Dublin manager Jim Gavin says the ‘cohort of players in the shadows’ that are key to keeping the Boys in Blue’s four in-a-row All-Ireland title bid going.
The Dubs dismantled Galway to reach an other Sam Maguire decider with the players sprung from the bench making a massive difference after the break. Cormac Costello, Kevin McManamon and Paul Flynn alone scored 0-06 after coming into the game in the 1-24 to 2-12 win.
Gavin paid tribute to his substitutes as well as the players that don’t get a run, but push the front-line players hard in training and practice matches.
"We had some really good displays this summer so far," he said, as he hunts a fifth All-Ireland in six seasons as Dublin manager.
"We are happy with the team, the team that finished and in the shadows there’s a cohort of players. It’s all about the team, who are the sum of their parts. We’ll get back to work at training next week."
Dublin led Galway by 1-09 to 1-07 at the break, but they rolled up their sleeves early in the second half to kill this game off as a contest by the end of the third quarter. They won by nine points and it would have been more not for Shane Walsh’s consolation goal for the Tribesmen at the death.
"My initial reaction is that I’m very happy with the win. Semi-finals are there to be won and we’re happy to be through," said Gavin.
"We had been so impressed with Galway this year and what they had brought. We spoke at half-time with the lads about what we had to do."
Defender Cian O’Sullivan went off before half-time and Gavin was cagey about the nature of his injury with three weeks to go before the All-Ireland semi-final.
"He had a tightness in his leg," explained the Dubs boss. "In a Championship game of that intensity, we had to get him off. The next 72 hours we will know a bit more."
