Dublin’s profitable day trip out west shows they are still awake and hungry

All-Ireland SFC: Galway 2-14 Dublin 1-18

It was one of those picture postcard Saturday afternoons in sun-baked Salthill for Dublin.

The stamped dispatches mailed back to the capital went something like this – lovely day out west, we had ice cream on the prom and later that evening watched Tom Lahiff put the cherry on top, talk of our demise has been greatly exaggerated. We’ll be home soon, see you at Croke Park.

A championship win over one of the All-Ireland favourites with the last kick of the game for a team undergoing an examination of its competency. It’s a decent way to quieten the nonbelievers.

“We were very disappointed with our performance the last day against Meath, there’s no getting away from that,” said Dublin Dessie Farrell after Saturday’s All-Ireland SFC round-robin victory over Galway.

“But while we hold ourselves accountable and to higher standards, I think at some point in time that [losing in Leinster] was going to happen.

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“A Dublin team of old could be five per cent off and still win a game like that by five or 10 points, or whatever, but that day is gone now. Every day we put on the boots and put on the jersey you have to be on point, we weren’t that day and deservedly lost the game.

“We were expecting a big response because we know it’s not us. We may not have the same strength and depth as in previous seasons but we shouldn’t be questioned on attitude and effort.”

Galway's Matthew Thompson celebrates a score. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho

Lahiff – a second-half sub for the injured Con O’Callaghan – clipped over the winning point with the last kick of the game.

Just seconds after the hooter sounded, Niall Scully found Lahiff in a pocket of space inside the arc and the St Jude’s clubman slotted over a neat point to earn Dublin the narrowest of victories over the four-in-a-row Connacht champions.

Dublin demonstrated real character and desire coming down the stretch as the victory looked to have been snatched from their grasp just moments earlier when they got blown for overcarrying. And from the resulting free Galway worked the ball up the field where Matthew Tierney fisted over an equalising point.

However, from the crucial next kick-out Stephen Cluxton found Lahiff in the middle of the field. Moments later Lahiff was back in possession, ending the move and the game with a match-winning point.

“It was a huge kick-out [after Galway’s equaliser]. There was a big press coming from Galway,” added Farrell.

“You could see they had the bit between their teeth and were going for it. In fairness to Stephen he picked out Tom Lahiff and we secured possession. Ultimately, I think the game was won in that single play there.”

But while it was Lahiff who kicked the winning score, Ciarán Kilkenny was the real difference-maker in this contest, the Castleknock man rolling back the years to produce a display of inspirational leadership.

It was almost impossible to say where exactly Kilkenny played as he popped over all over the pitch – scoring, setting up scores, catching kick-outs, making defensive tackles. He was Dublin’s central pillar.

Ciarán Kilkenny of Dublin in action against Galway at Pearse Stadium. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho

“He was a warrior out there. He got cramp early enough in the second half, generally when a player gets cramp there’s only one thing happening – he’s coming off in a matter of minutes,” added Farrell.

“We’d a slip written for him, but he was able to dig it out and keep going and keep going. It’s very unusual to see that, but that’s the type of boyo he is.

“He was excellent. Con was really good in the first half too, a lot of the young lads as well. We’re down to the serious stuff now at this stage, a lot of the young players did really well. Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne in the middle I thought had a great game as well.

“On days like this, brave men are wanted and we had a lot of lads standing up.”

Dublin led 1-9 to 0-8 at half-time.

The goal was a fortuitous but nonetheless well-taken one by Costello, who seized on a mistake by Liam Silke to slot the ball low beneath Connor Gleeson in the 20th minute.

Johnny McGrath was given the man-marking detail on O’Callaghan while Silke picked up Costello.

At the other end of the field David Byrne marshalled Shane Walsh while Seán MacMahon marked Rob Finnerty.

Con O`Callaghan of Dublin is challenged by Cillian McDaid of Galway. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho

Galway started the second half like a whirlwind, scoring 1-2 inside the opening two minutes of the restart to go from four behind to one in front.

The goal came just 15 seconds into the second half. Galway won the throw-in and Cillian McDaid launched a skyscraper in on top of Matthew Thompson, who outfielded Byrne, turned and struck the ball beyond Cluxton.

The home side seemed to have grabbed the initiative but Dublin responded well to curb Galway’s momentum, with points by Costello and Brian O’Leary nudging them back in front.

Lorcan O’Dell had a superb second half during which he scored three points, while Dublin had their homework done on Paul Conroy and nullified his impact. Both Conroy and Walsh were taken off.

The Dubs had built a 1-16 to 1-12 lead with 15 minutes remaining when Galway forced a messy second goal. A McDaid shot dropped short to the right of the Dublin posts but before it went wide Tierney flicked it back across the face of the goal where Finnerty raced in and palmed home.

John Maher levelled the game on the hour mark before Costello edged Dublin back in front in the 66th minute. Dublin tried to manage the game out from there but the late turnover for overcarrying provided Galway with what appeared to be a score that would see the game finish level.

The Dubs had other ideas, though.

“It came down to the kick of a ball,” said Galway manager Pádraic Joyce. “We said it before the game that it was going to come down to that and it did, they came out the right side of it and we didn’t.”

GALWAY: Connor Gleeson; Johnny McGrath (0-0-1), Seán Mulkerrin, Liam Silke; Dylan McHugh, Seán Kelly, Cian Hernon; Paul Conroy, John Maher (0-0-1); Cein Darcy, Matthew Tierney (0-0-2), Cillian McDaid (0-0-1); Matthew Thompson (1-0-1), Robert Finnerty (1-1-4, 1f), Shane Walsh (0-1-0).

Subs: Peter Cooke for Thompson (41-53 mins); Kieran Molloy for Conroy (53); P Cooke for Kelly (53-60); Daniel O’Flaherty for Hernon (54); P Cooke for Walsh (60); Tomo Culhane for Darcy (65); John Daly for Silke (67).

DUBLIN: Stephen Cluxton; David Byrne, Theo Clancy, Seán MacMahon; Ciarán Kilkenny (0-0-2), Seán Bugler (0-0-3), Brian Howard; Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne, Killian McGinnis (0-0-2); Lorcan O’Dell (0-0-3), Con O’Callaghan (0-0-3), Alex Gavin; Colm Basquel, Brian O’Leary (0-0-1), Cormac Costello (1-0-3, 2f).

Subs: Tom Lahiff (0-0-1) for O’Callaghan (45 mins); Niall Scully for O’Leary (50); Cian Murphy for Gavin (54); Greg McEneaney for McGinnis (60); Luke Breathnach for Bugler (61).

Referee: David Gough (Meath).