Senior footballers and Tribesmen to meet for third time this year

While Dublin's senior footballers have not met Galway in SFC action since the 1983 All-Ireland final the counties clashed twice this year in NFL1 action - the regulation game in Salthill and then the Division 1 decider in Croker Park. Here we take a look back at both games. The counties meet in Saturday's All-Ireland SFC semi-final in Croke Park (5.0) with the MFC semi-final of Meath v Galway (3.0) the curtain-raiser.

2018 NFL DIVISION 1 FINAL

SUNDAY, APRIL 1: Croke Park

DUBLIN 0-18 GALWAY 0-14

Dublin were crowned NFL1 champions again …. the fifth time in just six seasons and they did it the hard way in this spring's top-flight decider at Croke Park.

The Dubs lost James McCarthy, Michael Darragh Macauley and John Small (temporarily) to injury as well as playing out the last 20 minutes with 14 men following the dismissal of Niall Scully (second yellow).

But Dublin showed the mettle of champions with a Dean Rock ‘45’, the influential Ciarán Kilkenny, Philly McMahon, Eric Lowndes and a Rock free seeing Jim Gavin’s men to a hard-earned success.

Con O'Callaghan, fresh from this All-Ireland club SHC heroics with Cuala, was introduced for the last 15 minutes and played his role in driving his side towards the winners enclosure while Colm Basquel was sprung at the interval, replacing Kevin McManamon, and contributed impressively with two points from play.

The sides entered the break on level terms, 0-8 each, after Galway had scored the last two points of the half through Paul Conroy, off his left, and a superb effort from Johnny Heaney.

Dublin had just hit three on the spin with Paul Mannion having his goal attempt tipped over by keeper Ruairí Lavelle - not the only time in the encounter the Galway netminder's reflexes denied the Dubs - and two Dean Rock frees following fouls on John Small and Ciarán Kilkenny.

Dublin had started the game smartly with Mannion having a goal effort saved by Lavelle but points from Rock, following good work in defence by Mannion, and Mannion himself has Gavin's men up and running.

However, Damien Comer enjoyed an influential opening and was fouled for threes that Comer converted to put Galway on their way to a 0-6 to 0-5 lead after 21 minutes.

Worryingly from Dublin’s perspective they lost James McCarthy just before the break through injury, Eric Lowndes coming on in his place.

But when the game was 'in the fire' Dublin showed their greater big-game experience to battle their way to victory.

SCORERS – Dublin: D Rock 0-7 (0-5f, 0-1 ‘45’), P Mannion 0-3, C Kilkenny, C Basquel 0-2 each, P McMahon, J Small, N Scully, E Lowndes 0-1 each. Galway: B McHugh 0-6 (0-5f), D Comer 0-3, J Heaney, S Walsh (0-1f) 0-2 each, P Conroy 0-1.

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; M Fitzsimons, D Byrne, P McMahon; J McCarthy, J Cooper, J Small; B Fenton, MD Macauley; N Scully, P Mannion, B Howard; K McManamon, C Kilkenny, D Rock. Subs: E Lowndes for McCarthy (35 inj), C Basquel for McManamon (ht), E Murchan for Small (40 inj), C O’Callaghan for MD Macauley (54), S Carthy for Mannion (68), Small for McMahon (72).

GALWAY: R Lavelle; D Kyne, SA Ó Ceallaigh, E Kerin; C Sweeney, G Bradshaw, S Kelly; CDuggan, P Conroy; J Heaney, P Cooke, E Brannigan; S Walsh, D Comer, B McHugh. Subs: G O’Donnell for Heaney (62), T Flynn for Cooke (67), P Sweeney for Conroy (68), A Varley for Walsh (70).

REF: A Nolan (Wicklow).

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2018 NFL DIVISION 1: Round 7

SUNDAY, MARCH 18: Pearse Stadium, Salthill

DUBLIN 0-13 GALWAY 0-13

This draw set up a Dublin v Galway NFL Division 1 final two weeks' later.

In an at times feisty encounter Dublin trailed by five points at half-time (0-10 to 0-5) after playing into a strong wind and were also three points in arrears (0-12 to 0-9) just inside the last ten minutes.

Dublin were reduced to 14 men when Eoghan O'Gara was red-carded in the 68th minute, only on the pitch six minutes, but then hit three unanswered points through sub Cormac Costello (two frees) either side of a Ciarán Kilkenny, his fifth from play, edged Dublin in front 0-13 to 0-12 in the fifth minute of added time in front of a crowd of 10,050.

But Galway, who had already qualified for the league final, had the final word when Johnny Heaney launched the equalizer in the ninth minute of added time.

Five mintues into the second half a Dean Rock free cut the deficit to 0-6 to 0-10 and points from Kilkenny and Jonny Cooper, both from long range, as well as a Paddy Small free left the minimum in it, 0-9 to 0-10 after 55 minutes.

The Dubs had Dean Rock black-carded though in the 45th minute and he was replaced by Cormac Costello who went on to fire over two important frees late on.

The Tribesmen, playing with the advantage of the strong win, led 0-10 to 0-5 at half-time.

The Dubs had started well with early points from Ciarán Kilkenny and a Dean Rock free, following a foul on James McCarthy.

However, the hosts who operated with a counter-attacking system and several extra players retreating deep into their own defence, hit the next five points to lead 0-5 to 0-2 after 13 minutes.

Barry McHugh was on target with two deadballs (one free, one '45') with Adrian Varley, Shane Walsh and Peter Cooke also raising white flags.

Paddy Andrews got one back for the Dubs with a superb point from a very difficult angle but Galway replied with the next three points through McHugh (two frees) and Gary O'Donnell to make it 0-8 to 0-3.

Dublin did threaten during that spell with James McCarthy breaching the defence but his attempted pass to Andrews was cut out by full-back Seán Andy O Ceallaigh.

Kilkenny cut the gap to four with a fine finish before McHugh and Peter Cooke extended Galway's advantage to 0-10 to 0-4.

In the concluding action of the opening half Dublin keeper Evan Comerford fielded a Cooke point effort dropping short and set in motion and Dublin move that finished with Kilkenny shooting his third point of the half.

SCORERS - Galway: B McHugh 0-5 (0-3f, 0-1 '45'), P Cooke 0-2, A Varley, S Walsh, G O'Donnell, D Comer, J Heaney 0-1 each. Dublin: C Kilkenny 0-5, D Rock (0-2f), C Costello (0-2f) 0-2 each, P Andrews, J Cooper, P Small (0-1f), C McHugh (0-1f) 0-1 each.

GALWAY: R Ó Beoláin; E Kerin, SA Ó Ceallaigh, D Wynne; G O'Donnell, J Duane, C Sweeney; P Conroy, C Duggan; T Flynn, P Cooke, A Varley; S Walsh, S Armstrong, B McHugh. Subs: E Brannigan for Varley (41), D Comer for Walsh (46), J Heaney for Cooke (50), S Kelly for Armstrong (57), J Heaney for Cooke (50), D Kyne for Ó Ceallaigh (bc, 76).

DUBLIN: E Comerford; D Byrne, P McMahon, M Fitzsimons; E Lowndes, J Small, J Cooper; J McCarthy, MD Macauley; C Reddin, C Kilkenny, C Basquel; P Small, D Rock, P Andrews. Subs: B Fenton for Lowndes (ht), C Costello for Rock (bc, 47), C McHugh for Reddin (50), E Ó Conghaile for Macauley (59), E O'Gara for P Small (63), A McGowan for J Small (67).

REF: J McQuillan (Cavan).