Ten points from captain Brian Molloy helped Galway to a thrilling 0-21 to 0-19 victory over Dublin after extra time at Thurles.

The result means the Tribe will lock horns with Waterford in the decider in three weeks' time.  Centre forward Molloy's haul included a '65' and two frees into the wind in the second period of extra time as his side won an energy-sapping battle played in very difficult conditions.

Dubs wing back Cian MacGabhann pointed deep into injury time to force extra time after Thomas Monaghan's third point of the second half appeared to have given Galway a 0-16 to 0-15 victory. The Tribe has turned the game on its head with six successive points in the third quarter to lead by 0-13 to 0-11, but Dublin refused to give up and rallied late on to force the extra 20 minutes.

The losers opted to play with the wind at their backs in the first half and built up a 0-10 to 0-7 advantage, thanks largely to goalkeeper Jonahan Treacy deflecting a Conor Whelan shot onto his crossbar in the 29^th minute. Rian McBride pointed three times for the Meropolitans in the first half, while Dan Nevin and Molloy each bagged three for the Tribe before the break.

Andrew Jamieson-Murphy, Chris Bennett - a late addition to the starting XV - and Cian Boland lofted over the first three points for the Leinster champions as the winners were understandably slow to settle seeing as this was their first competitive outing of the season. Midfielder Nevin and Eanna Burke pointed for the Tribe but the Dubs replied through corner men Murphy and Rian McBride before Molloy and McBride swapped scores.

Bennett and Eoghan Conroy pointed either side of Molloy's second as Joe Fortune's men led by double scores, 0-8 to 0-4, after a decent opening quarter.

McBride cancelled out a Nevin score and centre back Shane Barrett replied to a sumptuous sideline cut from the Galway midfielder. Both goalkeepers were called into action before the short whistle, with Cathal Tuohy repelling a Murphy shot before Treacy redirected Whelan's stinging drive onto the woodwork.

Molloy closed the first-half scoring with a brilliant long-range effort from the left, to leave three between them as the sides departed for a breather.

Bennett (free) stretched the gap with the first score of the second half after a scramble beneath the crossbar at the other end but Galway hit back with quickfire scores from Molloy and Darragh Dolan and two more from Thomas Monaghan and Whelan to draw level after 35 minutes - 0-11 each.

Molloy (free) arrowed over his side's fifth consecutive point as they led for the first time after 43 minutes and Monaghan added an inspirational score from midfield to make it 0-13 to 0-11 at the three-quarters stage. Cian Boland notched the Metropolitans' first point in 14 minutes and corner back Fionn Ó Riain Broin tied the scores up with ten minutes remaining.

Incredibly, it was full back James Madden who restored Dublin's lead on 55 minutes before Whelan equalised with a sensational point from the left wing. Molloy's brilliant free from distance edged Tony Ward's men back in front on 58 minutes. Sean Treacy's free on the stoke of 70 minutes made it 0-15 each but Monaghan's third second-half point restored Galway's lead in the second of two added minutes, only for MacGabhann to force extra time after his initial shot was hooked.

Four points were shared in the first period of extra time: substitute Eoghan McHugh and Eanna Burke traded the first two points before Molloy and Boland swapped scores - 0-18 apiece as the sides turned around again…

Molloy nailed a brilliant '65' and free into the wind either side of a free from Treacy to give the Tribe a 0-20 to 0-19 lead with five minutes of extra time left and the Man of the Match also delivered some brilliant defending before closing the scoring with another unerring free as the winners overcame to loss of senior star Whelan to injury.

Galway - C Tuohy; C Jennings, D O'Donoghue, D Cronin; F Burke, S Cooney, S Loftus; D Dolan (0-1), D Nevin (0-3, 1sl); K McHugo, B Molloy (0-10, 5f, 1'65), E Burke (0-2); T Monaghan (0-3), C Whelan (0-2), C Burke. Subs: B Concannon for K McHugo, J Mannion for C Burke, E Brannigan for C Whelan, E Brannigan for D Dolan, S Linnane for C Whelan, J Grealish for J Mannion, A Morrissey for T Monaghan.

Dublin - J Treacy; J Bellew, E O'Donnell, J Madden (0-1); F O'Riain Broin (0-1), C MacGabhann (0-1), S Barrett (0-1); R McBride (0-3), J Malone; C Boland (0-3), A Jamieson Murphy (0-2), E Conroy (0-1); S Treacy (0-2f), S O'Riain, C Bennett (0-3f). Subs: P O'Dea for S O'Riain, C O'Neill for C Bennett, E McHugh (0-1) for E Conroy, B Bolger for F O'Riain Broin, S O'Riain for A Jamieson Murphy, C Bennett for R McBride.

Referee - D Kirwan.

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