Galway have won the All-Ireland football final by nine points, thrashing hot favourites Meath 0-17 to 0-08.

The Tribesmen were even able to overcome some shocking shooting in the first half, with Padraig Joyce in particular guilty of some very bad misses.

Meath started the brightest, and took an early 0-2 to 0-0 lead, but Galway came back and after 12 minutes had levelled the scores.

It was level at half time, and the scene was set for a quiet Meath to burst into action.

It never happened however, and with Joyce looking his old deadly self and Ollie Murphy, Graham Geraghty and Trevor Giles all off-colour, Galway began to establish a grip on the game.

Nigel Nestor was sent off in the 56th minute for a second bookable offence, but two minutes later Meath were thrown a lifeline.

With the scores at 0-13 to 0-8, they were awarded a penalty after John McDermott was tripped in the square.

But Trevor Giles' shot went low and wide and with it any chance of a comeback by the Royals.

The win put the disappointment of last year's All Ireland final replay defeat behind Galway, as they collected the Sam Maguire Cup for the ninth time.

In doing so, the Tribesmen gave a ringing endoresement to this year's All Ireland qualifying series, becoming the first team ever to collect the prestigious silverware after being knocked out of their own provincial championships.

Padraig Joyce was in outstanding form for the winners, scoring 10 points with nine of those coming during the second period, when Meath were torn asunder.

Meath's prospects were not helped on the resumption when they lost talismanic forward Ollie Murphy who retired with a hand injury.

The teams were level five times during the opening period but Galway will feel that they should have been ahead at the break coinsidering that they kicked eight wides to their opponents' two.

However, Meath had no answer to a rampant Joyce in the second period as Galway played their way to the Sam Maguire for the second time in four years.