Galway 3-9 Dublin 0-11
It is exactly two decades since Galway stormed through to take their All-Ireland title. Could this year ending in four charm signify another victory for the Tribeswomen. Who could ever forget that day in Croke Park two decades ago? An awesome second-half display clinched an historic first All Ireland Ladies' Gaelic Football Senior Championship title for Galway against a Dublin side that was forced to endure their second successive final defeat at Croke Park.
Trailing by five points after 24 minutes which were dominated by Dublin, Galway supporters might well have feared a defeat similar to that suffered by Mayo a week before. Instead they were treated to one of the best 30 minutes of football played by any team in the maroon and white of Galway.
The Galway women were awesome in the second half. In that period they outscored their opponents 2-7 to 0-4 points with an exhibition of football. Playing with an attractive direct style, the Galway forwards were ruthless in front of goal and a rock solid defence leaked only one point in the final quarter.
Led by captain and player of the match Annette Clarke, they oozed class as they overran Dublin in almost every position of the field. The celebrations at the final whistle and the unconfined jubilation that saw team manager PJ Fahy lift the Brendan Martin Cup aloft showed just how much this victory meant. It was an extraordinary achievement just two years after being promoted from the junior grade. The feat is even more amazing considering their poor start. Dublin, with memories of last year's cruel defeat to Mayo still raw in their hearts, raced out of the blocks.
Martina Farrell and Fiona Corcoran dominated midfield, while Elaine Kelly, Ashling McCormack, and Angie McNally were a constant threat to the Galway rearguard. Notoriously slow starters, Galway seemed out of their depth, and Dublin could have been out of sight had two early goal chances not cannoned off the woodwork. Galway seemed lethargic as the sprightly Dubliners constantly caught them napping with quickly taken frees and swift passing Gillian Joyce's omission before finishing with from the starting line up aplomb. Overflowing with 0-11 movements.
Mary Nevin opened the scoring after two minutes with a softly conceded free. An Ashling McCormack point from play sandwiched an Angie McNally brace that proved Dublin were more alert at this stage. Firstly benefiting from a quick free, McNally hit her second when she reacted quickest to Bernie Finlay's effort which hit off the post.
Wing forward Lyndsey Davey then added Dublin's fifth point on 11 minutes. Galway finally got on the scoreboard after 12 minutes when Lorna Joyce managed to win a long ball to the left corner before setting Michelle Delaney up for a point. Just when it seemed Galway had weathered the early Dublin storm, Ashling McCormack signalled Dublin's intent with a shot on goal. Saved again by the post on this occasion, Galway conceded two more scores in two minutes stretching Dublin's deserved lead to six
Yet hardened by their two most recent outings with Mayo, Galway were not ready to lie down. Battling until the break, they clawed their way back into contention by hitting 1-2 without reply. A mistake by the Dublin goalie went unpunished in the 25th minute which led to Galway's all-important first goal.
Gaining possession on the left wing, Edel Concannon and Geraldine Conneally worked the ball to the other side where Niamh Duggan provided the overlap. The Annaghdown girl showed great composure to carry the ball and hammer home a truly tonic goal. A Geraldine Conneally run moments later was recycled for Annette Clarke's opening point.
These scores were to prove crucial, closing the six-point gap to just two points. PJ Fahy and his selectors Mick O Connell and Richard Bowles played two trump cards when they switched Niamh Fahey to centre back following an injury to Aine Gilmore, and introduced Gillian Joyce to full forward.
Fahey was to prove to be a star performer for the Tribeswomen, and while proved the strength of the Galway panel, her performance on Sunday provided more evidence of her class. With Edel Concannon sparkling in the half forward line, Lorna Joyce operating top of the left, and Gillian Joyce at full forward, Galway found gaping holes in the Dublin defence, and these changes were central to shifting the balance of the game.
Dublin succeeded in getting the opening point in the second half when Fiona Corcoran powered through from midfield two minutes after the restart, but Galway's ambitions were boosted two minutes later when Annette Clarke blasted home her side's second goal to level the scores. The goal was probably Galway's best score of the day. Niamh Duggan, Geraldine Conneally, and Geraldine Joyce were all involved before Clarke finished with a sweetly struck shot to the roof of the Dublin net.
Dublin were denied an instant reply with a brave block from Ann Marie McDonagh, and by the seventh minute Galway had taken the lead. Gathering a long ball to the left corner where Dublin struggled for much of the second half, Niamh Duggan quickly released to Gillian Joyce who blazed her shot over the bar from close range.
Stunned, Dublin responded with two points from Mary Nevin and Angie McNally, but another ball to the left corner allowed Lorna Joyce to set up Lisa Cohill who immediately cancelled McNally's third point of the day. Although Dublin's resistance was beginning to fade, the game was still very much in the balance. Galway's spirited revival almost came unstuck when a lapse in concentration left substitute Louise Kelly unmarked.
Bearing down on goal the young Dublin attacker was poised to grab the headlines only to be denied by a sensational block by Galway full back Ruth Stephens. It was Dublin's last meaningful resistance. Annette Clarke, Niamh Fahy and Patricia Gleeson took a stranglehold on midfield and the Galway attack began to punish the Dublin defence at every opportunity. On 24 minutes Edel Concannon raced onto a short-dropping ball, shimmied left then right confidence, Galway added four points to finish with a flourish. Patricia Gleeson (2 ) and Lisa Cohill cancelled the consolation point of Karen Hopkins before Gillian Joyce lobbed over a free as the buzzer sounded on an historic day for Galway ladies football.
Galway: U Carroll; M O'Connell, R Stephens, A McDonagh; A Daly, A Gilmore, E Flaherty; A Clarke (1-3 ), P Gleeson; L Cohill (0-2 ), N Fahy, N Duggan (1-0 ); G Conneally, L Joyce, M Delaney (01 ).Subs: E Concannon (1-0 ) for Gilmore (23 mins ), G Joyce (0-3 ) for Delaney (half-time ), M Burke for O'Connell (53 mins ), F Wynne for Conneally (58 mins ), E O'Malley for Gleeson (60 mins ).
Dublin: C O'Connor; S Farrelly, N Comyn, M Kavanagh; N McEvoy, L Keegan, G Fay; M Farrell, F Corcoran (0-1 ); E Kelly, B Finlay (0-1 ), L Davey (0-1 ); A McCormack (0-1 ), A McNally (0-3 ), M Nevin (03 ). Subs: L Kelly for Kavanagh (43 mins ), S Ahern for Kelly (47 mins ), S McGrath for Farrelly (49 mins ), K Hopkins (0-1 ) for Davey (54 mins ), O Colreavy for Farrell (58 mins ). E O'Hare Referee: (Down ).
