Galway cruise past Dublin to seal All-Ireland SHC semi-final place and end Leinster wait

The Tribe proved too strong for the Dubs at Croke Park on Saturday evening. 

TANGLED UP IN BLUE: Dublin’s Paddy Smyth and Jason Rabbitte of Galway. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie

DUBLIN 4-15 GALWAY 4-29 

Galway’s fourth Leinster title and first in eight years came off the back of this commanding display in Croke Park.

A harsh black card on Conor Whelan in the 56th minute and accompanying penalty goal for Donal Burke couldn’t put them off course.

In front of a 46,463 crowd, Galway had doubled their four-point lead at the break by the end of the third quarter, 1-22 to 1-14. Tom Monaghan and Whelan between them struck 12 points.

Galway’s movement troubled Dublin all game long and even a man down they were stretching the provincial table-toppers. They didn’t need Aaron Niland’s 66th penalty goal and black card for Andrew Dunphy, an even harsher call when Conor Cooney had committed a clear dragging foul beforehand.

Cooney then completed the rout with a goal two minutes later and the Bob O’Keeffe Cup was heading westwards. In additional time, Conal Ó Riain for a second occasion and Fergal Whitely found the net either side of a John Fleming goal but Dublin neither got their running game or direct approach to John Hetherton going.

Both teams, as they were announced, had to be seen on the field to be believed and so it proved as Conor McHugh and tyro Brendan Kenny came in for Eoghan O’Donnell and Cian O’Sullivan.

To lose All-Star O’Sullivan completely from the panel was compounded by the addition of Rory Burke to Galway’s starting line-up. Burke had lighted up the start of the provincial championship although his final lasted only 13 minutes due to a hamstring injury.

Burke was replaced by Conor Cooney just after he had set up Darragh Neary for the first major of the game. Paddy Smyth, who had difficulty with Jason Rabbitte early on, was dispossessed by Whelan and the turnover caught the Dublin defence far too up the field.

It sent Galway into a seven-point lead and reflected not just the space they were exploiting in the Dublin half of the field but their ability to respond to every Dublin score.

With his marker Daithí Burke off the field receiving treatment on a leg injury, Hetherton launched for a goal in the 15th minute but his effort was kept out.

Dublin were showing flashes through Brian Hayes but it wasn’t until the 20th minute that they broke Galway’s pattern with a blitz of 1-3 in less than five minutes. Three points were followed by a beautiful Ó Riain goal. The angle was acute but his strike was up to the small margin for error and Dublin were within two.

Galway fired back with three, two of them Niland frees. On the cusp of half-time Dublin’s young forward Kenny had to make way with a hamstring issue soon after scoring his second point.

An industrious Whelan picked off his third point of the half to finish out the scoring and the margin was four, 1-15 to 1-11.

Scorers for Dublin: C. Ó Riain (2-1); D. Burke (1-0 pen, 3 frees), F. Whitely (1-3 each); C. Burke, B. Kenny (0-2 each); J. Hetherton, C. Donohoe, R. Hayes, S. Currie (0-1 each).

Scorers for Galway: A. Niland (1-8, 1-0 pen, 6 frees); T. Monaghan (0-7); C. Whelan (0-5); D. Neary, C. Cooney (1-1 each); J. Fleming (1-0) C. Mannion (1 sideline), R. Glennon (0-2 each); R. Burke, J. Rabbitte, T. Killeen (0-1 each).

DUBLIN: E. Gibbons; P. Doyle, P. Smyth, C. McHugh; C. Crummey (c), L. Rushe, C. Burke; B. Hayes, C. Donohoe; F. Whitely, D. Burke, D. Power; C. Ó Riain, J. Hetherton, B. Kenny.

Subs for Dublin: R. Hayes for D. Power (28); David Purcell for B. Kenny (inj 35+2); E. O’Donnell for C. Crummey (inj 40); S. Currie for C. Donohoe (48); A. Dunphy for L. Rushe (inj 49); D. Ó Dúlaing for D. Purcell (64).

Black card: A. Dunphy (66-ft).

GALWAY: D. Fahy; C. Trayers, D. Burke, D. Morrissey (c); R. Glennon, C. Mannion, C. Daniels; T. Killeen, C. Mannion; C. Whelan, T. Monaghan, D. Neary; A. Niland, J. Rabbitte, R. Burke.

Subs for Galway: C. Cooney for R. Burke (inj 13); G. Lee for C. Daniels, J. Ryan for R. Glennon (inj) (both 53); J. Fleming for T. Killeen (60); F. Burke for D. Burke (69).

Black card: C. Whelan (56-67).

Referee: M. Kennedy (Tipperary)