Galway minors determined to floor the odds
Date Published: {J}
IT’S easy to see why Dublin are favourites. Red-hot favourites. If you’re to believe the hype in Dublin – and the bookies’ odds – the Galway minor football team would do well to stay at home ON Sunday rather than travel to Croke Park to take on the Dubs in the All-Ireland minor football final (throw-in, 1.30pm).
Dublin are unbackable at 2/9 to advance to the third Sunday in September to face Tipperary in the All-Ireland final; while the Tribesmen are quoted at 4/1, a very long-shot in a two-horse race.
The usual over-excited build-up that surrounds Dublin teams – no matter the quality – has obviously contributed to that ridiculous short price, which is an insult to manager Tommie Joyce’s charges. But a glance at Dublin’s record this season makes it abundantly clear why they are so hotly fancied.
Unbeaten in competitive action all year, Dublin are Leinster League and Leinster Championship holders. More important than the ‘champions’ tag, is the manner in which they secured those two titles. Five wins in as many weekends back in March saw Dessie Farrell’s charges capture the Leinster League with ease recording remarkable scores in the respective rounds: Dublin 0-16 Louth 2-5; Dublin 1-13 Wexford 0-11; Dublin 3-21 Laois 0-5; Dublin 2-9 Offaly 2-6; and in the final, Dublin 3-11 Longford 0-12.
Their march to Leinster championship success is even more frightening – Dublin scored 7-67 and conceded just 1-35 in their four provincial championship ties (including 4-15 to 0-8 against Westmeath; 0-10 to 0-5 against Longford; 1-24 to 0-11 against Kildare; and 2-18 to 1-11 versus Meath in the final).
They continued that rich vein of form in the All-Ireland quarter final earlier this month against a hapless Cork outfit – Dublin led 1-8 to no score at half-time in Portlaoise before easing off after the break but still comfortably making it over the line, 1-11 to 1-3.
Dublin has the pick of a handful of dual stars who will also feature in the squad that faces the Tribesmen in the All-Ireland minor hurling decider next month, including Emmet Ó Conghaile at midfield, wing forward Cormac Costello, corner back Eric Lowndes, Ross Mullins and their star player this year, who landed six points against Cork in the quarter-final, Ciarán Kilkenny. Dublin have, on average, won every competitive game this year with 11 points to spare. No wonder there’s hype.
Dublin minors may play more regularly at Parnell Park, but Croke Park is still ‘home’ and they’ll have the vocal backing of the majority of the attendance which will be swelled to capacity by the main attraction of the sky blues’ seniors playing in the All-Ireland football semi-final against Donegal.
The Hill 16 roar is usually worth a score or two for Dublin; and Galway would do well to silence them early, if possible. But Galway isn’t playing Dublin’s record or reputation or supporters; and manager Joyce is unsure how tested Dublin have been this year and is determined to pose questions of a side that just waltzed through to the penultimate stage of the competition with relative ease.
For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.