Leinster SHC quarter-final: Dublin 0-20 Galway 1-17
APPROACHING the first significant Leinster Hurling Championship tie of the summer, the pundits agreed either team could go boom or bust.
Nowhere, however, was a provision placed for the consistently inconsistent Dublin and Galway to meet exactly in the middle and be forced to do it all over again. They will meet for that rematch in Tullamore on Saturday at 4.45pm.
That there is a second opportunity will be most pleasing to Galway, who were bailed out by a 70th minute equaliser from Aidan Harte. Dublin will kick themselves for not finishing the job on day one. They led for the majority of the second half, were three points up with 14 minutes to go and still led by one with 69 minutes on the clock.
But in their first Championship game under Ger Cunningham, the 2013 winners were painfully unable to close out the contest.
David Treacy, who top scored for them with 11 points, was among a clutch of players who contributed to seven costly second half wides.
As for Galway, they had reasons to curse their own inability to put the game away. In the first-half, they were the dominant side, but Joe Canning and Jason Flynn both wasted goal chances.
The normally talismanic Canning was off colour all afternoon, drilling five wides and being taken off late on. He did, at least, win a 25th minute 65 metre free for Galway, despite the sliotar hitting his own hurl last, which he then converted. In the context of the stalemate, it was a huge call against Dublin, though they didn’t make any issue of it.
“We showed great composure I thought,” said Dublin manager Cunningham.
“In the first half, it looked like we could have been under pressure, we were opened up a few times, but I thought we came back well. In the second half, we went ahead again, but it was always tit-for-tat. They had a purple patch in the second half and had their chances as well. It was just one of those tight games.”
Galway manager Anthony Cunningham argued the replay should take place on their home pitch, Pearse Stadium. But at present there is no provision for Galway – or Antrim for that matter – to play at home in the Leinster Championship.
“I think we need to be embraced properly in Leinster,” said the Tribe chief.
“Galway needs Championship hurling in Galway. It’s something to look at in the future. But it’s something I thought might have happened by now. The Galway hurling public have always travelled to matches so, to be fair to our loyal supporters, I think they’d welcome it.”
Privately, Galway will be thankful to have a second date to plan for. They led by six at one stage in the first half after Joseph Cooney’s 20th minute goal. But Dublin’s response was impressive, with four points on the trot, and they trailed by just 0-11 to 1-9 at half-time.
The excellent Mark Schutte tied it up in the 38th minute and Dublin maintained that momentum to boss the second half. Galway did fight back to level terms twice in the closing quarter, though it looked like Dublin might hang on until that 70th minute Harte point.
MATCH STATS
Dublin: A Nolan; C O’Callaghan, P Kelly, S Durkin; C Crummy, C Keaney, S Lambert; J McCaffrey (0-1), R O’Dwyer; D Sutcliffe (0-3), C Cronin, L Rushe (0-2); D O’Callaghan, M Schutte (0-3), D Treacy (0-11, 0-8f, 0-2 65); Subs: M Carton for Kelly (35+1); D O’Connell for Cronin (49); P Ryan for O’Dwyer (65); S Barrett for O’Callaghan (72).
Galway: C Callanan, P Mannion, J Coen, J Hanbury, D Collins, I Tannian, G McInerney, J Cooney (1-0), A Harte (0-2), A Smith (0-1), C Donnellan (0-3), J Glynn, C Mannion (0-3), J Canning (0-6, 0-4f, 1 65), J Flynn (0-2); Subs: G Lally for McInerney (53); P Brehony for Cooney (59); D Burke for Smith (66); P Killeen for Tannian (69); N Healy for Canning (72).
Referee: J McGrath (Westmeath).
