the Hogan Stand to steal Cluxton’s restart. He powered off the shoulder to get Galway going and pave the way for Cein D’Arcy’s score. The Corofin man kicked the next levelling point himself. A leading contender for Man of the Match.
: The man charged with marking Con O’Callaghan by Pádraic Joyce. The Dublin full-forward only scored one from play and he was being tagged by Fitzgerald at the time.
A desperate turnover 26 minutes in after James McCarthy had just kicked the ball away was the only blot on his copy book. He was harshly penalised for a free before the break but produced a huge block in the second half, helped by the fact Costello missed the subsequent 45. He grew into the match as it went on and contributed to an immense defensive effort.
: A difficult day at times for the stalwart midfielder yet he overcame it to score when sorely needed. A rare Stephen Cluxton slip from a kickout before half-time went unpunished as Conroy drove the kick out over the sideline. He took three shots at the post for two wides and a point. Another mishap in the final quarter with a wayward pass.
A season of struggling for fitness caught up with the Galway captain in Croke Park. Replaced by Cein D’Arcy after 20 minutes due to injury.
: Kicked a mark early in the first half and created a score by winning the throw-in for the second but failed to impact the game outside of that. He kicked a poor wide into the Davin Stand and was withdrawn in place of Johnny Heaney immediately.
: Stood toe-to-toe with Brian Fenton and bested the matchup. A vital link player for Galway and go-to kickout option. He was the target for the Gleeson long ball before Johnny Heaney’s point that pushed them one up. He also assisted that score.
The official Man of the Match. Three outstanding points. Fouled for a Shane Walsh free in the first half and created another for the corner-forward. His first time point after a Dylan McHugh boomer into an outcoming Damien Comer was exceptional and reduced the gap to two with 47 minutes played.
: One assist and no scores. Penalised for a throw ball early on that would’ve resulted in a Galway score otherwise. The prominent strapping on his knee is evidently an inhibiting factor. Replaced after 45 minutes.
Three wides and some sloppy turnovers. Even when he won a kickout in the first half, his kick towards Finnerty failed to find the target and was picked off. He still battled hard and won a crucial free after taking a heavy hit from Michael Fitzsimons.
: At various points in this tie, he looked destined to collapse. Landed awkwardly on his ankle in the first half, hobbled near the sideline for a lengthy period in the second. Eventually Tomo Culhane came on. Before that Walsh gave John Small on of his toughest outings in Croke Park. Scorched him for two early points. Seven points, including four frees, from eight shots.
: Dublin got one point from the bench. Galway got three through Céin D'Arcy, Johnny Heaney and Tomo Culhane. Cian Hernon was a cool presence when needed.
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