Bad day for Galway city clubs

FOR Galway city club St Michael’s, Sunday was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

St Michael’s first senior county football final appearance, the proudest day in the life of the city club, was tainted with regret as Corofin ran riot to retain their crown, and win their 16th Frank Fox Cup.

The honour and huge sense of achievement of reaching a first ever county decider since the club was formed in 1956, was tinged with a deep sense of disappointment, as St Michael’s were hit for five goals and ended up on the wrong side of an 18-points avalanche.

Buzzing after beating Barna in the semi-final replay the previous week, St Michael’s were brought crashing back down to earth with a bang against a Corofin outfit that was in devastating form and operating at a different level that most club teams, and even some inter-county teams, would struggle to match.

The final score read 5-12 to 0-9 . . . not a pretty sight.

This group of players from the Bushypark / Newcastle / Westside club will always be remembered as a pioneering bunch. They’re the first from the club to taste action in a senior county final; the first from the club to savour the experience of the biggest Gaelic football occasion on the local sporting calendar – the buzz of the build-up, the roar of the crowd, the nerves of the pre-match parade and the goosebumps as Amhrán na bhFiann blares out.  Those memories can never be taken away.

But, unfortunately, too, they join a long list of decent teams that suffered an unmerciful spanking at the hands of Corofin, who were far and away the better team and had the match pretty much wrapped up after 10 minutes or so.

Former Galway player, Gary Sice was chief tormentor, finishing with 1-5, plus several assists. Two-goal hero Michael Lundy was outstanding as well, his first goal on four minutes setting the tone of the demolition job that was to come.

Full-forward Martin Farragher set-up his older brother, captain Michael Farragher, for the second goal of the day, which gave Corofin a 2-3 to 0-1 cushion after just 12 minutes. Effectively that was game-over. It was no longer a matter of whether Corofin would win; it was now all about the margin of victory.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.