Senior Footballers Claim Last Gasp Victory Over Galway in Salthill

DUBLIN 1-18

GALWAY 2-14

Dublin commenced the group stages of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship on a hugely positive note as they overcame Galway by the slimmest of margins in Pearse Stadium, Salthill on Saturday afternoon.

With time up on the clock, Dublin launched one final attack with substitute Tom Lahiff showing the required calmness to split the uprights and send the large away following into raptures. 

An energetic Dublin enjoyed the better of the first-half with a 20th minute goal from Cormac Costello leaving them with a deserved 1-9 to 0-8 advantage at half-time.

Goals by Matthew Thompson and Rob Finnerty saw the hosts get back on level terms in the second-half but in a thrilling conclusion, Lahiff proved the matchwinner to help revive Dublin fortunes following their defeat to Meath three weeks previously.

Dublin made a bright start to proceedings with the returning Seán Bugler opening the scoring in the 2nd minute as he fisted over the crossbar and a fine Killian McGinnis score doubled their lead soon after.

Further chances were created in what was a promising start by Dublin but they lacked a degree of precision into the breeze as the hosts opened their own account through Johnny McGrath in the 6th minute.

Galway’s reputation for kicking two-pointed scores was enhanced as Shane Walsh and Finnerty raised red flags by the 10th minute as the hosts pushed three points clear.

A sublime curling effort from McGinnis five minutes later was just reward for Dublin’s pressure with a point by Matthew Tierney at the opposite end leaving the hosts leading by double scores by the end of the first quarter.

It was at this stage that the visitors began to take control of matters and after Costello had popped over a facile free, the Whitehall Colmcille played seized on a Liam Silke error before racing through and slipping the ball through Connor Gleeson’s legs.

Bugler added a point in the 21st minute to push the Dubs two points clear and they maintained that lead as Stephen Cluxton raced superbly from his line to thwart Walsh with a stunning save.

Dublin captain Con O’Callaghan enjoyed a hugely influential period from that juncture as he scored three points from play within six minutes and a Ciaran Kilkenny point after the buzzer had sounded left the visitors four points to the good by the interval. 

A goal from Matthew Thompson goal within fourteen seconds of the restart punctured Dublin optimism and points by Finnerty and Thompson in the ensuing two minutes saw Galway edge a single point clear.

A Costello free allowed Dublin to settle and a Brian O’Leary point following another excellent Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne fetch saw them regain the lead by the 41st minute.

While Lorcan O’Dell doubled that lead three minutes later, an injury to O’Callaghan in the build up to that score reduced the Dublin options even further.

A superb and deserved Kilkenny score, given his massive influence on matters, and O’Dell’s second of the half helped mitigate against a Finnerty brace as Dublin continued to preserve their two-point lead.

Further scores from O’Dell and Bugler looked to have handed Dublin a decisive edge heading into the final quarter but some careless defending was punished in full in the 55th minute as Finnerty poked the ball over the line from Matthew Tierney’s palmed effort.

A John Maher point levelled matters five minutes later and a draw seemed the most likely result as Costello and Tierney exchanged points in the closing stages.

There was one final sting in the Dublin tail however as Costello found the unmarked Lahiff in acres of space and the St Jude’s clubman did the necessary to boost Dublin spirits ahead of their clash with All-Ireland champions Armagh in a fortnight’s time.         

Scorers – Dublin: C Costello 1-3 (0-2f); C O’Callaghan, S Bugler, L O’Dell 0-3 each; K McGinnis, C Kilkenny 0-2 each; B O’Leary, T Lahiff 0-1 apiece. Galway: R Finnerty 1-6 (0-1f, P2); M Thompson 1-1; M Tierney, S Walsh (P2) 0-2 each; J McGrath, C McDaid, J Maher 0-1 apiece.

Dublin: S Cluxton; D Byrne, S MacMahon, T Clancy; B Howard, S Bugler, A Gavin; P Ó Cofaigh Byrne, K McGinnis; C Kilkenny, C O’Callaghan, L O’Dell; B O’Leary, C Costello, C Basquel. Subs: T Lahiff for O’Callaghan (45), N Scully for O’Leary (51), C Murphy for Clancy (Temp, 53-55), C Murphy for Gavin (55), G McEneaney for McGinnis (60), L Breathnach for Bugler (61).  

Galway: C Gleeson; S Mulkerrin, C Hernon; D McHugh, S Kelly, L Silke; P Conroy, J Maher; C Darcy, S Walsh, C McDaid; M Tierney, R Finnerty, M Thompson. Subs: P Cooke from Thompson (Temp, 42), K Molloy for Conroy (53), M Thompson for Kelly (Temp, 53), D O’Flaherty for Hernon (55), Kelly for Walsh (60), T Culhane for Darcy (65), J Daly for Silke (67).  

Referee: David Gough (Meath).