Galway storm to Leinster title with 14-point win over Dublin

Goals for Neary, Niland, Cooney and Fleming

Galway 4-29

Dublin 4-15

To 2012, '17 and '18, now add 2026 to the list of Leinster title winning seasons for the Galway hurlers.

They suffered regularly at Kilkenny's hands since entering the province all of 17 years ago, but their performance in toppling a previously unbeaten Dublin proved a statement one as their new-look team led from pillar to post in a 14-point final victory.

Manager Micheál Donoghue ripped it up and started again last winter and his rebuild has been validated with provincial silverware, his third at the helm of the Tribesmen.

Darragh Neary scored the first of their goals after a dozen minutes. Just four of normal time remained when Aaron Niland drilled home a penalty to ice the game. Conor Cooney and John Fleming also netted late on to add further gloss to a runaway result and the most memorable of evenings in front of 46,463 at Croke Park.

Tom Monaghan and Conor Whelan clocked up 12 points between them. New faces such as Cillian Trayers, Cian Daniels, Jason Rabbitte, Niland and Rory Burke made their first provincial final a winning one. Experienced hands like Daithí Burke, brothers Padraic and Cathal Mannion, Whelan and Cooney delivered in spades on the way to another cherished medal.

Dublin will look back with regret at a missed opportunity. The route one approach to John Hetherton that yielded such rich dividends late in their round-robin victory in Salthill was shut down by Daithí Burke. The in-form Dónal Burke was restricted to 1-3 from placed balls and only Fergal Whitely and Conal Ó Riain, with 3-4 between them, made headway from play up front. Injuries were further setbacks to Niall Ó Ceallacháin's side as All-Star Cian O'Sullivan was a withdrawal pre-game and defensive pillars Liam Rushe and Chris Crummey were forced off during it.

Slow starts were a valid criticism of Galway's recent matches, but they led by 1-7 to 0-3 after Darragh Neary goaled at the Hill 16 end. A flying Darach Fahy save denied Hetherton and Dublin a much-needed green flag in reply before the men from the capital grew in stature and were back on Galway's coattails when Ó Riain netted to cut the deficit to 1-9 to 1-8 on 25 minutes.

Galway's response was telling as they reeled off six of the half's closing nine points and went in with a 1-15 to 1-11 advantage with Monaghan, Whelan and Niland continuing to accumulate steadily.

There was no let-up after the restart either with Mannion sending over a superb sideline cut, Ronan Glennon adding his second score, and Monaghan and Whelan rampant as the Tribesmen moved 1-23 to 1-14 clear entering the final quarter.

Dublin needed a spark and finally found one when Whelan was somewhat harshly black carded for taking down Eoghan O'Donnell and Dónal Burke tucked away the resulting penalty on 56 minutes.

Galway remained composed, though, with Neary adding a point to his early goal and Niland converting a run of placed balls that included a controversial penalty after Andrew Dunphy was sin-binned after tangling with Conor Cooney.

2-26 to 2-15 ahead with four minutes of normal time remaining, Galway were within touching distance. Cooney netted their third and sub John Fleming their fourth in a frantic endgame that also brought Dublin goals for Ó Riain and Fergal Whitely. Man of the match Monaghan topped up his return to seven points in the dying minutes.

A red-letter day for Galway with their stated objective realised in the second year of Donoghue's second term. An All-Ireland semi-final awaits in four weeks' time. Dublin must lick their wounds and ready themselves for a quarter-final with Clare.

GALWAY: D. Fahy; C. Trayers, D. Burke, D. Morrissey (captain); R. Glennon (0-2), P. Mannion, C. Daniels; T. Killeen (0-1), D. Neary (1-1); C. Whelan (0-5), C. Mannion (0-2, 0-1 sideline cut), T. Monaghan (0-7); R. Burke (0-1), J. Rabbitte (0-1), A. Niland (1-8, 1-0 penalty, 0-6 frees). Subs: C. Cooney (1-1), for R. Burke inj., 13 mins; G. Lee, for Daniels, 53 mins; J. Ryan, for Glennon inj., 53 mins; J. Fleming (1-0), for Killeen, 60 mins; F. Burke, for D Burke inj., 69 mins.

DUBLIN: E. Gibbons; P. Doyle, P. Smyth, C. McHugh; C. Crummey (captain), L. Rushe, C. Burke (0-2); B. Hayes, C. Donohoe (0-1); F. Whitely (1-3), D. Burke (1-3, 1-0 penalty, 0-3 frees), D. Power; B. Kenny (0-2), J. Hetherton (0-1), C. Ó Riain (2-1). Subs: R. Hayes (0-1), for Power, 28 mins; D. Purcell, for Kenny inj., 35+1 mins; E. O’Donnell, for Crummey inj., 40 mins; S. Currie (0-1), for Donohoe, 48 mins; A. Dunphy, for Rushe inj., 49 mins; D. Ó Dúlaing, for Purcell, 63 mins.

REFEREE: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary).

HERALD SPORT MAN OF THE MATCH:

Tom Monaghan (Galway).