Corofin crucified by high mistake count in semis

Date Published: {J}

St. Gall’s 1-15

Corofin 1-11

(After extra-time)

FRANK FARRAGHER IN PARNELL PARK

GENERALS can plan battles for weeks and months but during the heat of action the best laid plans can all be swept aside in unexpected moments, invariably dictated by equal measures of fate and frailty.

Coming up to half-time in this All-Ireland Club football semi-final at Parnell Park on Saturday evening, the Corofin management and followers could be forgiven for thinking that they were in the midst of one dreadful nightmare. By then Corofin trailed by 1-5 to 0-2 but what was really galling for them was the contribution they had made to their own demise.

A goal on a plate had been presented to St. Gall’s, a series of sloppy ball handling mistakes had been made, while at least four simple point chances — including three bread and butter frees — had been spurned. This just wasn’t the way Corofin play football.

Ironically Corofin had put in a Trojan first half effort, but once the malaise of the small mistakes set in, the condition got acutely worse as the first half progressed. Players lost their patience, words were exchanged out of frustration, and it wasn’t until Corofin struck for a slightly fortuitous 29th minute goal, that a semblance of composure returned to their play.

But by then they had a mountain a climb and even when the summit of scoreboard parity was reached just past the mid-way point of the second half, Corofin had exhausted huge reserves of physical and mental energy. They had been to hell and back and the journey had taken its toll.

This week, there can be no quibble about the courage and commitment of the Corofin effort, but they just couldn’t add that vital dimension of keeping mistakes to a tolerable level and they just weren’t nearly clinical enough up front.

Their supporters, who undoubtedly made up the majority share of the 1,500 crowd, rallied with great spirit to the cause and here the sheer unthoughtfulness of the GAA authorities in fixing such a game for a Saturday night has to be highlighted. Obviously, a TV based decision but this game was one for the clubs, and the families that make them up.

Corofin were also dealt a mortal blow in the first exchange of injury time action when Meath referee, Cormac Reilly, sent off Gary Sice for what he adjudged to be a second yellow card offence. In all objectivity though, it was an extremely harsh decision by an official whose decision making all night — for both sides — veered from the awful to the bizarre.

Referees really have to be able to distinguish between the malicious and the genuine physical contact that is a central part of the game of Gaelic football. As refereeing models go, Monaghan’s Pat McEnaney seems to have the best ‘handle’ on what to let go in the physical cut and thrust that is the essence Gaelic football.

That inconsistent refereeing apart though, Corofin though must no look no further than their own first half mistakes for the cause of their exit from the club championship.

They could have thought with a reasonable degree of expectation to have benefitted from their semi-final defeat of last year to Kilmacud Crokes, but when the jitters set in during the first half last Saturday night, it was as if Corofin never had been here before.

On a day of normal Corofin service, they might have expected to go in at the interval a few points in front, rather than having being relieved at only facing a three point deficit following Kieran Comer’s 29th minute goal, after a huge sideline free from Alan O’Donovan. However it did look a square ball all the way.

Corofin had battled hard to win a decent chunk of possession around the midfield area despite the strength of Aodhán Gallagher and Sean Burke, but they endured a serious of catastrophic moments in the two worst areas of the pitch — in front of their own goal and close to the opposition posts.

St. Gall’s 14th minute goal came after a Tony Goggins short pass close to his own small square was intercepted by Kieran McGourty and his first time pass to brother C.J. was dispatched to the net with the minimum of fuss. Another point was ‘given’ to St. Gall’s after a short kick-out was adjudged to have been picked off the ground — in two moments of mayhem, four points had been presented to the Ulster champions.

The agony for Corofin was no less acute at the other end of the pitch. They blasted nine first half wides with Kieran Comer (twice) and Alan O’Donovan missing frees from virtually in front of the posts. There were many other slip-ups through the half but yet Comer’s flicked goal had left them a sprig of hope. At 1-5 to 1-2 when the interval whistle sounded, Corofin were still in with a shout.

The goal and the half-time break helped to settle Corofin down. The spontaneous recriminations ceased, players settled on the ball, while Kieran Comer and Alan O’Donovan gradually regained their confidence to kick five points between them which brought Corofin back to evens at 1-7 apiece as the match entered its final 12 minutes.

Two players at either end of the pitch most poignantly captured that spirit of recovery. Kieran Fitzgerald made a series of inspirational clearances while Joe Canney showed some real turbo power when moving onto low ball pumped in from the midfield sector.

St. Gall’s had lost centre back Anthony Healy for a second yellow just before Donovan’s levelling point in the 48th minute, another harsh enough sidelining, but it all added up to the momentum of victory apparently having switched over to Corofin.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.