Invincible Corofin pull off provincial four-timer in tough affair

Corofin 1-10

Pádraig Pearses 0-7

Alan Dooley at Tuam Stadium

A magnificently crafted, perfectly timed goal by Liam Silke gave Corofin the platform to dominate the latter stages of a tense Connacht final against a plucky Pádraig Pearses outfit at Tuam Stadium, but in the end they were full value for a six-point win that saw them claim the Shane McGettigan Cup for a fourth successive year.

Silke’s 43rd minute strike came at a time when the large band of visiting supporters, the vast majority of whom were bedecked in red and white hats on a nippy afternoon, felt that their side, appearing in a first ever provincial final, were about to cause a massive upset against the All-Ireland champions.

Pádraig Pearses had finally shown that there was some spark to their attacking play in the ten minutes after the interval, when they outscored the Galway champions by four points to one to claw back to level pegging at 0-6 apiece. Their tails were well and truly up, and Corofin surprisingly looked a little bit stunned by it all.

Fresh legs in the shape of Darragh Silke and Colin Brady were readied for action, as Corofin knew that if Pearses got their noses in front then they could morph into a particularly difficult nut to crack with a fervent crowd behind them. Kevin O’Brien could foresee his side trying desperately to break down a fourteen-man defensive wall in that scenario, but by the time his substitutes got on his star man had already struck the killer blow.

Instead of pressing high and trying to force the issue, Pearses made the costly mistake of dropping back deep when Bernard Power received a sideline from Micheál Lundy. Six passes later Liam Silke was allowed to carry the ball forward under no particular pressure, and as they had done a couple of times previously, Corofin sensed an opening in the left corner.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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