Senior footballers overcome Galway to progress to semi-finals

FL DIVISION 1B

DUBLIN 2-16 GALWAY 1-15

Dublin kept their impressive record against Galway intact to progress to the semi-final following this FL Division 1B encounter at Tuam Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Dubs will face Donegal in their semi-final as they guaranteed their berth in the last-four from their divisional section alongside Kerry after keeping their unbeaten record since 2010 against the Tribesmen intact.  

The side were level, 0-8 each, at half-time with Colm Basquel kicking two fine points but Dublin upped their game on the restart to put themselves in the driving seat.

Con O'Callaghan, who tallied an influential 1-3 from play,  goaled five minutes into the second half when he bundled the ball to the net after Niall Scully's, and then his own, efforts were parried by goalkeeper Bernie Power. It was a vital score as Dublin established control early in the second period. 

Matthew Tierney's goal for the Tribe with just over ten minutes to go raised the hopes of the hosts before sub Aaron Byrne clinically dispatched to the Galway net after using his pace to carve through the middle in the second minute of added time and seal victory.

In the opening half Galway opened the better with scores from Peter Cooke and Paul Conroy before Dublin found their feet.

However, the home side had a clearcut goal opportunity in the 11th minute - Tierney’s initial effort was blocked out before Seán Kelly’s effort was saved on the line by David Byrne.

In the second half Dublin put the pressure on the Galway kickout and were rewarded.

O'Callaghan's goal gave Dublin impetus and by the second half water break had moved 1-13 to 0-11 ahead.

Cormac Costello, who was once again Dublin's top scorer, added two fine points to his earlier efforts.

Galway though kept battling and the freetaking of Shane Walsh was central to their overall effort.

Dublin led by five points, 1-14 to 0-12, in the 59th minute when a long aerial ball from Paul Conroy was redirected to the Dublin net by Matthew Tierney and so the Dubs had to work for their victory.

Byrne's brilliantly taken late goal ensured there was no home celebrations as the Dubs slipped into the semi-finals.

“The difference this week was we kept the ball for three or four minutes, we scored, and then we actually continued to play,” said Dublin selector Mick Galvin.

“Against Kerry, we kept it for three or four minutes, we got a score, then, I think, Kerry turned the ball over ten times. That was the lesson learned from Kerry and, thank God, we seem to have learned it.

“We probably weren’t in the greatest place at half-time, facing the breeze, but we sorted a few things out. We’d be very happy with the way the second half went.

"We used the game to get some new players in, I think we got six or seven starters in, so we’d be quite happy the way the thing has gone for us so far,” added Mick. 

SCORERS – Dublin: C Costello 0-6 (0-1f), C O’Callaghan 1-3, C Kilkenny 0-3, A Byrne 1-0, B Fenton (0-1m), C Basquel 0-2 each. Galway: S Walsh 0-10 (0-5f, 0-3 45), M Tierney 1-0, P Cooke 0-2, P Conroy, R Finnerty, D McHugh 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: M Shiel; M Fitzsimons, J Cooper, D Byrne; E Murchan, S MacMahon, E Lowndes; B Fenton, P Ó Cofaigh Byrne; N Scully, C Kilkenny, B Howard; C Basquel, C O’Callaghan, C Costello. Subs: R McDaid for MacMahon (51), S Bugler for Ó Cofaigh Byrne (51), D Mullin for Scully (68), A Byrne for Basquel (69), T Lahiff for Cooper (74).

GALWAY: B Power; J Glynn, S Mulkerrin, S Kelly; K Molloy, D McHugh, L Silke; F Ó Laoí, P Conroy; P Kelly, J Heaney; M Tierney, S Walsh, R Finnerty. Subs: E Brannigan for P Kelly (45), C Potter for Glynn (48), M Ó Bairéad for Ó Laoí (54), T Culhane for Finnerty (61), J Duane for Molloy (66), T Flynn for Cooke (66).

REF: B Cawley (Kildare).