Sometimes it takes a little desperation to bring out the best in people. Dublin were desperate for a win in Parnell Park yesterday, not just to keep some life in their league campaign. The confidence required reconstruction and the spirit needed some spark - especially with the championship looming ever closer.

This two-point victory will probably go a long way in satisfying all three. Yet for manager Tom Carr, it wasn't just that Dublin won but also the way they did it; no fading away and no premature concession.

"One of the huge positives from this is we got rid of that mental thing we had built up over the last few games. They way we pressed on relentlessly throughout the game was all we were looking for. If the game had ended in a draw I still would have been satisfied, but to come away with the win is a huge bonus."

It was a close win after the game had come close to being cancelled. Heavy morning rain meant a late pitch inspection and referee Brian White made the brave decision to press ahead. At times it was a game of catch and slide, yet it also produced frequent moments of skilful football and shimmering scores.

Both sides displayed impressive fitness throughout and with the score at 1-8 apiece going into the last 10 minutes, it came down to who had the greater reserves. Dublin's two late substitutes provided the answer, with Declan Darcy chipping over the decisive point as the clock ticked into injury time and Wayne McCarthy then sealed the result with one of the last kicks of the game.

By then, Galway had already revealed signs of tiredness. John Donnellan's fourth free a quarter of an hour before the end was to be their last score and a list of injuries meant John Divilly and Tomas Mannion both made late appearances, the latter for his first game in two years. Still, Dublin had to work hard to get ahead. Ciaran Whelan inspired the huge display of team determination over the last 20 minutes, eventually contributing three key points. Niall O'Donoghue has never had a better day in the Dublin jersey and although Vinny Murphy was at times worryingly anonymous, his goal after 12 minutes of the second half was pivotal. What had gone on previously was mostly about Galway. They had taken charge after 20 minutes when Mathew Clancy benefited from a loose ball rebounding off the corner of the crossbar and claimed the opening goal. Some typical sharp-shooting from Derek Savage helped extend the advantage to 1-5 to 0-4 by the break.

Murphy's goal then ignited Dublin's resurgence. A slick one-two between O'Donoghue and Thomas Lynch ended with the ball in his path and he duly found the net. After another exchange of points, Enda Sheehy finally levelled the scores with just over 15 minutes left. John Donnellan briefly restored Galway's advantage before Murphy again made it even. Darcy then appeared with just five minutes remaining and after taking a sideline ball (awarded somewhat suspiciously) from Whelan, he slotted over the game-breaking point.

"It was important to reverse that trend of recent months," said Carr. "And we have to remember it doesn't just happen on the day. We have to be up at that level for each game we play in the summer.

"We showed great determination and that was the difference. You can talk about tactics all day but if teams don't have the heart and passion to win then it's not going to happen. That was the difference between today and any other day when Dublin don't go out and play well."

For John O'Mahony, the result doesn't take too much away from his target of a place in the playoffs. "We didn't play as well in the second half and their goal came at a crucial time," he said. "I felt we could still win it with about five minutes to go, although I would question that sideline ball that brought about Dublin's point. But we did play poorly at times. "Of course the conditions weren't ideal but we were happy to play. So we have another tough game against Kerry next weekend and we still need something out of that to be sure of the play-offs."

DUBLIN: C Boyle; M Cahill, P Christie, C Goggins; M Casey, J McGee, P Andrews; C Whelan (0-3), E Sheehy (0-1); S Connell, N O'Donoghue (0-2), K Darcy; V Murphy (1-2), D Farrell, D Homan. Subs: T Lynch for McGee (37 mins), K Donnelly for Darcy (42 mins), D Darcy (0-1) for O'Donoghue (65 mins), W McCarthy (0-1) for Murphy (63 mins).

GALWAY: P Lally; M Comer, K Fitzgerald, M Colleran; D Meehan, T Joyce, S De Paor; S O Domhnaill, J Bergin; M Clancy (1-0), M Donnellan, L Colleran; D Savage (0-2, 1 free), K Comer (0- 2), J Donnellan (0-4, fs). Subs: P Joyce for Comer (50 mins), T Mannion for Bergin (60 mins), J Divilly for T Joyce (65 mins).

Referee: B White (Wexford).