All-Ireland Final head to heads: Impact sub Paul Galvin v Kevin Nolan

The battle between Kerry’s enfant terrible (when he comes on) and one of Dublin’s most quietly impressive performers could have a major bearing on the outcome of Sunday’s game.

By Conor Heneghan

First of all, I have a confession to make. Yes, I did rather ignorantly assume that Paul Galvin would be given the nod to start Sunday’s All-Ireland final and yes, I had the majority of this article written based on that assumption before having to revise my views.

But the fact that Galvin will be on the bench for the throw-in doesn’t mean he won’t have a major impact on the final result; he will be introduced at some stage and is bound to influence the game in some way. For if Dublin v Kerry is the glamour final that everybody’s been waiting for, then Paul Galvin is certainly one of the biggest draws that will attract the punters to Croke Park in their droves.

Maybe we shouldn’t have been so surprised that Galvin didn’t start. Although he is said to be flying in training, he has started only one game in the championship so far – against Limerick in the quarter-final – and didn’t particularly set the world alight.

Also, to simply usher him into the team would ignore the impact made by Donncha Walsh (apart from a quiet semi-final against Mayo) and Kieran O’Leary, who have more than played their part in a team that has scored 6-97 in five championship outings.

Putting Galvin on the bench also keeps Pat Gilroy and Dublin thinking. They may well have assumed that Galvin would start (he still might after all) and although we have no doubt that Gilroy will have contingency plans in place for this sort of thing, it might force him to tweak his plans ever so slightly. It also gives O’Connor the option of changing tack if things don’t go to plan.

‘Gooch’ Cooper was the star of the show against Mayo in the semi-final, but Galvin’s impact in that game was as impressive as the fashion statement he made afterwards by breaking away from standard GAA protocol and closing all the buttons in his Kerry polo shirt for the post match chit-chat on RTE.

Then, of course, there is the impact Galvin’s introduction will have on the capacity crowd at headquarters.

While the Dublin fans will prey on Galvin’s notoriously prickly reputation and boo his every touch, Pat Gilroy will warn his players not to get involved in any silly stuff with the Kerry wing forward. It will only distract them from the actual task of trying to limit his influence in general play, which, although it is often overlooked given the circus that unfairly surrounds him, is quite a sizeable task indeed.

Galvin’s impact in the (Mayo) game was as impressive as the fashion statement he made afterwards by breaking away from standard GAA protocol and closing all the buttons on his Kerry polo shirt for the post match chit-chat on RTE.

Galvin is, as is widely accepted, the best pilferer of breaking ball in the country bar none. He has exceptional energy levels, more often than not chips in with a few points and his service to his inside forwards is top class.

With or without Galvin, Kerry still have two Footballers of the Year (Declan O’Sullivan and Donaghy), one of the leading contenders for this year’s award (Darran O’Sullivan) and one of the greatest forwards of all time (Gooch) in their armoury and that will be enough to cause Pat Gilroy to have some sleepless nights between now and Sunday.

Or maybe not. After showing some naiveté against Cork last year, Dublin’s defence have been extremely well-drilled and disciplined this season and will be well tuned in to the task at hand.

The task of tracking Galvin when he does come on will probably fall to Kevin Nolan, who is one of the numerous dependable cogs in the Metropolitan machine that keeps the supply line ticking over to the marquee forwards further up the pitch.

Nolan is a versatile performer who would be equally as comfortable doing what Paul Flynn and Bryan Cullen do further up the pitch instead of manning the flanks in the half-back line.

Hypothetical and all as it is with Galvin starting from the bench, it has the makings of a fascinating contest, but one area where Galvin has a distinct edge on his opponent is experience. Galvin may be older than Nolan, but he has been there and done it on the biggest stage of all and will not be fazed even if his county’s supporters will be vastly outnumbered on Sunday.

Nolan may be used to playing in front of full houses in Croke Park, but an All-Ireland Final brings with it a completely different pressure and it remains to be seen how Dublin, with not one final appearance between them, react.

This Dublin side, however, exemplified by the likes of Nolan, Paul Flynn and Rory O’Carroll, are different and seem to be unburdened by the hype that has been the downfall of many Dublin teams before them.

Whether they can go one step further than those previous Dubs teams may well depend on the impact Galvin has when introduced and how Dublin attempt to nullify his influence.