Galway 0-10

Dublin 0-7

Kevin Egan reports at O’Connor Park

A GOOD WEEKEND for teams trying to bounce back from provincial final defeats in the Electric Ireland minor football championship continued this afternoon in Tullamore, when Galway, who lost three games out of six in their Connacht campaign, completely outplayed a Dublin side that cruised through the Leinster championship.

Galway will now play Derry in the All-Ireland semi-finals, with Kerry awaiting the winners of Kildare and Mayo, who are now the only provincial winners still standing.

The Dubs could have few complaints about this defeat after playing second fiddle to the Tribesmen for long stretches, particularly in the middle third of the field. Galway spurned four good goal chances over the course of the hour into the bargain, while Dublin never got those chances to test Kyle Gilmore, between the Galway posts.

Wind-assisted, the Dubs burst out of the blocks with the first four points of the game, and looked particularly sharp down the right flank, with Pierce Donohue and Joe Quigley kicking excellent scores from that side of the field. However they struggled to keep feeding their inside men with good possession, while they the warning signs were there defensively as Galway cut them open for three good goal chances.

Stephen Curley pulled a penalty wide after Shay McGlinchey had been tripped, while Jack Lonergan had another effort brilliantly saved by David Leonard. Even Fionn O’Connor’s opening score in the 17th minute might easily have been a goal, but instead fizzed a couple of feet over the bar.

Lonergan, Shay McGlinchey, Éanna Monaghan and Cillian Trayers all took control of their key diamond sector positions, and Galway took a fully-deserved 0-5 to 0-4 lead into the break.

A superb point from Quigley levelled matters after half-time, but a second yellow card for wing forward Luke O’Boyle heaped further pressure on the Dubs, and Galway’s sharper passing and ball-carrying set up an array of chances.

Excellent points from Fionn O’Connor, Seán Dunne, Tomás Farthing and Colm Costello moved the Tribesmen four points clear, and while Dublin reduced that gap through Clyde Burke, the goal chance they craved to save their season never looked like coming, despite the addition of eight additional minutes.

Scorers for Galway: F O’Connor 0-2, J Lonergan 0-1, S McGlinchey 0-1, É Monaghan 0-1f, S Dunne 0-1, C Costello 0-1, O Morgan 0-1, T Farthing 0-1, O Kelly 0-1.

Scorers for Dublin: J Quigley 0-3, P Donohue 0-2, L O’Boyle 0-1, C Burke 0-1.

Galway

1. Kyle Gilmore (Cortoon Shamrocks)

4. Vinny Gill (Corofin), 3. Ryan Flaherty (Claregalway), 2. Tomás Farthing (An Spidéal)

5. Mark Mannion (Salthill-Knocknacarra), 6. Cillian Travers (Claregalway), 7. Ross Coen. (Corofin)

8. Jack Lonergan (Claregalway), 9. Shay McGlinchey (Tuam Stars)

10. Seán Dunne (Bearna), 13. Éanna Monaghan (Claregalway), 11. Owen Morgan (Claregalway)

22. Fionn O’Connor (An Spidéal), 12. Stephen Curley (Annaghdown), 15. Colm Costello (Dunmore MacHales)

Subs: Charlie Cox (Moycullen) for O’Connor (48), Olan Kelly (Annaghdown) for Dunne (54), Luke Carr (Killanin) for Curley (58), James Summerville (St. Michael’s) for McGlinchey (60+1), Cian Dolan (Monivea-Abbey) for Lonergan (60+3).

Dublin

1. David Leonard (Ballymun Kickhams)

2. Emmet Brady (St. Brigid’s), 3. Daniel McCarthy (Ballyboden St. Enda’s), 17. Oscar Donohoe (Na Fianna)

5. James Brady (St. Vincent’s), 6. David Lucey (Kilmacud Crokes), 7. Tim Deering (Skerries Harps)

8. Dylan Clark (Castleknock), 9. Nathan Fitzgerald (Erin’s Isle)

10. Paul Reynolds Hand (St. Vincent’s), 15. David Mulqueen (Lucan Sarsfields), 12. Luke O’Boyle (Clontarf)

14. Ciarán Donovan (Kilmacud Crokes), 21. Pierce Donohue (St. Sylvester’s), 13. Joe Quigley (Kilmacud Crokes)

Subs: Clyde Burke (St. Pat’s, Donabate) for Donovan (half-time), Jamie Smith (Lucan Sarsfields) for Brady (half-time), Charlie McMorrow (Cuala) for Fitzgerald (36), Seán Doyle (Castleknock) for Deering (52), Shane Mullarkey (Thomas Davis) for Mulqueen (56), Conal Ó Ríain (Kilmacud Crokes) for Reynolds Hand (60+4).

Referee: David Murnane (Cork)