Senior footballers book final berth with draw against Galway

DUBLIN 0-13 GALWAY 0-13

It will be Dublin v Galway NFL Division 1 final in two weeks' time following Sunday's drawn regulation clash at Pearse Stadium, Salthill.

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.

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).