Eastern Harps ... 1-8 Corofin ... 0-10 Eastern Harps' late show defeated hotly-fancied Corofin in this gripping Connacht club football championship game at Markievicz Park yesterday.
Fourteen-man Harps, who had right corner back Francis Candon sent off a minute before half-time, refused to lie down and their battling qualities proved decisive in the end with Shane Gallagher the toast of the Sligo champions.
Gallagher's 41st-minute goal put Harps two points ahead, 1-5 to 0-6, and his point from a free on the stroke of full-time levelled the scores. Substitute John Bruen's point two minutes into stoppage time secured Harps' place in the semi-final against Roscommon champions Strokestown at the same venue next Sunday.
Corofin, with four of Galway's under-21 All-Ireland winning team in action, were firm favourites to come out on top but Harps hadn't read the script. Paul Taylor opened the scoring with a Harps point in the 10th minute before Alan O'Donovan got the Galway side up and running. The visitors' team-work was evident in the opening half but Harps trailed by only 0-4 to 0-3 at half-time.
Midfielder Kieran Comer missed a great chance to put Corofin four points clear in the 34th minute when his penalty kick was saved by Peter Walsh. Taylor squared the match a minute into the second half and Gallagher's goal was the decisive factor.
EASTERN HARPS: P Walsh; F Candon, K Phillips, M Cosgrove; P McGovern, B Phillips, F Sexton; P Grady, M McCormack, M Doddy; K Carty (0-2), P Henry; S Gallagher (1-1, free), P Taylor (0-3, 2 frees), S Dorrian (0-1). Subs: P Phillips for Dorrian (half-time), J Bruen (0-1) for Doddy (54 mins), T Taylor for Henry (58 mins)
COROFIN: D Morris; G Delaney (0-1), K Fitzgerald, A Burke; R Silke, M Comer, D Burke; K Comer, A Donnellan; T Burke, M Donnellan, D Hanley (0-2); D Reilly, S Conlisk (0-1), A O'Donovan (0-4, 3 frees), Subs: K Comer for Conlisk (half-time), E Killeen (0-2, 1 free) for Reilly (41 mins), D Newell for A Donnellan (48 mins)
Referee: A Stenson (Leitrim).
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)