Champions advance

Women's Football All-Ireland senior semi-finals/ Galway 2-10 Dublin 0-7: Niamh Fahy hit two goals as defending champions Galway defeated Dublin in their TG4 All-Ireland semi-final at O'Moore Park on Saturday.

Galway, who beat Dublin to win their first All-Ireland title in last year's final, will meet Cork in the decider. The final is a repeat of the National League final earlier this year, which Cork won.

Dublin were never really in the game, a goal in each half by Fahy keeping the Connacht champions in front. With Niamh Duggan, Geraldine Conneely, Fahy and Lorna Joyce in great scoring form for Galway and Dublin misfiring, the champions led by five points at the break and pulled away in the second half.

Dublin started well and points by Lyndsay Davey and Sinéad Aherne gave them an early two-point advantage. But that was the only time they led as Galway started to dictate the pace of the game. Duggan opened their account with a free in the eighth minute before they struck for their first goal.

Fahy, sister of Galway footballers Richie and Gary, burst through the heart of the Dublin defence and rifled the ball past goalkeeper Cliodhna O'Connor.

Duggan registered another free soon after but Davey replied with a well taken point for Dublin.

However, Dublin were conceding soft frees. Duggan pointed two more before the break, while corner forward Joyce scored from play in the last minute of the half to see them lead 1-5 to 0-3.

After the break Conneely and Joyce added points to extend Galway's advantage to seven.

Aherne reduced that to six points in the 40th minute but any thoughts of a comeback were destroyed two minutes later when Joyce's hand-pass set up Fahy, who fired home her second goal. Conneely tagged on a point soon afterwards.

Dublin boss John O'Leary introduced Angie McNally and 2004 All Star Mary Nevin in an attempt to stem the tide, but it wasn't enough and Dublin's search for a first All-Ireland title continues.

GALWAY: U Carroll; M Glynn, R Stephens, E Flaherty; M O'Connell, A Daly, R McPhilbin; A Clarke (0-1), C Molloy; E Concannon, N Duggan (0-5, frees), P Ní Fhlatharta; G Conneely (0-2), N Fahy (2-0), L Joyce (0-2). Subs: AM McDonough for Molloy (18 mins), L Coohill for Ní Fhlatharta (half-time), P Gleeson for Coohill (48 mins), C Cormican for Conneely (53 mins), H McHugh for Fahy (58 mins).

DUBLIN: C O'Connor; L Kidd, A Cluxton, L Keegan; J O'Sullivan, D Masterson, G Fay; N McEvoy, M Farrell; K Hopkins, B Finlay, L Davey (0-2); S Aherne (0-4, three frees), R Barrett, L Kelly. Subs: A McGuinness for Masterson (36 mins), N Hurley for Fay (45 mins), A McNally (0-1) for Hopkins (46 mins), M Nevin for McEvoy (48 mins), N Comyn for Farrell (53 mins).

Referee: B Gallagher (Tyrone).