Donegal leave it behind as Galway move into All-Ireland final

A freak goal by Paul Conroy in the 24^th minute dashed Donegal's All-Ireland dreams at Croke Park.

A game that was level ten times over 70 absorbing minutes in front of 67,002 at headquarters ultimately came down to that moment when Conroy found gold with a stroke of good fortune.

Level at half-time, 0-10 to 1-7, there was little between them until the final stretch when Galway just had a little more nous.

Michael Langan landed a fine equalier for Donegal from distance in the 61^st minute, but it was their final score of the afternoon.

Robert Finnerty and Liam Silke – a nephew of Ray Silke who captained Galway to All-Ireland glory in 1998 – conjured up the magic moments to seal a place in the July 28 final against Armagh.

The Saw Doctors rang out as Pádraic Joyce's men savoured the moment after Galway defeated Donegal at the penultimate hurdle for the third time.

Joyce and McGuinness were team-mates and classmates at Institute of Technology Tralee and won a Sigerson Cup together in 1998. The pair remained close and in 2020 the Glenties man was filmed taking a training session with the Tribesmen after Joyce called in his old comrade.

Shane O'Donnell opened the Donegal account in the ninth minute, after early scores from Dylan McHugh – who was named man of the match - and Robert Finnerty at the other end.

Between the 11^th and 14^th minutes, Donegal kicked three-in-a-row with Ciaran Thompson, Michael Langan and Oisin Gallen all on target. When Gallen clipped over, Donegal were in front, 0-4 to 0-3, for the first time.

Finnerty evened the sums shortly after. Following an exchange of points between Caolan McGonagle and Shane Walsh, disaster struck for Donegal.

There seemed little danger when midfielder Conroy initially appeared to have fluffed his lines when he let fly from 40 metres.

Matthew Tierney's run across the square momentarily unsighted Donegal goalkeeper Shaun Patton, sufficiently enough for him to lose the flight path of Conroy's dropping ball and the net at the Davin end shook.

Donegal captain Patrick McBrearty posted a settler and Donegal kicked four of the final five points of the opening period, including a brace from Langan.

Conroy, again from distance, inched Galway ahead, but Langan swung over his third of the day to make it 0-10 to 1-7 at the break.

Jason McGee came back to hand Donegal a major pre-match boost. The Cloughaneely man has been kept in reserve of late while nursing an injury but, with the margins for error now between slim and non-existent, McGee was thrust in from the off.

Naomh Columba's Aaron Doherty and Caolan McColgan from Naomh Padraig Iskaheen were also elevated to the Donegal XV.

Conor O'Donnell had to miss out on a place in the match day 26 having only just returned from a year out with an injury, while Daire O Baoill and Niall O'Donnell dropped to the bench.

This was a first All-Ireland SFC semi-final for Donegal since a 3-14 to 0-17 raid on Dublin that sent the GAA's plates into a seismic shock. Indeed, it was only a tenth semi-final of all time for Donegal – who lost semi-finals to Galway in 1974 and 1983.

Galway captain Sean Kelly had been unable to shake off an injury that forced him out of their quarter-final win over defending champions Dublin.

Shane Walsh knocked over a free to restore Galway's lead in the first minute of the second half, but they needed a leveller from Cillian McDaid – who has close family connections in Ramelton and whose father Garvan is a first cousin of Donegal GAA Treasurer Grace Boyle – after Gallen and O'Donnell pointed.

When Eoghan Ban Gallagher went to ground under a John Maher challenge in the 48^th minute, the Killybegs man was forced to hobble out of the action. Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí, who was initially named to start, entered as McBrearty converted a free that levelled the game for the ninth time.

Damien Comer, well shackled by Brendan McCole throughout, thought he had fired Galway in front from the shadows of the Cusack Stand in the 56^th minute. Hawkeye intervened, 'níl' confirmed the big screen and it was still all aboard.

Maher lifted over to end a period of 11 minutes without a score, edging Galway into the lead, but it was short-lived as Langan executed a beautiful equaliser from just beyond the '45.

Dylan McHugh and Oisin Gallen spurned chances at either end. The temperature lifted considerably as the cooker burned towards the bell, Finnerty tapping over a free with Donegal livid at the award against Thompson and woe compounded with the kick moved closer to goal following their protestations.

Silke added another and Donegal left to chew on what might have been.

Scorers for Donegal: Michael Langan 0-4, Patrick McBrearty (1f), Oisin Gallen 0-3 each, Ciaran Thompson (1m), Shane O'Donnell, 0-2 each, Caolan McGonagle 0-1.

Scorers for Galway: Paul Conroy 1-1, Robert Finnerty (2f) 0-4, Shane Walsh (2f) 0-3, Liam Silke, Dylan McHugh 0-2 each, Cillian McDaid, John Maher 0-1 each

Donegal: Shaun Patton; Ciaran Moore, Brendan McCole, Eoghan Ban Gallagher; Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Peadar Mogan; Ciaran Thompson, Michael Langan; Caolan McColgan, Shane O'Donnell, Jason McGee; Patrick McBrearty, Oisin Gallen, Aaron Doherty. Subs: Daire Ó Baoill for McColgan (30), Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí for Gallagher (48), Hugh McFadden for McGee, Niall O'Donnell for McBrearty (both 59), Odhran Doherty for A.Doherty (63).

Galway: Connor Gleeson; Johnny McGrath, Sean Fitzgerald, Jack Glynn; Dylan McHugh, Liam Silke, Sean Mulkerrin; Paul Conroy, Cein Darcy; Matthew Tierney, John Maher, Cillian McDaid; Robert Finnerty, Damien Comer, Shane Walsh. Subs: Johnny Heaney for Darcy (57), Daniel O'Flaherty for Walsh (63), John Daly for Fitzgerald (66), Kieran Molloy for Comer (70+2), Tomo Culhane for McDaid (70+3).

Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare)