ALLIANZ NHL DIVISION ONE/Galway 0-17 Dublin 0-15:GALWAY WENT 64 minutes without scoring from play, but still came good in the closing stages to see off brave Dublin and set up a league final meeting with Cork.
Dublin now face a relegation clash with Limerick as they left Pearse Stadium empty-handed despite a display which at least deserved a draw.
“I tell you we’re getting there,” said Dublin manager Anthony Daly. “We’re not a mile away. We’re still making silly mistakes, at times we’re still doing the rash thing instead of being that little bit more composed.
“I thought it was a massively spirited display. It looked at half-time as if it was a case of how much Galway would win by . .
“But the way the lads battled it out was great. They rallied around inside themselves at half-time and . . . by God they gave it one unmerciful go.”
Galway looked set to pull away when they led by 0-8 to 0-6 at the break having played against the wind, but having picked off points from Cyril Donnellan and Éanna Ryan in just over 100 seconds, they did not score again from play until four minutes from the end.
Donnellan got his marching orders along with Dublin full back Tomás Brady after what Daly described as nothing more than ‘a schemozzle’ after 28 minutes,
“I felt that it was extremely harsh in the circumstances,” said Galway manager John McIntyre.
The dismissals opened up a lot of space and Ger Farragher who retained the free-taking duties – despite the return of Joe Canning – hit five placed balls for Galway.
Peter Kelly, John McCaffrey and David O’Callaghan landed efforts for the Dubs in addition to three frees from Alan McCrabbe.
Galway could have been further ahead had goalkeeper Gary Maguire not produced a wonderful save to deny Joe Canning four minutes from the break – he also produced another magnificent save to block a piledriver from Canning after 50 minutes.
But with Galway’s attack being well-held, Dublin hit back with midfielder Shane Durkin getting the first of three points from play after 48 minutes as they led for the first time, 0-10 to 0-9.
Galway were dependent on Farragher’s placed balls to keep them in the game and Durkin’s third point edged the Dubs ahead going into the last five minutes.
But then Ollie Canning, a first-half-blood sub for Fergal Moore, landed a superb equalising point from halfway before younger brother Joe blasted them in front.
Sub Kevin Hynes landed the first of two points, the second coming in the final play of the game after Durkin was narrowly off-target with an effort which would have levelled the game.
GALWAY: C Callanan; F Moore, S Kavanagh, D Joyce; D Collins, T Óg Regan, D Barry; G Farragher (0-9, seven frees, two 65’s), D Burke; J Canning (0-2, one sideline), C Donnellan (0-1), E Ryan (0-1); A Harte, I Tannian, D Hayes (0-1). Subs: O Canning (0-1) for Moore (inj 18 mins), K Hynes (0-2) for Tannian (43), A Smith for Burke (58), R Cummins for Harte (60), J Gantley for Joyce (63 mins); N Healy for J Canning (76 mins).
DUBLIN: G Maguire; N Corcoran, T Brady, O Gough; M O’Brien, S Hiney, J Boland; J McCaffrey (0-2), S Durkin (0-3); D O’Callaghan (0-1), L Rushe, P Kelly (0-1); A McCrabbe (0-5, all frees), S Lambert, D Treacy (0-1). Subs: P Ryan (0-2, one free) for Lambert (51 mins), R Fallon for Kelly (70).
Referee: B Kelly (Westmeath).
