Galway 0-27 Dublin 0-21
Henry Shefflin is facing a Leinster final showdown with his native Kilkenny and his former manager Brian Cody after Galway advanced to the decider with victory over a disappointing Dublin side at Pearse Stadium.
Mattie Kenny’s side never really got moving against his native county and Dublin are now out of the championship on an inferior points difference following Wexford’s victory over Kilkenny.
Shefflin will feel Galway have ample room for improvement and late injuries to former captains David Burke and Pádraic Mannion will also be a concern as they prepare for the Cats in two weeks' time.
Dublin had the wind in the opening half in Salthill in front of a crowd of 10,583 but went in trailing by 0-12 to 0-11, with both sides guilty of missing chances on a blustering evening.
Dublin's 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 Seán 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, but it was stop-start throughout with little fluency with referee Johnny Murphy constantly blowing for frees.
Conor Cooney, who became Galway's second top scorer in the championship behind Joe Canning when he landed the second of his 13 points, got his radar on target and kept the scoreboard clicking.
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 levelled 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 seal the win and set up a rematch with a Kilkenny side they beat earlier in the championship by a point and which led to a frosty exchange between Cody and Shefflin afterwards.
GALWAY: É Murphy; P Mannion, Daithí Burke, J Grealish; F Burke (0-2, one sideline), G McInerney, D Morrissey; David Burke, T Monaghan; C Fahy (0-1), C Cooney (0-13, 12 frees), J Cooney (0-2); B Concannon (0-1), C Whelan (0-5), C Mannion (0-3).
Subs: J Flynn for Fahy (57 mins), J Coen for Monaghan (60), R Glennon for David Burke (62), T Killeen for P Mannion (67), E Niland for Concannon (69).
DUBLIN: S Brennan; J Bellew, E O'Donnell, C O'Callaghan; D Gray, P Smyth, A Dunphy; J Madden, C Crummey (0-1); D Burke (0-14, nine frees), R McBride (0-2), C Burke (0-1); F Whitely, E Dillon (0-1), D Sutcliffe (0-1).
Subs: R Hayes for Madden (10 mins, blood), Madden for Hayes (10), Hayes for Madden (15), Madden for Dunphy (40), P Crummey (0-1) for Sutcliffe (56), C Currie for Whitely (56), D Ryan for Gray (61).
Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick).
