Galway KO Dubs with brilliant second-half to advance to All-Ireland SFC semis

June 29, 2024

Dublin's John Small and Shane Walsh of Galway ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Galway produced a sensational second-half performance at Croke Park this evening to edge Dublin by 0-17 to 0-16 and advance into the All-Ireland senior football championship semi-finals.

The result marks the Tribesmen’s first SFC win over the Dubs since 1934 and also sees the capital men missing out on the last four stage in the Sam Maguire Cup race for the first time in a decade-and-a-half.

The holders had seemingly been cruising in the opening 35 minutes, taking in a 0-11 to 0-7 lead, before the Connacht champions produced a stirring fourth quarter display at headquarters to shred the script.

Shane Walsh, Cillian McDaid and Paul Conroy all sailed over scores that had Galway’s deficit down to one (0-12 to 0-11) on 49 minutes before John Small and Con O’Callaghan grabbed points that looked to have steadied Dublin’s ship.

Walsh (free) and McDaid made it a one-point game again and when Cein D’Arcy found the time and space to clip over on the hour mark there’d be a thrilling finish instore.

Ross McGarry and Dylan McHugh traded points that kept it on a knife edge ahead of Johnny Heaney pointing the Connacht champions in front.

Tomo Culhane would give Padraic Joyce’s men a two-point lead for the first time with a minute left in regulation, and ended up proving the difference in the end as Con O’Callaghan’s injury-time free rounded off the Dubs’ tally, leaving them one short as they were shown the exit door by a brave Galway effort.


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