Dublin 0-19 Galway 4-20

O’Moore Park in Portlaoise served as the venue for this, the NHL Division 1A relegation playoff replay between Dublin and Galway.

A more orthodox affair than last week’s clash in Tullamore, during which Dublin lost two players to indiscipline and Anthony Cunningham’s men were left to rue a series of missed opportunities, this afternoon’s encounter was defined less by attrition and escalating tension than the ruthless with which Galway set about their task.

Of the two sides, it was the Metropolitans who started the most impressively, marginally outpacing their opponents over the course of first quarter. Their monopoly was to prove short-lived, however; Galway talisman Joe Canning intervened on 24 minutes to drive home a free and catapult Galway into a slender, one-point advantage.

Anthony Daly’s men would restore their lead through John McCaffrey moments later, but points for David Glennon and Canning ensured Galway entered the half-time interval marginally the more satisfied of the two sides, leading 1-11 to 0-13.

Galway emerged for the second half by far the more energetic of the two sides and immediately set about probing the Dublin defence. A one-point lead became three and, as the intensity of Dublin’s defensive effort began to wane, Canning materialised 20 yards out to drive an effort past Gary Maguire in the Dublin net.

With their hopes of retaining top flight status fast receding, Dublin proved unable to summon the energy for a counterattack. Instead, it fell to David Glennon to flick home Galway’s third goal of the game and vault the Tribesmen into an insurmountable eight-point lead.

A final goal from David Burke put the finishing touches to a comprehensive Galway victory and, in doing so, consigned Dublin to relegation.