Corofin 2-13 St Brigid's 0-05
Corofin pulled level with Clann na nGael as record winners of the Connacht senior club football championship as a convincing 2-13 to 0-05 win saw them claim their seventh provincial crown.
Roscommon champions St Brigid’s were second best throughout and after Corofin raced into a 0-04 to 0-00 lead after eight minutes, Michael Farragher’s goal in the 12th minutes was a real devastating blow.
Jason Leonard also hit the net in the second-half for Corofin who were by a long distance the deserving winners of the Shane McGettigan Cup.
The four-in-a-row Galway champions could have wrapped up this game as early as the fourth minute, such was their early dominance.
After Michael Farragher pointed a typical flowing Corofin move after 15 seconds, the same player let a gilt-edged goal chance go unclaimed 30 second later when he was picked out by a quick Gary Sice free.
Dylan Wall did add to Corofin’s tally in the third minute, but then Sice fired across the face of goal a minute later when he had a goal chance from a tight angle.
A beautiful blend of hand passing out of defence and long foot passing into the forward line meant the Corofin inside line was supplied with plenty of quality deliveries and Ian Burke and Michael Farragher soon benefited to score.
It was ten minutes before Sheehy put St Brigid’s on the board and a Karol Mannion free two minutes later hinted at a recovery for the Roscommon men, but that proved a false dawn.
And less than a minute later Ian Burke’s chip pass found Liam Silke, and after the next pass Michael Farragher blasted to the net for a 1-4 to 0-2 lead.
A couple of Eoin Sheehy points kept the Kiltoom men interested either side of the goal, but three points from Jason Leonard before the interval for Corofin meant they were well in control at the break and held a 1-8 to 0-3 lead at half-time.
There was little change after the break though and points from Sice and the dominance Daithí Burke saw Corofin stretch their lead to 10 points by the 38th minute, although both teams were guilty of kicking some bad wides early in the second-half.
But Corofin showed their ruthless streak in the 47th minute when Wall, Ian Burke and Leonard combined for an excellent counter attack goal.
From there it was a canter to the finish line for Corofin as Sice and Lundy added futher scores in convincing team victory.
Corofin: B Power; C Silke, K Fitzgerald, C Cunningham; K Molloy, L Silke, C McGrath; D Burke (0-01), R Steede; G Sice (0-04, 0-01f), D Wall (0-01), J Leonard (1-03, 0-02f); M Lundy (0-01), I Burke (0-01), M Farragher (1-02).
Subs used: B O’Donovan for Molloy (45 mins), A Burke for Cunningham (51 mins), D Canney for Leonard (54 mins), K Murphy for Wall (56 mins),G Higgins for L Silke (56 mins), J Canney for I Burke (58 mins).
St Brigid’s: S Mannion; R Stack, D Donnelly, D Sheehy; E Sheehy (0-02), N Grehan, N McInerney; M Daly, G Dolan; P Kelly (0-01), D Dolan, C Murray; K Mannion (0-02, 0-02f), S Kilbride, B Stack.
Subs: J Murray for Donnelly (7-11 mins, blood), C McHugh for C Murray (half-time), D Cunniffe for Daly (41 mins), A Gleeson for K Mannion (56 mins), J Murray for Grehan (56 mins),
Referee: Jerome Henry (Mayo).
