1. Galway show no ill-effect from homecoming
AFTER THE DEMOLITION job they did on Tipperary in the league final, the big task for Galway was to put the win to one side and take their good form into the championship.
The Tribesmen made the country sit up and take notice after they dismissed the reigning All-Ireland champions by 16 points last month. So often in the past they’ve flattered to deceive with a failure to string back-to-back performances together.
Michael Donoghue’s side were even criticised in some quarters for staging a homecoming after their league success, but that had no ill-effect on their performance today.
Galway were full-focused and tuned in from the first whistle to the last in O’Connor Park. Ben Quinn’s goal right before half-time left Dublin trailing by just three points at the interval, but the Tribesmen stepped on the accelerator after the restart and cruised home.
They upped the physical stakes in the second period and made their size advantage count all over the field.
2. Red card misfortune for Dublin
Ger Cunningham just can’t seem to catch a break. It might not have affected the outcome of the game, but the Dublin boss can feel aggrieved about Cian O’Callaghan’s red card in the 41st minute.
On second viewing it O’Callaghan appeared to accidentally trip Joseph Cooney with his hurley as he tried to lift the sliotar off the ground. The harsh decision rocked Dublin and robbed them one of their most experienced defenders.
Canning slotted over the resultant free to push Galway six in front and they never looked back. The Connacht side put the spare man to good use and they proceeded to run up a big score on the deflated Metropolitans.
3. Galway’s electric attack
Galway’s red-hot attack have posted a jaw-dropping 5-49 in their last two games. Conor Cooney, who missed the league final through injury, announced his return to action with 1-3, leaving him with 2-7 in his last two games.
Conor Whelan continues to blossom in the corner and he’s now chipped in with 10 points in 140 minutes, while Jason Flynn has bagged 3-3. They’re all extremely accurate finishers, but the ball-winning ability of this Galway side sets them apart.
Joe Canning continues to conduct the orchestra from the middle third and provide the inside trio with a steady supply of diagonal ball inside. He has posted nine points in each of his previous two games, and has chipped in with 0-10 from play.
And the substitutes who came on were eager to impress and ravenous for scores. Niall Burke, who made way for the returning Cooney, raised the white flag twice after his 56th minute introduction.
Any side with aspirations of taking down Galway is going to have to find a way to shut down their free-scoring forward unit.
4. Dublin head to the qualifiers
Cunningham’s side head for the uncertain waters of the qualifiers, joining All-Ireland champions Tipperary in the backdoor.
It was always going to be an uphill task to take down Galway, but suffering a 14-point defeat will do little to lift the spirits in Dublin.
The absence of talented hurlers like Danny Sutcliffe and the Schutte brothers hasn’t helped their cause, while injuries to Cian Boland, Fintan McGibb and Dara O’Connell weakened their hand further.
Cunningham has almost five weeks to set about performing corrective surgery on this team, but good displays from Eoghan O’Donnell, Eamonn Dillon and Rian McBride must be build on if they’re to turn things around.
5. Galway and Kilkenny on collision course in Leinster
Galway will be expected to take care of Offaly in the Leinster semi-final, while Kilkenny will be favoured to defeat Wexford – despite their defeat to Davy Fitzgerald’s men earlier in the league.
It means that a repeat of last year’s provincial decider remains on the cards. Last July, Galway took a three-point lead into half-time before Richie Hogan’s introduction in the second-half propelled the Cats to a 1-26 to 0-22 win.
Galway were eviscerated by many pundits after the defeat and their stomach for the fight was called into question. There’s a bit to go yet, but Galway have a score to settle. The prospect of these great rivals clashing in a Leinster final is a tantalising one.
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