Spirited senior hurlers edged out by reigning champions

Sun, 25th February 2018

GALWAY 1-20 DUBLIN 1-14

A sluggish opening 25 minutes cost Dublin as they were defeated by six points by the reigning league and All-Ireland champions in Sunday's NHL1B encounter at Parnell Park.

The Tribemen led by seven points, 0-9 to 0-2, inside the opening 23 minutes and extended that to nine points (0-13 to 0-4) by the 33rd minute before Dublin mounted a comeback.

Inside the last 20 minutes Dublin had reduced the gap to just two points, 1-10 to 0-15, and were also denied from the penalty spot with Paul Winters' effort turned around the post by keeper James Skehill after Liam Rushe had been fouled.

After playing second fiddle to Galway for the entire first half Danny Sutliffe's 33rd minute goal which was followed by a Winters' free, following a foul on Conal Keaney, left it at 0-13 ro 1-5 at the interval.

Dublin restarted well with points from Winters (free) and Tomás Connolly either side of a Jason Flynn free.

Just over ten minutes into the second half Dublin were awarded a penalty but Skehill denied Winters but the St Brigid's marksman did follow up by converting the resulting ''65' to make it 1-8 to 0-14.

Two Winters frees, the second a monster from halfway, cut the deficit to just two points, 1-10 to 0-15, with 18 minutes left but Galway rallied again with a quick 1-1 from Jason Flynn.

Dublin battled hard to the end with points from Winters (free) and Ronan Hayes on his starting league debut meant there was three points between the counties with less than five minutes remaining.

But that was as good as it got for Pat Gilroy's side with Jason Flynn (free), sub Brian Concann and Cathal Mannion all firing over late points for Galway to run out six-point victors.

Offaly’s victory over Laois in Tullamore earlier on Sunday ensured that a Dublin victory in Portlaoise next Sunday will put them into a league quarter-final.

SCORERS – Galway: J Flynn 1-9 (0-6f), C Mannion 0-3, P Mannion, S Loftus, N Burke 0-2 each, B Concannon 0-1. Dublin: P Winters 0-9 (0-8f, 0-1 '65'), D Sutcliffe 1-1, T Connolly, F Mac Gib, R Hayes, C Boland 0-1 each.

GALWAY: J Skehill; A Touhy, J Hanbury, J Grealish; S Cooney, G McInerney, P Mannion; J Coen, S Loftus; C Cooney, C Mannion, N Burke; C Whelan, J Flynn, C Concannon. Subs: E Burke for Loftus (45), D Glennon for C Cooney (59),

DUBLIN: A Nolan; P Smyth, B O’Carroll, E O’Donnell; D Kelly, C Crummey, S Barrett; T Connolly, F Mac Gib; P Crummey, C Keaney, D Sutcliffe; P Winters, R O’Dwyer, R Hayes. Subs: L Rushe for O’Dwyer (42), F Ó Riain Broin for P Crummey (47), C Boland for Keaney (60), J Madden for Kelly (62 inj), P Ryan for Rushe (68 inj).

REF: J Keenan (Wicklow).