NFL DIVISION ONE Galway 0-15 Dublin 2-9:THE PERNICKETY route of the appeals process stands between Alan Brogan and a place in this year's Allianz League final against Cork after the Dublin forward was sent off after scoring a cracking goal against Galway.
The match between the standard-bearers of the spring season and Galway, whose valiant attempt to avoid relegation just failed, was just one of a series of gripping encounters on the last day of the regular league season.
As it was, a 72nd-minute pointed effort from Gary Sice could have won the day for Galway but it fell into the arms of Dublin goalkeeper Michael Savage. It wouldn’t have prevented them from exiting the top tier but at least they took the consolation of a result against Dublin.
“We are annoyed at ourselves a bit because we came to win the game,” Pat Gilroy said afterwards. “We didn’t come here looking to do anyone any favours. But we did train twice this week and maybe that was a factor. And once we went down to 14 men, fellas could have shirked the responsibility but they stood up well because Galway were really up for this.”
Gilroy said that he just saw the tail-end of the incident involving Brogan. The Oliver Plunkett man appeared to react to a provocation from his marker Johnny Duane and when the Galway man went down, Brogan was given a straight red by referee Pat Fox after a consultation with his linesman. Dublin will review footage of the incident prior to deciding whether to pursue an appeal.
Apart from that, they will be reasonably pleased not to have lost their unbeaten record. Dublin finished their goal chances superbly but they both originated from cardinal Galway errors. A careless hand pass coming out of defence by Owen Concannon allowed Paul Flynn to find Brogan, whose finish was exemplary.
Late in the half, Galway were caught again with Joe Bergin – whose distribution and ball control through a crowded midfield had been exemplary – got caught as he carried the ball from defence and Pat Burke finished his chance in style.
Three late points by the Dubs, including a sublime right-footed shot from Bernard Brogan left the visitors 2-07 to 0-06 to the good at the break and the match appeared to be petering out to a tame and predictable conclusion. The visitors could have wrapped the day up in the 43rd minute.
All afternoon, the Galway backline seemed caught in two minds as to whether to compete for the high ball with Bernard Brogan or stand off him. Too often, they did neither and when he collected a dropping ball and pivoted on one motion, he had a one-on-one with the Galway goalkeeper. Adrian Faherty managed to save and Galway were, theoretically, still in the game.
And in departing from Division One, Galway once more showed signs that they might just execute a reversal of fortune this summer. The introduction of Gareth Bradshaw had a heavy influence on Galway’s drive and Pádraic Joyce made exceptional use of the ball that came his way during Galway’s revival, which followed Faherty’s save.
Joyce’s role in Gary Sice’s 60th-minute point, which levelled the match, exemplified all the experience and vision he brings to Galway. He won possession in traffic, wormed his way free and, after taking a return pass, played a quick, clever ball to the unmarked Sice. That score was the last of eight unanswered points by the Galway men, a sequence of domination which included a fine save by Savage from Paul Conroy.
This was Galway’s last run. Dublin, labouring now in Brogan’s absence, fell into retreat mode, with Paul Brogan a dominant figure at full back and Paul Flynn maintaining a ferocious work rate. Dean Kelly was full of running when he came on, scoring a point to briefly restore Dublin’s lead and then carried off with a bad ankle injury. But in scoring two points in the second half, they did well to leave with a result.
If Galway review the tape of this match, they will feel they presented Dublin with the chances which led to 2-3 through basic errors alone, including a pass out over the sideline which Denis Bastick pointed magnificently. It is hard to imagine Dublin’s two goals would have happened so easily if Finian Hanley was on the edge of the square rather than continuing his conversion to midfield. But with Michael Meehan and Seán Armstrong on their way back, Galway at least finish the spring with something to work on.
“We got a lot of criticism over the league and we have taken that, but we learned a lot about ourselves,” Joe Bergin said afterwards. “Dublin have been winning games all through the league and we had some young players today who have learned a lot from that game. So we have a good bit of time now to have ourselves ready for the championship.”
GALWAY: A Faherty; A Burke, C Forde, J Duane; G O'Donnell, G Higgins, G Sice (0-1); J Bergin, F Hanley; P Joyce (0-4 four frees), O Concannon (0-1), C Kenny; M Clancy, P Conroy (0-2), C Bane (0-5, two frees). Subs: N Coyne for G O'Donnell (half-time), G Bradshaw (0-1) for M Clancy (42 mins), K Brady (0-1) for C Kenny (52 mins).
DUBLIN: C Savage; P McMahon, P Brogan, N Devereux; K Nolan, G Brennan, P Casey; D Bastick (0-1), S Murray (0-1); P Flynn (0-1), P Burke (1-0), B Cullen; A Brogan (1-0), D Connolly, B Brogan (0-5, four frees). Subs: M Fitzsimons for Devereux (half-time), D Kelly (0-1) for P Burke (54 mins), D Lally for D Connolly (61 mins), P Andrews for B Cullen (67 mins), D Nelson for D Kelly (70 mins).
Referee: P Fox(Westmeath) .
