GREAT WIN FOR GALWAY AGAINST ARMAGH 1-11 TO 0-9 POINTS

Galway caused an All-Ireland football qualifiers third round shock by beating Armagh 1-11 to 0-09 at Pearse Stadium.

Alan Mulholland's Tribesmen, lucky to survive tricky tests against Tipperary and Waterford, delivered a plucky and polished performance to stun the visitors and they now face Cork next Saturday.

A 24th minute Danny Cummins goal ensured Galway deservedly went in 1-06 to 0-05 ahead at the interval.

After the restart Armagh rallied with replacement Stefan Campbell enterprising, but Galway stayed calm as Michael Meehan's frees and Michael Martin did the damage up front.

Keen to utilise Johnnny Duane as a defensive sweeper Galway vexed the visitors for a spell during an interesting opening quarter.
Galway were working diligently throughout the park forcing Armagh to shoot under pressure and the visitors hit six first-half wides.

That was chiefly because Galway were primed for a battle and the way they were set up meant that they were able to break at speed.
And when they did, midfielders Tom Flynn and Paul Conroy were honest and effective as Armagh struggled to cope with the deep runners.

Johnny Duane fisted an early point and then Michael Meehan banged over two frees, one from an awkward angle as Galway led 0-03 to 0-00 after 10 minutes.

Armagh improved with a burst as a Tony Kernan free and a Caolan Rafferty point trimmed the deficit to the minimum.

But Galway ploughed on defiantly and were 0-04 to 0-03 ahead when Danny Cummins palmed an opportunistic 24th-minute goal.
A brace of Michael Martin points ensured Galway went in 1-06 to 0-05 ahead at the interval and the shock was most definitely on at that stage.

Armagh, though, were much improved after the restart with substitute Stefan Campbell a significant influence in the revival.
Campbell hit a sweet third-quarter effort as Armagh had the margin trimmed to 1-6 to 0-7 by the 44th minute.

Then Martin slung over a delightful score which gave Galway a dollop of confidence, but Armagh continued to probe with Campbell industrious.

But when Campbell had the gap down to two again Galway hit four in a row from Meehan (2), Conroy, and Gary Sice to seize control.
Armagh craved a goal in the dying minutes, but all they could muster was a Ciaran McKeever point and Galway, who held Jamie Clarke scoreless, eked out a satisfying success.

This victory sets up a fourth round Croke Park qualifier with beaten Munster finalists Cork next Saturday.

(c)RTE SPORT

Galway: M Breathnach; D O'Neill, F Hanley, J Duane (0-01); C Doherty, G O'Donnell, G Sice (0-01); P Conroy (0-01), T Flynn; J O'Brien, S Armstrong (0-01, f), S Denvir; M Martin (0-03), M Meehan (0-04, 4fs), D Cummins (1-00). Subs: S Walsh for O'Brien (57 mins), F O'Curraoin for Armstrong (62 mins), A Varley for Meehan (66 mins), M Farragher for Martin (70 mins).

DUBLIN DEFEAT GALWAY AT CROKE PARK

 

Dublin defeat Galway at Croke Park

Dublin 2-25 Galway 2-13

Dublin won their first Leinster Senior Hurling title since 1961 with a brilliant display at Croke Park, defeating Galway by 2-25 to 2-13 in a thriller.

Dublin dominated the opening half, tightening their grip with Paul Ryan’s 24th minute goal.

Three David O’Callaghan points helped them to a 1-12 to 0-07 interval level.

Ryan smashed home his second goal five minutes into the second half, and while Galway responded with goals from Joe Canning and David Burke, they were unable to deny the dazzling Dubs.

Evenly contested for the opening 12 minutes, during which the scores were level on four occasions, the game swung emphatically in Dublin’s favour thereafter, in front of a crowd of 36,657.

Canning and Iarla Tannion traded points early on with Paul Ryan and O’Callaghan, before Anthony Daly’s men cut loose.

Performing with a freedom and a confidence that was strangely absent from the approach of their opponents, Dublin moved the ball cleverly to create scoring chances, which were expertly executed by O’Callaghan, Ryan O’Dwyer and excellent midfielder John McCaffrey.

Full-back Peter Kelly made a couple of wonderful fetches, and Danny Sutcliffe tracked back to deny a Galway side struggling to find any cohesion.

Joey Boland also landed a long range score as they moved 0-09 to 0-04 clear by the 19th minute.

And in the 24th minute, O’Callaghan, a constant tormentor with his pace, vision and movement, made an incisive run before laying off to Ryan, who drilled his shot past goalkeeper James Skehill.

Canning pulled back a couple of points from frees, but was denied by a Hawk-Eye call late in the half, after an umpire had flagged a point.

Dublin led by 1-12 to 0-07 at the interval, and Canning tried to lift his Tribal troops with a magnificent point, but Ryan responded with a stunning 1-02 salvo.

First he landed a massive free from 100 metres, then he skipped past full back Kevin Hynes to smash home a sensational goal, giving his side an 11-point cushion.

Dublin goalkeeper Gary Maguire made a brilliant save from David Burke as Galway rallied, pulling back points through Aidan Harte and Conor Cooney.

And they pulled back a goal when Canning collected a Damien Hayes delivery to drill a close range shot past Maguire.

And Galway began to believe that they could turn the game around when Burke rifled a second goal to the top corner of the net at the Hill 16 end.

But Conal Keaney provided leadership to guide Dublin out of a sticky spell, digging deep to win vital possession and firing over a long range point.

Both goalkeepers produced heroic saves in a frenetic finish, Maguire saving from Canning and Skehill denying Mark Schutte.

And it was the Dubs who had the power and strength in the limbs to finish the job off with late scores from Conor McCormack, Simon Lambert and Ryan, who finished with a 2-07 tally.

Dublin: G Maguire, N Corcoran, P Kelly, P Schutte, S Hiney, L Rushe, M Carton (0-1), J McCaffrey (0-2), J Boland (0-2), C Keaney (0-2), R O'Dwyer (0-3), D Sutcliffe (0-1), D O'Callaghan (0-4), D Treacy, P Ryan (2-7, 0-4f).

Subs: A Smith for Regan, C McCormack (0-2)for Treacy, O Gough for Schutte, S Durkin for McCaffrey, M Schutte for O’Callaghan, S Lambert (0-1) for O’Dwyer

Galway: J Skehill, F Moore, K Hynes, J Coen, D Collins, S Kavanagh, J Cooney, I Tannian (0-1), J Regan (0-1), D Burke (1-0), C Cooney (0-2), C Donnellan, D Glennon, J Canning (1-7, 0-4f), N Burke.

Subs: A Smith for Regan, D Hayes for Donnellan, A Harte (0-1) for Tannion, J Glynn (0-1) for Glennon, A Callanan for J Cooney


(c) RTE