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You could see early on Galway were in trouble, Limericks getting their scores easily.

At this stage you get used to losing finals whether its football or hurling, not a great trait.

The power of the media has never been so obvious in the last few days.

How I've laughed at the meltdown from some pundits and ex Dublin players, didn't want to know 2 weeks ago when David Gough rode Galway from start to finish. Paul Flynn should be banished from the Sunday Game for his nonsense.

So the free count from Sunday was 21-6 in Dublins favour, Galway every right to feel cheated. Countless frees for a Dublin player grabbing a Galways players arm and holding it in, thought refs were wise to this especially when it happened in full view of Gough. He was right in front of Conroy in the build up to the penalty when he went to grab a bouncing ball when the boot of a Dublin player came in, a free obvious free which he would given in the other direction.


Bad enough trying to win a game when the kickout out strategy stinks but you've got no chance with a ref like that.

I've been looking for the free count since Sunday and found it very difficult to find for such a basic statistic.

Gough getting off very lightly in the media, Galway don't really have any cheerleaders in the media/podcasts to go after him.

If Kerry/Dublin we're on the receiving of that you'd never hear the end of it.

I heard Joyce interview and I reckon hes a genius manager but none of the lads can comprehend what hes on about as

Tough fixture for them as the Dubs had their  form flywheel spinning.

Least effort expended team acc to Philly Mac[citing Ray Boyne stats] but then he said the "effort" order was

1.kerry
2.dubs
3.tyrone
4. Galway

Would be interesting to see how they reach that conclusion tyrone turned over kerry but prob influenced by the kickout running.

Philly McMahon & Sol Campbell have a lot in common, best ignored.

So the free count from Sunday was 21-6 in Dublins favour, Galway every right to feel cheated. Countless frees for a Dublin player grabbing a Galways players arm and holding it in, thought refs were wise to this especially when it happened in full view of Gough. He was right in front of Conroy in the build up to the penalty when he went to grab a bouncing ball when the boot of a Dublin player came in, a free obvious free which he would given in the other direction.


Bad enough trying to win a game when the kickout out strategy stinks but you've got no chance with a ref like that.

That was a disaster, so many wrong decisions, from players, management and the referee. Can't understand taking off Molloy, he was having one of his best games in a long time and to replace him with Mulkerrin was a terrible decision. Gleeson is getting an awful lot of stick but in his defence, where were all Galway's big men? Tierney was anonymous, Conroy faded badly, when Darcy made himself available and looked for the ball he caught it, our ability to win breaking ball in those situations is terrible, it's not all on Gleeson.

Been very critical of Molloy this year but he had his best game in 5 years.

Gleeson not good enough but that's on the manager who picks as is the lack of movement/structure in front of Gleeson. Short one was on several times in first half and he just continued to go long.

1-21 is a good return from the amount of primary possession they won, think it was 12 kickouts more the Dubs won.

Joyce has indicated he'll stay which has surprised me, if he does a new coach along with a new keeper is a must.

As a neutral - I didn't want either Dublin or Galway to win. But at a push - I wanted Galway to lose.

With that in mind - how in the F*ck did David Gough get a Dublin game?
The lad lives and works in Dublin. He gave all the tight calls to Dublin.
There is no doubt about that.

Ignore the final 15 minutes. Before all that he gave Dublin 3 or 4 frees on kick outs. Galway got zero. Are you telling me only Galway were fouling going up for kick outs? Give me a break.

Plenty to criticise Galway for today. Kick outs, certain players not performing, etc. But the least you expect is fair play from the ref.

Leaves a very sour taste, I can only recollect Galway getting 3 frees in the match.

Look at Dublins 17th and 18th points, 2 frees bought by Dublin players grabbing hold of Hernon and Conroy. First one an utter joke as Gough had a great view of it.

Kickouts a shambles and have been for a long time, keeper not good enough and neither is the strategy.

Galway win the game with a bit too spare if they breakeven on them.

Anyone got the free count?

Just wish we'd been beaten with no big talking points, that's what makes it harder to take.

Gough should never get a game at this level.

Who knows what Galway will turn up, definitely signs in the Westmeath match that they were improving.

14 of that 15 picks itself although seems crazy that McGrath who's for the last 2 years had become one of the best corner backs in the game has found himself out of favour.

Wouldn't be surprised to see Molloy come in and mark Kilkenny although I'd rather see Shane McGrath start.

On the face of it some might say a 3 point win over Westmeath was nothing special but did think it Galway did play well for most of that second half and were 9 points up with 5 minutes left. I was very impressed with Westmeath, got a lot going for them. 

Hernon did very well on Heslin who didn't score from play and D'Arcy had a brilliant game getting his hands to 8 kick outs. Galway got scores very easily all day and Conroy's 2 pointer was the only kick from any sort of distance.

First time Galway have had a break before the quarter finals since 2022 and with the injury profile of this panel the break was badly needed. Don't think its now or never for this panel but its hard too imagine Joyce coming back next year.

Winning your province should guarantee a home draw.

Given the context of the game about as bad a decision you'll ever see. Zero evidence form the camera angle the ref was given to suggests that a pen, it shouldn't have even got far.

Just don't see how the ball would travel that far it its hit a hand, that doesn't make sense.

Still photo's aren't evidence either, been sent so many photo's and not one of them proves anything. If we see more angles that proves its a handball than happy be wrong but given what the ref was shown its an horrific mistake.

As for a lot of ex Celtic & Rangers players there pretty much all as biased as each other although Paul Lambert did offer plenty of sense this morning.

Didn't manage to see any the games last night but Roscommon can be very pleased with their campaign, have a great trait of coming back into games where they looked like they'd be beaten. Watched a good few games in Connacht and thought Mayo had a team capable of winning an All Ireland,  Rightly so they'll be questioning their management again.

The free at the end was given to Galway because the player taking the free bounced the ball which a player can't do, so the ref made the correct decision.

I'd only seen it once at the time, the excuse of Comer not hearing the whistle probably doesn't wash from him.

Hurson did miss 2 blatant black cards, the one on Comer was a rugby challenge and he completely missed the deliberate trip on McDaid around the 50 minute mark where Walsh scored a 2 point free.

But the big take away from the gam is the kick out stats that were 34-19 in Roscommons favour, Galway would have been hammered against Kerry/Donegal/Armagh with that level of incompetency. Galway had to work a lot harder in the 2nd half to get their scores as opposed to Roscommon did in the 1st.

Roscommon's 2 first half goals are horrific from a Galway point of view, far worse then I first thought. I was very surprised to see O'Flaherty start, from giving the ball away to his half arsed attempt at stopping Henneghan its not good enough. Didn't get Roche starting, could have understood if he drifted out but he didn't and he was no scoring threat at all!

Just hope McDaids injury isn't too bad, he was one of Galway better players if not the best.

But well done to Roscommon, at 6 points down they looked beaten but kicked a couple of great scores to get them back in it.