‘To a man they left everything out there’ – Padraic Joyce full of praise for trojan Tribesmen

“I didn’t say a whole pile to them. I felt they got a couple of dubious frees which I felt were soft enough, but we hadn’t come out of second gear. I felt we probably showed them [Dublin] a bit too much respect in the first-half and probably didn’t get our running game going with too many errors.

“But it just shows you, we have come through so much this year as a group. Nobody gave us a prayer outside of the group stages to go and beat Dublin. We knew deep down that if our players played to anywhere near their potential we would have a chance and so it proved.

“I get we lived on the edge at times, but that will happen in big games. I told the lads at half-time its just 35 minutes of Championship with a bit of injury time. Go out and enjoy it, and by god to a man they left everything out there,” Joyce explained.

The Galway manger continued, highlighting how he didn’t single out any individual for a discussion. Rather the 47-year-old trusted his players to iron out any issues themselves.

“I might come cross as being an old school manager, but I think the more encouragement for them the better the lads are for it. Its easy to hand out a bollocking at half-time but there is no need. The lads knew themselves what they had to do.

“Cillian McDaid was fantastic, the score after half-time got us back in the game. I felt that period was crucial as it was 0-11 to 0-7 and if they [Dublin] got two scores you are chasing the game, but we got it back to 0-11 to 0-10 and hung in there the whole time,” he added.

Joyce was also full of praise for his defence who stuck to the task of shackling the Dublin attack admirably.

“Our defence was outstanding. I know Dublin missed some kicks at key times and all that, but they [Galway defenders] were under serious pressure so hats off to the lads they were fantastic,” he concluded.

Today’s victory is Galway’s first defeat of Dublin in Championship football since the 1934 All-Ireland final and in doing so the Tribesmen have punched their ticket for the final four of this year’s edition.

Speaking to GAA GO at full time, Galway’s full-forward Damien Comer was left short for words at times.

“Its really special. We have had some great days and bad days up here [in Croke Park] but that win is up there with one of the best. I suppose 80 or 90 long years since a Galway team beat Dublin in the Championship so really special,” an exhilarated Comer said.

The powerful full-forward from the Annaghdown GAA Club couldn’t even recall which teammate or member of staff he embraced at the full-time whistle.

“I’m not even sure [who I celebrated with] its just the overall excitement. Coming down the stretch there was a couple of really good turnovers from the boys at the back. We defended with our lives and and came out with ball time and time again.

“Normally Dublin over the years are so good and clinical in those moments; clinching scores and getting the ones that are most important but we held on just about and its great,” he added.

Having returned to play from injury in Galway’s preliminary quarter-final defeat of Monaghan last weekend, Comer was ecstatic to start from the get-go this evening.

“Its been a tough year but I have to manage the body as best I can. Last weekend [vs Monaghan] was just to see if I could last and thankfully I could do it. Things went well since the Monaghan game and the last few weeks has been good. More and more minutes there, nice to get the full game in the legs, and more positives,” Comer smiled.

Reflecting on the season so far, Comer remained full of praise for the squad of players and his manager. The forward commended how they battled through some difficult moments back in Spring.

“We got a lot of slack during the league. With many of our experienced players sidelined through injury, its been tough for Padraic [Joyce] all year but we got there in the end getting lads back on the pitch.

“We saw there today with Tomo [Culhane] and Johnny [Heaney] we had experience of the bench and it made an impact. They got exposure during the league and they’re coming to the top during the Championship. We have some panel there so its great, “ he concluded.

Galway will await the winners off tomorrow’s quarter-finals with anticipation. The Tribesmen already faced today’s other winners Armagh in the All-Ireland group stages and likewise with Derry who face Kerry tomorrow, so a draw might be required to assign the semi-final pairings.