U-21 FC Final: This fixture usually takes place in the shadow of its hurling equivalent. This is partly to do with its fluctuating place in the games' calendar, but also because under-21 football lacks the committed base that Munster provides for the hurling, writes Seán Moran

It is therefore a novelty to have two such high-profile teams in the final. The profile comes largely from the managers, with both John O'Mahony and Tommy Lyons well-established in the senior game. But the strange lack of success of the counties - second and third respectively in the senior roll of honour but with only one All-Ireland between them at this grade - also contributes to the interest.

Estimates of the crowd might have been a bit generous this week and, for all its attraction, tomorrow's match will be lucky to get half of the 30,000 crowd which attended the hurling final last month. Indeed it will be interesting to see if Galway can muster significantly greater numbers than the few hundred who turned up in Thurles to be overwhelmed by Limerick supporters.

On the field, Dublin's progress, hand-in-hand with the senior improvement this summer, has generated a great deal of hype, which O'Mahony, with clockwork reliability, has been quick to interpret as massive favouritism for the Leinster champions.

The facts are different. Dublin played well for long periods against Tyrone and impressed going forward, but two caveats must be entered. The Ulster champions, although chasing an All-Ireland three-in-a-row, weren't a great team this year and this was reflected in the poor following that accompanied them to Cavan.

Nonetheless, they managed to exert

a bit of pressure towards the end although the match was realistically over by then.

Secondly Galway's performance in the opening phase against Kerry was even more impressive than Dublin's, with Nicholas Joyce and new county prodigy Micheál Meehan rampant on the inside and senior player Matthew Clancy's cut and pace creating problems from deeper. Had Kerry not introduced Tadhg Kennelly at an early stage they would have been overrun. Clancy is apparently switched to the wing, maybe to avoid a head-to-head with Dublin's talented centre back Brian Cullen. But we'll see.

Dublin have made a change at centrefield, bringing in Conor Murphy for Shay Walsh, but Darren Magee

was the outstanding performer there in the semi-final and his clash with Joe Bergin or Kieran Comer will have a major influence on the match.

Alan Brogan was Dublin's most impressive forward. He didn't have the strike rate of Mossy Quinn or dual player Connell Keaney, but his mobility and intelligence kept things moving

any time the overall effort slackened off. Micheál Comer, an impressive debutant corner back in the 2001 national league but who has yet to break through at senior championship level, played well on Colm Cooper and might be switched to Brogan, although the task would obviously be different.

Both teams have good reason to be hopeful going into this final. But Galway look that bit more accomplished throughout the lines and should edge a first title in 30 years.

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; N Kane, D Corcoran, AN Other; P Casey, B Cullen, B Cahill; D Magee, C Murphy; L Og O hEineachain, C Keaney, D Lally; A Brogan, G Cullen, T Quinn.

GALWAY: D Morris; M Comer, K Fitzgerald, R Murray; K Brady, D Blake, C Monaghan; J Bergin, K Comer; M Clancy, J Devane, D Burke; M Meehan, D O'Brien, N Joyce.