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Corofin into Connacht final after seeing off Ballina

Updated / Wednesday, 29 Nov 2023 17:36
Corofin's Ross Mahon is congratulated after the Connacht semi-final victory over Ballina Stephenites
Corofin's Ross Mahon is congratulated after the Connacht semi-final victory over Ballina Stephenites

Corofin 0-16 Ballina Stephenites 0-12

Galway champions Corofin, the most prolific winners of the Connacht SFC title, advanced to the provincial final when they proved too strong for Ballina Stephenites at Pearse Stadium.

They shot 14 points from play to set up a Connacht final showdown against either St Brigid's of Roscommon or Leitrim champions Mohill.

Corofin, having played with the strong breeze, led by 0-09 to 0-03 at half-time as both sides battled with the difficult wet conditions in front of a crowd of about 1,000.

The Galway champions used the wind well and raced into a 0-04 to 0-00 lead after 12 minutes with 39-year old Gary Sice leading the way with a couple of frees, while captain Dylan McHugh and promising midfielder Patrick Egan both went forward to shoot good points.

Ballina, already without Mayo player Padraig O’Hora, suffered a further blow when they lost experienced full-back Ger Cafferkey when the former All Star suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury after just eleven minutes.

Frank Irwin got them off the mark at the end of the opening quarter when he pointed a free after Evan Regan was fouled, but Corofin hit back and struck for four points in a five minute spell when Sice curling over a superb point from the left after a brilliant dummy past Jack Irwin, while Egan went forward for his second point and Jack McCabe kicked two excellent efforts to lead by 0-08 to 0-01 after 22 minutes.

But they only managed one more score before the break, with McHugh soloing upfield to land an effort with his left foot after Regan had given Ballina hope with two pointed frees to leave six between them at the break.

Ballina needed a good start to the second-half and they got it when Regan pointed inside a minute of the restart but Corofin responded with a brace from two of their most experienced players Michael Lundy and Sice again.

Ballina got the gap down to five with efforts from Frank Irwin and Regan before McCabe got his third of the match with an excellent shot after 48 minutes to lead by double scores at 0-12 to 0-6 after 48 minutes.

Ballina rallied and points from Ciaran Boland and the Irwin brothers Frank and Jack, cut the gap to just a goal with eleven minutes remaining, but Corofin did not panic and resumed control again with the experienced Michael Lundy coming in from the right to put four between them and then McCabe took his haul to 0-05 with two fisted efforts.

That left them 0-15 to 0-10 in front five minutes from the end and they closed out the win with Galway hurling captain Daithi Burke coming on for his first football action of the year in the closing stages, and with Ballina never looking like getting in for a goal, it was Corofin who advanced to the final.

Corofin: Bernard Power; Liam Silke, Dylan McHugh (0-02), Cathal Silke; Mike Farragher, Conor Cunningham, Gavin Burke; Patrick Egan (0-02), Ciaran Brady; Brian Cogger, Michael Lundy (0-02), Tony Gill; Gary Sice (0-05, 0-02f), Dylan Wall, Jack McCabe (0-05).

Subs: Oran Burke for Power (half-time), Darragh Silke for Wall (half-time), Ross Mahon for C Silke (38), Glen McHugh for Mike Farragher (48), Colin Brady for Gill (52), Daithi Burke for Ciaran Brady (59).

Ballina Stephenites: David Clarke; Liam Golden, Ger Cafferkey, Sam Callinan; Ciaran Boland (0-01), David Tighe, Sean Regan; Luke Feeney, Mikey Murray; Niall Feeney, Ciaran Treacy, Frank Irwin (0-03, 0-01f); Evan Regan (0-05, 0-04f, 0-01m), Jack Irwin (0-01), Conor McStay (0-01).

Subs: James Doherty for Cafferkey (11), Mark Dirrane (0-01) for Treacy (41), Dylan Thornton for Murray (41-52), Ciaran Sweeney for J Irwin (56)

Referee: Barry Judge (Sligo)

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