Galway 2-12 Donegal 1-11
Robert Finnerty was Galway’s shooting star as the young Tribesmen held firm to book their place in the Electric Ireland All-Ireland minor football final on 18 September.
Finnerty, son of former Mayo star Anthony, collected 1-05 for Galway as they sealed a place in the final of this grade for the first time in nine years.
The classy corner forward also had a big role to play in Galway’s second half goal, scored by full-forward Desmond Conneely.
A superb goal from Enda McCormick with three minutes left in normal time helped Donegal close the gap to three as Shaun Paul Barrett’s Ulster champions went down fighting, but the result never really looked in any doubt.
Galway will face Kildare or holders Kerry in next month’s decider and the Connacht champions will feel they have a chance after seeing off Ulster kingpins Donegal in this afternoon's semi-final.
Overall, Galway were the much more productive side and arguably should have raised a couple of more green flags with Barry Goldrick and Finian Ó Laoi shooting narrowly wide either side of half-time.
Donegal had two points on the board when Finnerty scored the game’s opening goal after just five minutes.
Full-forward Conneely got on the end of a long delivery before a loose ball spilled to Finnerty to fire past Donegal keeper Gavin Mulreany into the Hill 16 end.
Finnerty had a profitable first half for the young Tribesmen, kicking 1-04 (including three dead balls) as Joyce’s side took a three-point lead, 1-06 to 0-06, into the half-time break.
Galway had the better of the opening half mainly thanks to their superior kicking skills, while, in contrast, Donegal’s running game had mixed results as they continually attempted to hand-pass the ball into attacking positions.
Joyce’s side nearly found the net for a second time after 13 minutes, but Goldrick shot inches wide after working himself into a good position.
The Ulster champions had to work their way through a 13-minute barren period during the opening half but the efforts of Niall O’Donnell and Eoghan McGettigan – both kicking two first-half points apiece – kept them in touch.
Donegal’s hand-passing game also started to prove gradually more successful towards the end of the opening period as they limited Galway to just one score in the final 12 minutes of the first half hour.
The young Tribe were attempting to reach their first minor decider since their 2007 success, while Donegal were aiming to book only their second final appearance at the grade following their 2014 loss to Kerry.
Galway started the second half in impressive fashion, with the industrious Fionnán Garvey firing over a long-range point one minute in before Ó Laoi shot wide with only Donegal keeper Mulreany to beat.
Donegal also missed a good goal chance four minutes after the resumption as Galway keeper Cormac Haslam saved well from O’Donnell.
The Ulster side’s comeback attempt was hampered on 40 minutes, however, as they lost corner-back Seaghan Ferry to a black card following his pull down on Galway’s Ryan Forde.
A couple of Peadar Mogan frees kept them in touch before the Galway hit their second goal, with Conneely finishing a well-worked move after 50 minutes.
Finnerty picked the ball up on the Hogan Stand sideline and worked his way goalwards before laying the ball off to Ó Laoi, whose quick transfer set up Conneely to finish.
That left Galway six points up, 2-09 to 0-09, but a quickfire O’Donnell point and McCormick’s fantastic goal on 57 minutes set up a more intriguing finish than had been anticipated moments earlier.
McCormick shadowed a Mogan run towards the Hill before the latter laid the ball off to McCormick to rifle past Haslam.
With three points in it, Donegal could only manage to add a point from Gary Molloy as the substitute shot just over the bar following a few seconds of pinball in the Galway square.
Galway will meet the winners of next Sunday's second semi-final between Kildare and Kerry in the decider on 18 September.
