Leinster SHC final: Galway 4-29 Dublin 4-15
It is generally said that Dublin don’t “fear” Galway, in the same way they might, the traditional hurling powers, and results have indicated as much. There may be a rethink on that after Saturday’s Leinster final, which the Westerners won more or less as they pleased.
So, Micheál Donoghue led the county to a fourth provincial title and the third on his two separate watches. His rejuvenated team reversed the round-robin result against his former charges and will move into the All-Ireland semi-finals with momentum and restored form.
The combination of hard-edged, physical engagement, good use of the ball once they had got a certain looseness out of their system and some excellent, precise shooting was far too much for opponents, who were unable to hit the improved standards that had seen them undefeated in the provincial round robin.
Galway efficiently defused all of their opponents’ most threatening devices and left them trying to mop up a burst pipe with blotting paper.
RM Block
From the very start, Galway had a menace that was hard to contain. And led 0-4 to 0-1 after six minutes with points from Conor Whelan, Rory Burke, Tom Monaghan and an Aaron Niland free. John Hetherton got Dublin’s first point but it wasn’t to be a precursor of another aerial reign of terror and Daithi Burke brought his veteran mastery to bear on the full forward.
Cathal Mannion was playing a very deep role for Galway, facilitated by Dublin’s sweeper, and he hoovered up a pile of ball, and used it very well.
Within 12 minutes, Whelan intervened to dispossess Paddy Smyth and set a breakaway attack in motion, as Dublin were caught with nobody at home. Rory Burke ran the ball straight in, laid it off to Darragh Neary who scored the first goal.
Burke had to go off shortly afterwards, having just returned to the team after a hamstring injury, with what looked like a recurrence.
Although both sides were guilty of sloppy play, Galway pushed on and by the 20th minute, led by six, 1-9 to 0-6. Hetherton had a chance of goal but Darach Fahy saved well.
As the match appeared to be heading out of Dublin’s plausible orbit, Conal Ó Riain made and finished a fine goal, slipping in behind the defence and finishing from a narrow angle. It capped a spell of 1-3 without reply to cut the lead to a point, 1-9 to 1-8 but as the crowd of 46,463 warmed to the prospect of a contest, it faded again.
In what was to become a feature of the evening, every time Dublin narrowed the deficit, Galway hit back and shot the next three points to annul the goal. Tom Monaghan, who thrived in the open spaces and was named Man of the Match for a bulky 0-7 from play, got the first and two Niland frees followed.
After an opening match against Offaly when they conceded four goals, Dublin had tightened up at the back after the return of Liam Rushe from retirement. His experience and ability to read opposition attacks was a major factor but on this occasion he was powerless as Galway ran riot around the field, defying efforts to shut down space.
Individual marking was also loose and with the opposing forwards clipping scores almost at will, the match was going to be a struggle.
Paddy Smyth was outstanding against Kilkenny, but he found young Jason Rabbitte a handful. Another of the team’s weapons of choice, the searing runs of Brian Hayes, were cleverly shut down and if the Kilmacud flyer did manage to take off on occasion, his impact was far more restricted.
Four ahead at the break, 1-15 to 1-11, Galway opened the second half with two scores from Whelan and Monaghan and the scoreboard was moving. Ronan Hayes nearly squeezed in a goal after pulling on a loose ball, zipping around the defence, but it flew wide.
Remorselessly, the Galway lead grew. By the start of the last quarter, it was out to nine and although Whelan was black-carded and a penalty awarded in the 56th minute, Dónal Burke’s – he was another of Dublin’s strengths to be suppressed – well-struck goal did not trigger the necessary avalanche.
At least not in Dublin’s direction. From then on, Galway again outscored them, this time by 3-5 to 2-1, doubling their lead in the time remaining. Andrew Dunphy was sinbinned and Niland converted the penalty. Replacement Conor Cooney was immediately in for another – a contentious call, as he pulled back Eoghan O’Donnell in front of linesman Colm Lyons but was let go ahead and finish on an advantage.
Three goals pinballed into the net in the final two minutes of injury-time. It was chaotic in one sense but there was no doubting who was in control.
Galway: D Fahy; C Trayers, D Burke, D Morrissey (capt); R Glennon (0-2), P Mannion, C Daniels; T Killeen (0-1), C Mannion (0-2, 1 lineball); T Monaghan (0-7), C Whelan (0-5), D Neary (1-1); A Niland (1-8, 1-0p, 6f), J Rabbitte (0-1), R Burke (0-1). Subs: C Cooney (1-1) for R Burke (13 mins; inj), G Lee for Daniels, J Ryan for Glennon (both 53 mins), J Fleming (1-0) for Killeen (60 mins), F Burke for D Burke (69 mins).
Dublin: E Gibbons; P Doyle, P Smyth, C McHugh; C Crummey (capt), L Rushe, C Burke (0-2); B Hayes, C Donohoe (0-1); F Whiteley (1-3), D Burke (1-3, 1-0p, 3f), D Power; C Ó Riain (2-1), J Hetherton (0-1), B Kenny (0-2). Subs: R Hayes (0-1) for Power (28 mins), D Purcell for Kenny (35+ mins), E O’Donnell for Crummey (40 mins), S Currie (0-1) for Donohoe (48 mins).
