Galway 1-11
Dublin 0-13

GALWAY COLLECTED ANOTHER piece of underage football silverware as they rounded a marathon U20 campaign by claiming All-Ireland glory at the expense of Dublin this afternoon.

Full-forward Tomo Culhane shot 1-6 and centre-forward Matthew Tierney scored 0-4 with that pair of attacking returns invaluable for Donal Ó Fátharta’s Galway team.

The foundations were laid early for Galway in this success as they were ahead 0-8 to 0-5 at the interval and stretched 1-9 to 0-6 clear early in the second half.

But they had to withstand a spell of Dublin dominance then with Tom Gray’s team outscoring Galway 0-7  to 0-2 for the remainder of the game. They cut the gap to one on a couple of occasions yet could not draw level and time ran out on their efforts to land an equaliser as Dublin lost out in the final of this grade for the second successive year.

Watch the Full-Time Highlights of Galway v Dublin in the All-Ireland U20 Football Final here on GAANOW!
Full-Time Score:
Galway: 1-11
Dublin: 0-13 pic.twitter.com/ZsY9tPuFMZ

— The GAA (@officialgaa) December 19, 2020

Both teams played their first game of this championship on 8 February and it took 45 weeks to reach the final stage after a year dominated by delays. Galway won their opening match on penalties against Mayo and showed similar resolve here in the closing stages.

Captain Jack Glynn was terrific in defence, holding Dublin danger man Ciarán Archer to a point from play, that effort brilliantly-taken in the early moments. Paul Kelly impressed with his play in the middle third for a team that lost wing-back Cathal Sweeney and dominant midfielder Cian Hernon to injury during the exchanges.

Goalkeeper Conor Flaherty was a solid presence and his kickouts were excellent. It capped off a brilliant 24-hour period for him after he lined out at centre-back last night for the county’s U20 hurlers.

Jonathan McGrath, Sean Fitzgerald and Jack Glynn celebrate after the game.

Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO

Dublin had some excellent performers in Lee Gannon, Mark Lavin and Lorcan O’Dell. They trailed 0-3 to 0-1 after seven minutes but hit their stride as Lavin and Brian O’Leary split the posts to leave the teams deadlocked after the first quarter.

However the game slipped away from them in the spell before and after half-time. Galway outscored Dublin 0-4 to 0-1 in the second quarter with Culhane catching the eye with his form at full-forward.

They built on that after the break with the Culhane goal arriving in the 37th minute. Conor Raftery released Tierney on the right wing and he powered into a clearing before offloading inside to Culhane with his shot deflecting into the net via defender Rory Dwyer.

It was 1-10 to 0-9 in Galway’s favour at the second half water break as Dublin displayed signs they could reel them in. Then Lavin twice and O’Dea knocked over stylish points into Hill 16 to leave them just one adrift by the 57th minute.

Tierney boomed over a long-range free from Galway which proved a critical score and an Adam Fearon point was all Dublin could muster in injury-time as a levelling score eluded them.

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

Scorers for Galway: Tomo Culhane 1-6 (0-3f, 0-1 mark), Matthew Tiernety 0-4 (0-1f, 0-1 mark), Matthew Cooley 0-1.

Scorers for Dublin: Mark Lavin 0-4 (0-1f), Brian O’Leary, Lorcan O’Dell 0-2 each, Lee Gannon, Adam Fearon, Ciarán Archer, Luke Swan 0-1 each.

Galway

1. Conor Flaherty (Claregalway)

2. Jonathan McGrath (Caherlistrane)
3. Seán Fitzgerald (Barna)
4. Jack Glynn (Claregalway)

5. Cian Monaghan (Oughterard)
6. Tony Gill (Corofin)
7. Cathal Sweeney (Salthill-Knocknacarra)

8. Conor Raftery (Glenamaddy)
9. Cian Hernon (Barna)

10. Paul Kelly (Maigh Cuillinn)
11. Matthew Tierney (Oughterard)
12. Ryan Monaghan (Oughterard)

13. Patrick Kelly (Mountbellew/Moylough)
14. Tomo Culhane (Salthill-Knocknacarra)
15. Matthew Cooley (Corofin)

Subs

18. Jack Kirrane (Milltown) for Cathal Sweeney (inj) (17)
22. Alan Greene (Oranmore-Maree) for Hernon (inj) (33)
23. Eoin Mannion (Milltown) for Cooley (46)
20. Daniel Cox (Maigh Cuilinn) for Patrick Kelly (53)
24. Warren Seoige (Leitir Móir) for Culhane (61)

Dublin

1. Josh O’Neill (St Vincent’s)

2. Conor Tyrrell (St Oliver Plunketts/Eoghan Ruadh)
3. Adam Rafter (Na Fianna)
4. Josh Bannon (St Sylvester’s)

5. Rory Dwyer (St Margaret’s)
6. Adam Waddick (Thomas Davis)
7. Lee Gannon (Whitehall Colmcilles)

8. Adam Fearon (Skerries Harps)
9. Mark O’Leary (Kilmacud Crokes)

10. Mark Lavin (Lucan Sarsfields)
11. Lorcan O’Dell (Templeogue Synge Street)
12. Seán Lowry (St Vincent’s)

13. Ciaran Archer (St Maur’s)
14. Luke Swan (Castleknock)
15. Brian O’Leary (Na Fianna) 

Subs

21. Kieran McKeon (Clontarf) for Lowry (46)
22. Pádraig Purcell (Kilmacud Crokes) for Fearon (64)

Referee: Paul Faloon (Down)