Corofin sail to victory to collect their seventh Connacht SF title
Goals in each half from Michael Farragher and Jason Leonard helped Corofin collect their seventh Connacht senior football title and to victory over Roscommon champions St Brigid’s.
Corofin, winners of four Galway titles in a row, were utterly dominant at Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada as their excellent support running and ability to kick accurate foot passes into their forwards picked St Brigid’s apart time and again.
It was a frustrating day for the Kiltoom men who kicked 13 wides and also had Darren Dolan sent off 11 minutes from time for a second reckless tackle of the half, both of which earned yellow cards.
The writing was on the wall as early as the first minute for St Brigid’s. Fifteen seconds in Michael Farragher pointed following a sweet team move, but 30 seconds later he failed to take a great goal chance.
His colleagues up front soon added points though as Dylan Wall and Ian Burle helped Corofin into an early 0-4 to 0-0 lead, but after Eoin Sheehy and Karol Mannion settled St Brigid’s briefly, Farragher struck a vital goal for Corofin as they took total control after 12 minutes.
The impressive 2014 All-Ireland champions added four points without reply before the interval and they held a 1-08 to 0-3 lead at half-time.
It looked all over for St Brigid’s at that midway point, and further damage was done when Gary Sice and Daithí Burke added the first two points of the second-half for Coroifn who then led by ten.
And after Mannion added his second free for St Brigid’s, Corofin finished off a sweet attaching move on the counter attack and Leonard goaled to end any slim hopes of St Brigid’s sixth title.
In the end it was Corofin who claimed the Shane McGettigan Cup, their seventh win in the competition, which sees them pull level with Roscommon club Clan na nGael as Connacht’s record winners.
Scorers for Corofin: J Leonard 1-3 (2f), Michael Farragher 1-2, G Sice 0-4 (1f), D Wa;;, I Burke, D Burke, M Lundy 0-1 each.
Scorers for St Brigid’s: E Sheehy 0-2, K Mannion 0-2 (2f), P Kelly 0-1.
Corofin: B Power; C Silke, K Fitzgerald, C Cunningham; K Molloy, L Silke, C McGrath; D Burke, R Steede; G Sice, D Wall, J Leonard; M Lundy, I Burke, M Farragher.
Subs used: B O’Donovan for Molloy (45 mins), A Burke for Cunningham (51 mins), D Canney for Leonard (54 mins), K Murphy for Wall (56 mins),G Higgins for L Silke (56 mins), J Canney for I Burke (58 mins).
St Brigid’s: S Mannion; R Stack, D Donnelly, D Sheehy; E Sheehy, N Grehan, N McInerney; M Daly, G Dolan; P Kelly, D Dolan, C Murray; K Mannion, S Kilbride, B Stack.
Subs: J Murray for Donnelly (7-11 mins, blood), C McHugh for C Murray (half-time), D Cunniffe for Daly (41 mins), A Gleeson for K Mannion (56 mins), J Murray for Grehan (56 mins),
Referee: Jerome Henry (Mayo).
