Corofin: 1-14 St Vincent's: 1-9
So after going 28 months unbeaten - or 18 wins, and one draw - the end has come for St Vincent’s, as Galway champions Corofin finally put a stop to their march back to Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day.
The 1998 All-Ireland club football champions had five-points to spare in this quality and brilliantly exciting semi-final at Tullamore. It more than lived up to its billing as the most anticipated club football games of the season.
Because St Vincent’s certainly didn’t go down without a fight, and yet couldn’t quite match the fervour and ambition of Corofin.
Played out before an attendance of 4,188, Michael Lundy, Marin Farragher, and Ian Burke showed Corofin the way with their ambitious and fearless scoring, while Kieran McGrath, Liam and Cathal Silke helped cement a solid defence.
Indeed for Corofin, the six-time Connacht champions, there was no lack of effort, or will the win, throughout the field, the game decided on a couple of obvious turning points.
After building up a half-time lead, they just about had enough to keep their noses in front until the end, thanks to cool heads of the likes of Gary Sice, Martin Farragher and Lundy - the man-of-the-match.
Fired up, tuned in, and playing with great vision, Corofin dominated midfield and the kick-outs, and used that as the launching pad for repeated attacks against the Dublin champions.
Points from Michael Lundy, Ian Burke and a couple of frees from Gary Sice helped edged them in front, 0-6 to 0-4, after the opening quarter.
Diarmuid Connolly and Ruairi Trainor provided the pick of the St Vicnent's points, although truth is Corofin could have been further ahead in the opening half.
Martin Farragher had his shot at goal well saved by Michael Savage on 12 minutes, and not long after that, Burke found himself in open space in front of goal - his shot going over the bar, however, instead of being aimed under it.
Then, on 23 minutes, Sice was fouled in front of goal by Brendan Egan, and up stepped Gary Delaney for the penalty. Again, however, he fired too high - this time the ball rebounding off the crossbar, and back into St Vincent's possession.
With that they played the ball down the field, and after Mossy Quinn sent Ciaran Dorney into the goalmouth, his shot was foot blocked by Kieran Fitzgerald. So match referee Padraig Hughes waved for another penalty, and this time Quinn - cool as ever - made no mistake, striking low and right and perfectly out of Tom Healy's reach.
It seemed a like big psychological blow to Corofin, but not so. They hit back almost immediately, Ronan Steede playing a long ball in towards Lundy, and in the scramble that followed, Martin Farragher rounded the keeper and tricked the ball into the net. Lundy followed that up with a sweet point, so the Galway champions were in front - 1-8 to 1-6 at the break - and utterly deserving of it.
They kept their heads and their nerve in the second half, and St Vincent’s soon ran out of ideas, and scoring possibilities. Connolly did add two more in the second half, but there was no arguing with the result in the end, Corofin fully deserving of a return trip to Croke Park after 17 years.
COROFIN (GALWAY): T Healy; K McGrath, K Fitzgerald, C Silke; A Burke, L Silke, G Sice (0-3, all frees); G Higgins, R Steede; M Lundy, G Delaney, D Burke; Martin Farragher (1-2), Michael Farragher (0-4), I Burke (0-5, one free).
Subs: D Wall for Steede (52 mins), C Cunningham for A Burke (60 mins), J Burke for Martin Farragher (60 mins), K Murphy for Michael Farragher (61 mins).
ST VINCENT'S (DUBLIN): M Savage; H Gill, J Curley, M Concarr; Cameron Diamond, G Brennan (capt), B Egan (0-1); G Burke, E Fennell; Cormac Diamond, D Connolly (0-3, one free), S Carthy (0-1); R Trainor (0-2), C Dorney (0-1), T Quinn (1-1, a penalty, one free).
Subs: T Diamond for Cormac Diamond (41 mins), G Murphy for Dorney (50 mins), E Brady for Concarr (55 mins),
Referee: Padraig Hughes (Armagh).
