In a thrilling second half twist, Dublin, the reigning champions, suffered a surprising defeat at the hands of a determined and ultimately superior Galway team in the All-Ireland semi-finals held last Saturday at Croke Park. This considerably dramatic match attracted a crowd of near 50,000 spectators. The Connacht Champions made a comeback from their lacklustre performance in the first half, overcoming the scores to create a historic moment at Croke Park.
Galway triumphed over Dublin in the championship for the first time in 90 years, breaking the curse affecting teams that had qualified from the preliminary quarter-finals. Unlike Dublin, who enjoyed a two-week break after qualifying, Galway had to defeat Monaghan just seven days prior to the match.
The star player, Shane Walsh, was concerningly injured in the match. Yet his display of exceptional skills had significantly contributed to keeping Galway competitive in the face of an initially dominant Dublin. Nevertheless, Pádraic Joyce, Galway’s manager, expressed optimism regarding Walsh’s condition.
The impressive improvement of Galway’s performance in the second half significantly contributed to their victory, especially in the final twenty minutes in which they outscored Dublin 0-6 to 0-2.
Despite Con O’Callaghan’s attempts to gain the lead for Dublin in the 56th minute, and his near equaliser at the match’s climax, Dublin couldn’t keep up. Praise was given to O’Callaghan’s effort and dedication from his manager, despite the lack of support.
Galway in response pulled ahead, scoring three unanswered points between the 59th and 61st minutes. Although Dublin’s substitute Ross McGarry took the champions back to the lead, another strike by Cillian McDaid for Galway and a missed opportunity by Dublin’s Cormac Costello marked a significant turning point of the match.
Finally, Johnny Heaney pushed Galway into the lead for the first time since the match began. Tomo Culhane, the substitute whose mistake cost them the group match in Sligo, redeemed himself in the clutch. Despite O’Callaghan’s best efforts to reduce the gap, it was not enough before referee Seán Hurson declared the end of the match.
From the outset, Dublin dominated the game, maintaining their hold. They were initially matched closely by Galway, with Walsh securing an equalling score of 0-2, but Dublin quickly hit back. A key play saw Paul Mannion send the ball to O’Callaghan who, spotting Brian Fenton, delivered a significant kick, consolidating Dublin’s lead towards half-time.
Compared to the dynamic Dublin side, Galway appeared listless, failing to bring sufficient gusto to their counters on Dublin’s fervent possession-based onslaughts. Yet, they lingered within reach, largely owing to Walsh’s game — he successfully hounded John Small and amassed crucial points in the game.
Dublin put forth an impeccable performance, skilfully weaving and completing attacks. Team manager, Dessie Farrell, demonstrated his savvy by naming experienced players who were otherwise reserve members. Notably, Mannion outshone in the opening, expertly slipping past his man to secure a point, while Jack McCaffrey’s counterattacks were energy-laden and captain James McCarthy remained poised throughout. The team was convincingly steering the game.
With Galway steadily chipping away at scoreboard, the lead was never more than five points (0-8 versus 0-3 and 0-11 against 0-6). Later on, Farrell confessed that they had changed their tactics as their bench strategy had become too predictable. The issue was that the replacements in the second half did not match the prowess of the initial line-up.
The recent match seemed to have taken a toll on the Connacht champions, tempering their otherwise outstanding gameplay, with the exception of Walsh’s striking performance. Joyce had also chosen his first-pick players in spite of injury scares. However, Damien Comer, the primary forward player, had difficulty contending with Seán McMahon who was a persistent, physically demanding adversary.
The strength of the team was questionable as Dublin dominated possession and penetrated their previously robust defence. The second half saw an improved performance from Galway, with Matthew Tierney setting the pace by catching the ball and setting up McDaid, thereby shrinking the margin to three, at 0-8 to 0-11. McDaid’s stellar second-half performance earned him the RTÉ man of the match award with three points in the bag. The match drew to an exciting end with both teams having showcased commendable skill and strategic gameplay.
The defence fortifications tightened as Dylan McHugh began to assert dominance, and as the challenge intensified, the champion’s vitality waned. Farrell admitted later that several players, instrumental in the county’s golden age, likely wouldn’t return.
Proceeding to the next round, Galway will find out their semi-final opposition after Sunday’s games.
GALWAY team consisted of: C Gleeson; J McGrath, S Fitzgerald, J Glynn; D McHugh (0-1), L Silke, S Mulkerrin; P Conroy (0-1), J Maher (0-1); S Kelly (captain), M Tierney (0-1, marker), C McDaid (0-3); R Finnerty, D Comer, and S Walsh (0-7, 4f).
Substitutes included: C D’Arcy (0-1) for Kelly (22 mins in); L Ó Conghaile for Finnerty (47 mins in); Johnny Heaney (0-1) for Tierney (54 mins in); Cian Hernon for Fitzgerald (60 mins in); Tomo Culhane (0-1) for Walsh (65 mins in).
On the DUBLIN side: S Cluxton; J Small (0-1), S McMahon, M Fitzsimons; E Murchan, J McCarthy (0-1), J McCaffrey; B Fenton (0-1), B Howard; C Kilkenny (0-2), S Bugler (0-1), N Scully; P Mannion (0-1), C O’Callaghan (0-4, 2m 1f), C Costello (0-4, 2f, 1 45).
Substitutes: C Basquel for Mannion (48 mins in); R McGarry (0-1) for Scully (53 mins in); T Lahiff for McCaffrey (59 mins in); P Small for Costello (66 mins in), L O’Dell for Murchan (72 mins in).
Refereed by S Hurson from Tyrone.