All-Ireland U20FC final: Culhane and Tierney combine as Tribesmen capture title

Galway's Tomo Culhane gets by Adam Rafter of Dublin. ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne.

Galway 1-11

Dublin 0-13

Galway captured the All-Ireland U20 football championship title, thanks to a narrow one-point victory over Dublin in an entertaining tussle at Croke Park this afternoon.

Nine months after their Connacht SFC final success over Roscommon, attacking duo Tomo Culhane and Matthew Tierney once again led the way for the Tribesmen as Tom Gray's side succumbed to a second All-Ireland final defeat on the bounce. The duo were responsible for all bar one of their side's tally.

In the end, Culhane's goal six minutes after the break was to be the major deciding factor. Dublin outscored their opponents 0-7 to 0-2 from there, but their stirring comeback fell agonisingly short.

At the first water-break, there was nothing to separate the sides and points from Culhane and Tierney were replied to by Ciaran Archer, Lee Gannon, Mark Lavin and Brian O'Leary to leave things tied at 0-4 apiece. It was Donal Ó Fátharta's team that were playing all the football in the second quarter though as they earned frees for Culhane to strike with ease to establish a 0-8 to 0-5 half-time lead.

Galway captain Jack Glynn lifts the trophy. ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne.

The eventual winners suffered a double blow either side of the interval as wing back Cathal Sweeney and midfield Cian Hernon were forced off through injury. Salthill-Knocknacarra star Culhane picked up right from where he left off by cracking over his fifth score of the day before O'Leary responded brilliantly at the other end for Dublin.

Suddenly, Galway's advantage doubled when Culhane was slipped through on goal after good work by Conor Raftery and Tierney and his shot trickled into the net from close range. Dublin weren't going down without a fight and soon had the margin back down to three after impressive wing forward Lavin grabbed his third point.

It was all Dublin then, Lorcan O'Dell and Lavin adding another to make it a one-point game with four minutes of normal-time remaining. They couldn't find a levelling score, though, as an injury-time free by the classy Culhane - bringing his account to 1-6 - was enough to see Galway over the line.

Galway - C Flaherty; J McGrath, S Fitzgerald, J Glynn; C Monahan, T Gill, C Sweeney; C Raftery, C Hernon; Paul Kelly, M Tierney (0-4, 1m, 1f), R Monahan; Patrick Kelly, T Culhane (1-6, 0-4f, 0-1m), M Cooley (0-1). Subs: J Kirrane for C Sweeney, A Greene for C Hernon, E Mannion for M Cooley, D Cox for Paul Kelly, W Seoige for T Culhane.

Dublin - J O'Neill; C Tyrrell, A Rafter, J Bannon; R Dwyer, A Waddick, L Gannon (0-1); A Fearon (0-2), M O'Leary; M Lavin (0-4, 1f), L O'Dell (0-2), S Lowry; C Archer (0-1), L Swan (0-1), B O'Leary (0-2). Subs: K McKeon for S Lowry, P Purcell for A Fearon.

Referee - P Faloon.