Corofin juggernaut drives on to another county semi-final

Corofin 1-16

Mountbellew/Moylough 1-10

Stephen Glennon at Tuam Stadium

Reigning All-Ireland club champions Corofin underlined the gulf of class between them and their nearest challengers when seeing off a spirited Mountbellew/Moylough in an enjoyable county SFC quarter-final at Tuam Stadium on Sunday.

With 45 minutes gone on the clock, the victors led 1-11 to 0-4 and this game looked set to peter out to an inevitable conclusion. It was a tribute to Mountbellew/Moylough that with three minutes of normal time remaining they had the deficit pulled back to just four, after a 49th minute Paul Donnellan goal imbued his side with fresh impetus.

In the closing minutes, though, Corofin – having conceded four points on the bounce – stopped the rot with a point from Martin Farragher on the stroke of full-time before substitute Michael Farragher followed this up with another in injury-time to secure the champions a six-point victory.

It was no more than Corofin deserved, given over the course of the contest they had 11 players on the scoresheet where Mountbellew/Moylough had just four. This included midfielder Joe Bergin, who came off the bench to score a point in the second-half.

Yet, Mountbellew/Moylough could – and possibly should – have had a better handle on this game at half-time, at which point they trailed 1-6 to 0-3. In the first-half alone, they spurned four goals chances and, had they netted even one of those, they may have asked greater questions of their rivals.

Two of those chances fell to Aaron McHugh on nine and 18 minutes – both were saved by Bernard Power – while Cathal Kenny (unable to convert a Barry McHugh effort that fell short) and Michael Daly (blazed wide) also had goal opportunities that they were unable to take.

In contrast, Corofin converted their one and only goal opportunity in the first half through Ian Burke on 20 minutes. The goal, really, was conjured out of nothing: a simple one-two handpass with Liam Silke allowed 2018 All-Star Burke to slip inside Mountbellew/Moylough’s mass defence and score from close range.

The sides had been level at three points apiece before Burke netted, but with this score, the complexion of the game changed. Tallying 1-3 without reply – Micheal Lundy, Ronan Steede, and Gary Sice pointing – Corofin played with a swagger while, for their part, Mountbellew/Moylough, tight and compact up to this, endeavoured to compose themselves once more.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.