Beware the walking wounded.
A storming second-half display by a limping Galway side gave them their first championship win over Dublin in 90 years.
The All-Ireland champions were no match for the fluidity of a team that had lost their captain Seán Kelly to injury in the first half and were able to patch together top scorer Shane Walsh for most of the second half before he too succumbed to pain.
In front of a 49,896 crowd in Croke Park, Con O’Callaghan had a last gasp opportunity to force the game into extra-time but pulled his shot tamely short and wide.
Galway had gone ahead for only the second time in the game in the 67th minute via Johnny Heaney and another substitute Tomo Culhane followed it up with another. An O’Callaghan free brought Dublin to within one but they couldn’t add another.
Galway’s intent was tendered early in the second half when Cillian McDaid converted a point with a few seconds of the restart. However, McDaid followed it up with a poor pass two minutes later when Galway were on the break.
Ciarán Kilkenny cancelled it out in the 40th minute but Galway’s tails were up even if the quality of their shots left a lot to be desired. Some of Dublin’s decision-making was alarming too, a low percentage Con O’Callaghan goal attempt out of character for a footballer of his acumen.
Walsh’s third point following a diving Damien Comer interception brought Galway within a score in the 43rd minute. Comer turned provider again for McDaid’s second points four minutes later.
Guilty of two wides earlier in the half, Paul Conroy cut the margin to one only for John Small to send over a mark. O’Callaghan split the Galway cover to make it a three-point game but Galway’s response was electric, sending over the next three points.
Dublin substitute Ross McGarry restored Dublin’s lead but the initiative wasn’t going to be wrestled from Galway as Dylan McHugh squared matters once more before Heaney and Culhane added their party pieces.
Introducing captain James McCarthy, Jack McCaffrey and Paul Mannion from the outset would hardly be considered throwing the dice but Dublin risked robbing Peter to pay Paul by frontloading their team.
What’s more, only two of their outfield players, Brian Fenton and O’Callaghan, were lining out in their spots associated with their jerseys. Hardly unusual in the modern game but certainly for Dublin.
Then again, Galway might have been accused of throwing caution to the wind themselves in electing to start their not-fully-fit marquee men Damien Comer, Kelly and Walsh.
As it turned out, skipper Kelly lasted less than 22 minutes while an early fall seemed to hamper Comer for a lot of the first half and Seán MacMahon was proving a sticky tagger. Having said that, Shane Walsh was Galway’s best forward in the first half and he kicked two gorgeous points from play.
Alas for Galway, he was one of a few highlights in the opening period in which Dublin twice went five points ahead before being hauled back to four going into the dressing rooms, 0-11 to 0-7, when Walsh hobbled off.
Two of the first three points of the game were marks, Matthew Tierney and O’Callaghan swapping them. Walsh’s lovely left-footed effort brought Galway level in the sixth minute but Dublin owned the next eight minutes in which they produced four points from play.
Dublin’s reactions were quicker, their moves slicker and on Conor Gleeson’s ballooning kick-outs they were enjoying themselves. Seán Bugler’s first point in the 13th minute was followed by a Cormac Costello score seconds later.
After a Walsh free, Costello sent over a couple of frees and there were clear daylight between the sides. A Maher point in the 22nd minute was coupled with an exemplary point by Walsh to bring Galway with a score.
A second O’Callaghan mark widened the gap to four and between a couple of Walsh frees Bugler and Costello (free) increased Dublin’s tally to 11.
: C. Costello (3 frees), C. O’Callaghan (2 marks, 1 free) (0-4 each); S. Bugler, C. Kilkenny (0-2 each); P. Mannion, B. Fenton, J. Small (mark), R. McGarry (0-1 each).
: S. Walsh (0-7, 4 frees); C. McDaid (0-3); M. Tierney (mark), J. Maher, P. Conroy, C. Darcy, D. McHugh, J. Heaney, T. Culhane (0-1 each).
S. Cluxton; J. Small, S, MacMahon, M. Fitzsimons; E. Murchan, J. McCarthy (c), J. McCaffrey; B. Fenton, B. Howard; C. Kilkenny, S. Bugler, N. Scully; P. Mannion, C. O’Callaghan, C. Costello.
: C. Basquel for P. Mannion (48); R. McGarry for N. Scully (54); T. Lahiff for J. McCaffrey (59) (c); P. Small for C. Costello (66); L. O’Dell for E. Murchan (70+2).
: C. Gleeson; J. McGrath, L. Silke, J. Glynn; D. McHugh, S. Fitzgerald, S. Mulkerrin; P. Conroy, J. Maher; S. Kelly (c), M. Tierney, C. McDaid; R. Finnerty, D. Comer, S. Walsh.
C. Darcy for S. Kelly (inj 22); L. Ó Conghaile for R. Finnerty (47); J. Heaney for M. Tierney (54); C. Hernon for S. Fitzgerald (60); T. Culhane for S. Walsh (inj 65).
S. Hurson (Tyrone)
