Galway 0-10 Dublin 0-7
Leinster champions Dublin crashed out of the Electric Ireland minor championship at the hands of Galway in Tullamore on Sunday afternoon and could have few complaints after playing second fiddle to the Tribesmen for long stretches, particularly in the middle third of the field.
Wind-assisted, the Dubs burst out of the blocks with the first four points of the game, and looked particularly sharp down the right flank, with Pierce Donohue and Joe Quigley kicking excellent scores from that side of the field.
However, the warning signs were there for the metropolitans as Galway created goal chances, but saw Stephen Curley pull a penalty wide, while Jack Lonergan had another effort brilliantly saved by David Leonard. Even Fionn O’Connor’s opening score in the 17th minute might easily have been a goal, but instead fizzed a couple of feet over the bar.
Lonergan, Shay McGlinchey, Éanna Monaghan and Cillian Trayers all took control of their key diamond sector positions, and Galway took a fully-deserved 0-5 to 0-4 lead into the break.
A superb point from Quigley levelled matters after half-time, but a second yellow card for wing forward Luke O’Boyle heaped further pressure on the Dubs, and Galway’s sharper passing and ball-carrying set up an array of chances.
Excellent points from O’Connor, Seán Dunne, Tomás Farthing and Colm Costello moved the Tribesmen four points clear, and while Dublin reduced that gap through Clyde Burke, the goal chance they craved to save their season never looked like coming, despite the addition of eight additional minutes.
GALWAY: K Gilmore; V Gill, R Flaherty, T Farthing (0-1); M Mannion, C Travers, R Coen; J Lonergan (0-1), S McGlinchey (0-1); S Dunne (0-1), É Monaghan (0-1, free), O Morgan (0-1); F O’Connor (0-2), S Curley, C Costello (0-1).
Subs: C Cox for O’Connor (48 mins), O Kelly (0-1) for Dunne (54), L Carr for Curley (58), J Summerville for McGlinchey (60+1), C Dolan for Lonergan (60+3).
DUBLIN: D Leonard; E Brady, D McCarthy, O Donohoe; J Brady, D Lucey, T Deering; D Clark, N Fitzgerald; P Reynolds-Hand, D Mulqueen, L O’Boyle (0-1); C Donovan, P Donohue (0-2), J Quigley (0-3).
Subs: C Burke (0-1) for Donovan, J Smith for Brady (both h-t), C McMorrow for Fitzgerald (36 mins), S Doyle for Deering (52), S Mullarkey for Mulqueen (56), C Ó Ríain for Reynolds Hand (60+4).
Referee: D Murnane (Cork).
