Steede sparkles as Corofin fend off brave Claregalway

COROFIN 2-18

CLAREGALWAY 2-11

Mark Walsh at Tuam Stadium

COMING into the round four weekend of the senior football championship, Corofin were number one in the scoring charts, and Claregalway were eight points behind them in second position.

Corofin had registered 8-46 in three games in Group 2 and were unbeaten, while Claregalway were also on a three-game winning streak after scoring 7-41. Something had to give, and with that logic in mind, it was safe to assume that those making their way to Tuam Stadium on Sunday afternoon after presumably watching the Galway ladies defeat Mayo in an enthralling finish at Croke Park, were in the mind to be entertained. For the most part, this tie lived up to its billing.

The conventional wisdom, through depth of talent and playing numbers, is that Claregalway will make a serious push to dethrone Corofin in the years to come, and in no way were they overawed last Sunday.

They led the game for seven minutes in the first half, and forty-two minutes into this tie, Barry Goldrick brought Claregalway’s goal tally to two, and Claregalway on terms with Corofin, 2-9 to 1-12, but only for the most fleeting of moments.

Great teams can give teams an opportunity into a game. However, what great teams can also do, is take any semblance of hope away from their opponents in the flick of an eye, and that’s what Corofin did in the swiftest manner following Goldrick’s strike.

A minute after the goal, Ian Burke manoeuvred into enough space to collect Darragh Silke’s 40-metre pass and beat Claregalway ‘keeper Brian O’Donoghue. Corofin typically never looked back from there, outscoring Claregalway 0-6 to 0-2, Ronan Steede and Silke directing play as Corofin kept the ball for good passages of time during the remaining minutes.

While Corofin were without Daithí Burke, Jason Leonard, Dylan Canney and Ciaran McGrath, who had all started against Annaghdown, as well as Mike Farragher, Gary Sice and both Ciaran and Colin Brady, they welcomed Ian Burke, Dylan Wall, Liam Silke and Dylan McHugh back into their run-on 15. On the Claregalway side of the ball, they were missing wing-backs and Galway U-20 players Jack Glynn and Conor Campbell from the side that had defeated St James’ a week previous.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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