Galway got an early season boost when they came from behind to capture their second ever Walsh Cup title at Croke Park.

The Tribesmen recovered from being seven points adrift at one stage in the opening half to carve out victory and give them a timely boost ahead of the start of the league against Clare next Sunday.

The crucial score came two minutes from the end of normal time when James Regan found the net for Galway to put them three points in front.

A goal flicked home by Liam Rushe after 18 minutes was the score which separated the sides at the interval with Dublin going in leading by 1-12 to 0-12.

There was a lot of loose marking during that opening half and Dublin opened an early advantage, hitting four points in succession from Paul Ryan (2), Ben Quinn and Shane Stapleton to go 0-5 to 0-2 ahead after 13 minutes.

Galway, with only Jonathan Glynn at centre-forward providing penetration did not get their first point from play until James Regan scored after 22 minutes.

Jason Flynn kept them in the game with five frees up to then, but Paul Ryan was accurate up front for Dublin and they led by 1-10 to 0-7 eight minutes from the break.

Regan hit back with another point for Galway and Brian Molloy and Padraig Brehony also found the range for the Tribesmen along with another pointed free from Flynn to cut the deficit to two points.

Ryan responded for Dublin with another brace of points before Dean Higgins reduced the margin to a goal at the end of the half.

The sides exchanged scores several times in the third quarter with Galway eventually drawing level 16 minutes from the end when Dean Higgins pointed and then corner-back Padraig Mannion edged them in front for the first time since the seventh minute.

Ryan and Danny Sutcliffe hit back with points for Dublin before Flynn levelled with another free and then Regan scrambled home a goal.

Sutcliffe and Boland pointed for Dublin in the closing stages but Regan made the game safe in stoppage time as he brought his haul to 1-4.

Scorers:

Galway: J Flynn 0-11 (11f), J Regan 1-4, D Higgins 0-2, P Brehony 0-1, J Cooney 0-1, B Molloy 0-1, P Mannion 0-1, C Flynn 0-1.

Dublin: P Ryan 0-8 (6f), L Rushe 1-0, S Stapleton 0-2, J Boland 0-2, D Sutcliffe 0-2, M Schutte 0-2, P Kelly 0-1, B Quinn 0-1, S Barrett 0-1, C Boland 0-1.

Galway: C Callanan; R Burke, F Moore, P Mannion; J Coen, D Collins, G McInerney; J Cooney, E Burke (C Flynn 32); D Higgins (P Killeen 64), J Glynn, P Brehony (G Kelly 70); J Regan, J Flynn, B Molloy (I Tannian 53).

Dublin: A Nolan; S Durkin, P Schutte, S Barrett; S Lambert, P Kelly, C Crummey; J Boland (D Plunkett 64), B Quinn (D Sutcliffe 56); C Keaney, S Stapleton (C Boland 56), M Schutte; R O’Dwyer, L Rushe, P Ryan.

Referee: S Cleere (Kilkenny).