Galway have blown the All-Ireland SFC wide open with a remarkable come from behind win at Croke Park to secure a shock semi-final place next month, dumping holders Dublin out.
A week after beating Monaghan in a humdrum preliminary quarter-final encounter, having previously drawn with Armagh, the 2022 finalists burst into life with a massive performance and a landmark win.
Trailing by three points approaching the hour mark, Galway’s dreams of an upset were on the verge of collapse but they finished with a flourish to take their place in the 13/14 July semi-finals.
Substitute Tomo Culhane will go down as the unlikely matchwinner, the former underage star kicking what proved to be the clinching point in the 70th minute.
That score actually put Galway two ahead but the margin was reduced to one when Con O’Callaghan curled over a 73rd minute point for Dublin from a free.
O’Callaghan had another point attempt deep into stoppage time but struck it poorly and the ball went wide in front of the Dublin fans at the Hill 16 end, leaving supporters to mull over the county’s first quarter-final defeat since 2009.
The list of Galway heroes was endless. Cillian McDaid was crowned Player of the Match for his thrilling second-half display but Dylan McHugh and Shane Walsh can’t have been far behind.
The worry for Galway is that Walsh, who hit 0-07 overall, suffered what appeared a hamstring twinge and had to be taken off, leaving him as a doubt for their last four date.
As for Dublin, their season is over – something that will give everyone else left in the championship huge confidence in the All-Ireland race.
Both sides possessed similar pre-match records, winning all but one of their games and collecting provincial titles, but it was all Dublin, initially at least.
They were good value for their 0-11 to 0-07 half-time lead with the scores coming that bit easier for the holders.
Walsh, for instance, did brilliantly to escape John Small in the sixth minute and split the posts with a terrific kick off his left boot for Galway.
Dublin’s nonchalant response was to get four scores in a row themselves, from Brian Fenton, Ciarán Kilkenny, Sean Bugler and Cormac Costello, to leave Galway already up against it.
O’Callaghan was proving predictably troublesome for Galway who opted to put Sean Fitzgerald on the Cuala man.
When King Con scored his second point from a mark in the 25th minute, having also set up Fenton for his point, Galway reached for Plan B and switched Liam Silke onto the Cuala wonder. Fitzgerald went back onto him after the restart and the intriguing duel continued.
Galway were on top in another crucial match up at the other end of the pitch where Walsh was getting the better of John Small.
Small came into the game with five championship points this season and typically gets on top in his individual battle before bombing forward and punishing the opposition.
But he had his hands full this time with the Kilmacud Crokes star who finished the first half with five points himself.
Walsh escaped Small for two points from play and registered three more from placed balls.
One of those converted frees by Walsh came after an off the ball foul by Small on McDaid which was spotted and punished by referee Sean Hurson.
All in all a difficult first 35 minutes or so for Small who must have been wondering what was to come after the break.
Next to him in the Dublin defence, Sean MacMahon picked up Galway full-forward Damien Comer. That was a battle of two powerhouse performers and MacMahon was delighted to hold his man scoreless overall. Michael Fitzsimons was thrown the task of shackling the in-form Robert Finnerty.
The sight of Walsh hobbling off at half-time was a big concern for Galway.
The magic sponge at the interval clearly did the trick because Walsh was running freely again when he returned.
He punished Stephen Cluxton for an errant kick-out in the 43rd minute with a tidy point, his sixth.
McDaid then came surging into the game with two points and when Paul Conroy added another, suddenly there was just one between them, 0-12 to 0-11.
Dessie Farrell responded by bringing on All-Star Colm Basquel and Ross McGarry to invigorate Dublin’s attack.
Dublin points from Small and O’Callaghan got the margin out to three again but even without Walsh, who limped off in the 65th minute, Galway weren’t prepared to toss in the towel.
In fact, they rose to the monumental challenge and McDaid was at the hub of the revival, while points from Cein Darcy and McHugh proved vital. Galway led for the first time in the 67th minute when Johnny Heaney opened his account and Culhane followed suit, a score that proved to be the winner in a memorable encounter.
Galway: Connor Gleeson; Johnny McGrath, Sean Fitzgerald, Jack Glynn; Dylan McHugh (0-01), Liam Silke, Sean Mulkerrin; Paul Conroy (0-01), Sean Kelly; Matthew Tierney (0-01, 0-01m), John Maher (0-01), Cillian McDaid (0-03); Robert Finnerty, Damien Comer, Shane Walsh (0-07, 0-04fs).
Subs: Cein Darcy (0-01) for Kelly (22), Liam O Conghaile for Finnerty (47), Johnny Heaney (0-01) for Tierney (54), Cian Hernon for Fitzgerald (60), Tomo Culhane (0-01) for Walsh (65).
Dublin: Stephen Cluxton; Eoin Murchan, Sean MacMahon, Michael Fitzsimons; John Small (0-01, 0-01m), Brian Howard, Jack McCaffrey; Brian Fenton (0-01), James McCarthy; Niall Scully, Sean Bugler (0-02), Ciarán Kilkenny (0-02); Paul Mannion (0-01), Con O’Callaghan (0-04, 0-02ms, 0-01f), Cormac Costello (0-04, 0-02fs, 0-01 45).
Subs: Colm Basquel for Mannion (48), Ross McGarry (0-01) for Scully (54), Tom Lahiff for McCaffrey (59), Paddy Small for Costello (66), Lorcan O’Dell for Murchan (72).
Referee: Sean Hurson (Tyrone).
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Watch the All-Ireland Football Championship quarter-finals, Donegal v Louth (1.15pm) and Kerry v Derry (3.15pm), on Sunday from 12.45pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
