Galway 0-27 Dublin 0-21

Galway set up a Leinster Final meeting with Kilkenny as they registered a deserved six-point win over a Dublin side who are now out of the championship on scoring difference.

Dublin failed to make the most of wind advantage in the opening half in front of a crowd of 10,583 at Pearse Stadium.

Late injuries to former captains David Burke and Padraic Mannion were the only worry for Galway as Henry Shefflin’s side advanced to another championship meeting with his native Kilkenny.

And while Dublin never really got going, Shefflin will firmly believe there is a lot more to come from his side on an evening when they failed to convert a penalty.

Dublin had the wind in the opening half, but went in trailing by 0-12 to 0-11 with sides guilty of missing chances on a blustering evening in Salthill.

Their failure to build a lead with the elements left them chasing the game, but Galway pulled away and even a missed penalty when Conor Cooney’s effort was saved by Sean Brennan didn’t derail the Tribesmen, with Conor Whelan hitting 0-5 in the second-half to see them home.

The sides were level eight times in that opening half.

Conor Cooney became Galway’s second top scorer in the championship behind Joe Canning when he landed the second of his 13 points to move ahead of PJ Molloy, got his radar on target and kept the scoreboard ticking over.

Once more Dublin depended a lot on Donal Burke for scores and while he landed five from play in addition to nine frees, they rarely looked like getting a goal which would ignite their campaign.

A free from Burke four minutes from the break leveled the sides before Cooney struck three in a row for the Tribesmen but just when it looked like they would pull away, Dublin finished the half strongly with a couple of points from Burke to leave the minimum between them at the break.

Galway took over after the restart with Conor Cooney, Whelan, Cathal Mannion and Joseph Cooney hitting good points and while Eamon Dillon and Chris Crummy responded for Dublin, Galway pushed on even after Cooney’s penalty was blocked after Whelan was fouled by Eoghan O’Donnell.

Fintan Burke continued his superb point-scoring from sidelines and while Burke did most to keep Dublin in the hunt, Galway were able to pick off sufficient scores to ease their way to victory and set up another date with Kilkenny.

Scorers for Galway: Conor Cooney 0-13 (0-12f), Conor Whelan 0-5, Cathal Mannion 0-3, Joseph Cooney 0-2, Fintan Burke 0-2 (0-1sl), Cianan Fahy 0-1, Brian Concannon 0-1.
*
Scorers for Dublin*: Dónal Burke 0-14 (0-9f), Rian McBride 0-2, Chris Crummey 0-1, Paul Crummey 0-1, Danny Sutcliffe 0-1, Conor Burke 0-1, Eamonn Dillon 0-1.

GALWAY: Éanna Murphy; Padraic Mannion, Daithí Burke, Jack Grealish; Fintan Burke, Gearóid McInerney, Darren Morrissey; David Burke, Tom Monaghan; Cianan Fahy, Conor Cooney, Joseph Cooney; Brian Concannon, Conor Whelan, Cathal Mannion.

Subs: Jason Flynn for Fahy (57), Johnny Coen for Monaghan (60), Ronan Glennon for David Burke (62), Tiernan Killeen for P Mannion (67), Evan Niland for Concannon (69).

DUBLIN: Seán Brennan; John Bellew, Eoghan O’Donnell, Cian O’Callaghan; Daire Gray, Paddy Smyth, Andrew Dunphy; James Madden, Chris Crummey; Dónal Burke, Rian McBride, Conor Burke; Fergal Whitely, Eamonn Dillon, Danny Sutcliffe.

Subs: Ronan Hayes for Madden (10, blood), Madden for Hayes (10), Hayes for Madden (15), Madden for Dunphy (40), Paul Crummey for Sutcliffe (56), Colin Currie for Whitely (56), Donnacha Ryan for Gray (61).

REFEREE: Johnny Murphy (Limerick).