Flashback: Dublin v Galway - 2024 Allianz League Clash

Dublin travel to Galway this weekend, knowing they must win in order to keep their aim of staying in the top flight alive and will look to our last league win in Galway back in 2024 for inspiration.

In this one, Con O’Callaghan demonstrated his credentials once more - sharp, direct, and utterly unplayable at times. Leading the line with real authority, he clipped over nine points, including three from play and had Galway’s stretched defence chasing shadows for long spells.

Dessie Farrell shuffled the deck, handing Evan Comerford the gloves, while Tom Lahiff, Killian McGinnis, Daire Newcombe and Killian O’Gara all got the nod from the start. None looked out of place in a game that never truly caught fire.

There was added punch to come, too, with Jack McCaffrey, Colm Basquel and Paul Mannion all introduced after the break, a reminder of the depth at Farrell’s disposal.

Dublin were slick early on, moving the ball with purpose and cutting through Galway at pace, particularly in a dominant second quarter. By the interval, it already felt like a job half done with the Dubs comfortably 0-10 to 0-06 to the good.

Cillian Ó Curraoin opened the games scoring with two early frees, as Galway looked to set the tone.

Dublin hit back with a blitz. Six points in 10 minutes, including three from O'Callaghan, and other scores from McGinnis, Ross McGarry and Seán Bugler gave the Boys in Blue a five-point lead with the scoreboard showing 0-8 to 0-3.

Galway chipped away through Johnny McGrath, Rory Cunningham and Ó Curraoin but never wrestled back control.

Bugler and Brian Fenton kept Dublin ticking, with the home side offering some resistance to Dublin's dominance, but at the break, the Dubs were still dictating the terms and were good value for that four-point half-time lead.

Padraic Joyce rolled the dice with Paul Conroy at the break, and Ó Curraoin tagged on two scores to give Galway a flicker of life; however, Dublin snuffed it out instantly.

Dublin scored seven of the next nine points in a ruthless 11-minute burst to virtually put the game to bed. McGarry, Comerford (free), Kilkenny, Lahiff, Basquel, and two more scores from O’Callaghan put Dublin clear by the hour.

From there, it was all about the Dubs. Dublin emptied the bench and kept the tempo. Galway kept swinging with scores from Liam Ó Conghaile, Jack McCabe, and Ó Curraoin, but Farrell's men were unmoved by the late Galway resilience.

Dublin would wrap up the game by scoring three on the bounce, which included two from O'Callaghan and one from Seán Bugler.

We would move on to the league final, where we were beaten on penalties by Derry. Another Leinster title would be added to Dublin's record haul, before we were dethroned as All-Ireland champions by Galway in the quarter-final of the All-Ireland series that summer.

Galway: C Gleeson; J McGrath (0-01), S Fitzgerald, S Mulkerrin; E Kelly, J Daly, D O’Flaherty; C Darcy, J Maher (0-01); J Heaney, D McHugh, C Sweeney (0-01); C Ó Curraoin (0-08, 5fs), N Daly, R Cunningham (0-01)

Subs: P Conroy for N Daly (HT); L Ó Conghaile (0-01) for Darcy (57); J McCabe (0-01) for Ó Curraoin (57); P Egan for Heaney (61)

Dublin: E Comerford (0-01, 1f); S MacMahon, T Lahiff (0-02), D Newcombe; C Murphy, J Small, K McGinnis (0-02); B Howard, B Fenton (0-01); R McGarry (0-2), S Bugler (0-03), C Kilkenny (0-01); K O’Gara, C O’Callaghan (0-09, 5fs, mark), N Scully

Subs: C Basquel (0-01) for O’Gara (48); J McCaffrey for McGinnis (51); P Mannion for McGarry (54); L O’Dell for Scully (54); T Clancy for MacMahon (68)

Referee: B Cawley (Kildare)