Dominant Dubs have last word
O’Callaghan fires Blues to final triumph
IT is almost fitting that Dublin are to be the final champions in a competition they have been the recent dominant force. This was their fifth title, having never won an All-Ireland at this grade before 2003.
In its 54 years, the competition has produced some memorable matches, but the final act in O’Connor Park will not be remembered by anyone apart from the delighted Dublin players and supporters who savoured this success late into the evening.
For players such as Con O’Callaghan, Eoin Murchan and Brian Howard, who was outstanding in the middle of the field, the title had been a long time coming as their manager Dessie Farrell pointed out afterwards. They have fallen at the penultimate hurdle a few times at minor and Under 21 level.
And for a brief spell yesterday evening, a few nerves pulsed through the loud Dublin contingent among the 7,757 when the Dubs looked like they might falter again. They had been in control for most of this game and O’Callaghan’s 36th-minute goal had the look of the game’s decisive score.
However, the Tribesmen threatened to mount the most unlikely of comebacks when, in the 49th minute, Cillian McDaid raided forward from wing-back to bury the ball in the net. It was only Galway’s second score of the second half but when Kieran Molloy tagged on a point immediately afterwards, belief started to take hold.
A moment later, McDaid created a goal-scoring chance for Ruairí Greene but the corner-back saw his shot come off the upright. If Dublin were nervous, they did a good job of disguising it.
The Leinster champions displayed complete composure in moving the ball up the field. Colm Basquel smartly playing Aaron Byrne in, who slotted the ball past Ronán Ó Beoláin. That left the scoreline 2-10 to 1-6 with only a few minutes remaining.
Although Colm Brennan pounced for an opportunistic strike before the end, it felt like a consolation goal for Galway. And Dublin’s response to that was to move the ball up the field where substitute Stephen Smith finished with a fine score. With the game in injurytime, another clever pass by Basqeul found Darren Byrne but the defender was hauled down by the Galway goalkeeper. On his manager’s instructions, O’Callaghan tapped the penalty over the bar, rather than going for the glory of a goal with the game’s final kick.
It was a sensible option and it was felt that Dublin had experienced too much heartache not to knock over the insurance point. In truth, Dublin deserved this title and were arguably more dominant than the six-point scoreline suggests.
Murchan, who snuffed out Donegal’s Stephen McBrearty in the semi-final, was detailed to shadow Galway dangerman Michael Daly and the diminutive defender did an excellent job.
Howard was so good around the middle, maintaining Raheny’s tradition of producing classy midfielders, and he nailed a fine point that his performance deserved in the second-half. While O’Callaghan was kept quiet in general play by the excellent Seán Andy Ó Ceallaigh, Dublin had unlikely heroes in the shape of Glenn O’Reilly, who popped over three points from play, and Dan O’Brien, who scored two.
O’Reilly got the opening score of the game and although Daly escaped Murchan’s clutches long enough to fire Galway’s opening point in the seventh minute, it was clear the Tribesmen were finding it difficult to get into a rhythm and with Seán McMahon acting as a sweeper, they were finding it difficult to pierce Dublin’s rearguard
O’Callaghan was bright enough in the ninth minute to create a goalscoring opportunity for Basquel in front of goal. However, Ó Beoláin denied the Ballyboden star brilliantly with a point-blank save. It was his second save of the match, having denied Aaron Byrne a few moments earlier. As his team found it difficult to work a way into the match, the keeper was doing his utmost to keep the Connacht champions in the game.
Basquel did make amends by firing over the next two points of the game before Daly again got away from Murchan and drove the ball goalwards only for McMahon to get a hand on it.
When Eoin Finnerty hooked over a sensational point in the 20th minute, it was only Galway’s second score of the game with the swirling wind making it difficult for attackers.
But somehow Galway only trailed by a point at half-time, 0-5 to 0-4. They were the happier team going in at the break. Within a few minutes of the restart, all that encouragement evaporated as Dublin regained control of a match they rarely looked like losing.