GALWAY SFC FINAL Corofin 0-11 Mountbellew-Moylough 1-5: COROFIN, MODERN giants of the Galway football scene, left it late yesterday but their assured charge in a sodden Tuam Stadium brought a searing close to the year for Mountbellew-Moylough.
All afternoon, the outsiders for the championship had made the running. But they were a spent force by the time Corofin rattled off a series of quality scores that proved enough to retain the title.
This is Corofin’s 13th title in a history that stretches back to 1925, but it is, significantly, their 10th championship victory since 1991.
Just like the drawn match, this was an untidy but gripping affair, pitting two diverse sides against one another. Conservatism is at the heart of the Corofin game, and when they lost right half back Donal Keane to injury before the game, they drafted county man Gary Sice from the forward line to bolster the defensive unit.
And, once again, the back six were rock solid for the county champions, with only Kieran Fitzgerald permitted to make the occasional – and generally telling – break up field.
They had outstanding performances from Cathal Silke and, particularly in the last quarter, from Damien Burke.
They will take immense satisfaction from the fact 10 of their 11 points were created from play and the finest was probably the point that effectively won the match, when veteran midfielder Aidan Donnellan calmly knocked over a point from just inside the 50 after the ball had been transferred around the field in a composed exhibition of possession play.
That gave Corofin the lead for the first time, and it was delivered with a sense of timing that broke Mountbellew’s spirit. The replay was ticking towards injury-time and all across the field it was obvious the black and amber men were out on their feet.
Corofin pushed on with the remorselessness one would expect from a side that is accustomed to winning. Joe Canney and Shane Monaghan fired the last points of the game and that was that.
Because Corofin are such a powerful squad – they won the match by three points, precisely the total they got from their substitutes – there was something hugely admirable about the way in which Mountbellew acquitted themselves in this replay.
They are an archetypal club team, crafty but far from perfect and boasting one totemic figure in Joe Bergin.
The tall midfielder earned his side a replay with a thumping free a fortnight ago, and although he had another strong match here the odds against Mountbellew were just too great coming into the critical last 10 minutes.
Their day turned on a regrettable note when centre back Mark Geraghty was red-carded after just 19 minutes for a second booking. Geraghty’s face as he departed the scene offered a vivid reading of just how he was feeling.
In addition, they had to sacrifice their tricky little corner forward Seán Sweeney, who had won plenty of ball and set up the only goal of the match.
It was a shame, because Mountbellew had made a perfect start, racing into a 1-2 lead before Corofin had raised a white flag.
They moved the ball with such intelligence and craftiness that they were able to unpick the lock in the sturdy Corofin defence for a delightful goal that was calmly finished by Cathal Kenny.
The champions’ response to this bold beginning was not exactly overwhelming, but patience is one of their great virtues.
They shone in pockets of play, with Kieran Comer kicking a couple of terrific points and Joe Canney distributing the ball at speed as well as landing three good points for himself.
They owned possession in the second half, but were pinned back by their internal caution as much as by the Mountbellew rearguard.
Even so, they drew a brilliant intervention/save from goalkeeper Brian Donnellan, who read a pass from Canney to Comer that would have left the goalmouth entirely exposed.
And they had the luxury of calling Ronan Steede (a newcomer to the Corofin panel) in from the bench and he deftly kicked two fine points when Corofin needed a score.
So in the second half the match boiled down to the basic question as to whether Mountbellew could hold out until the final whistle.
As the legs grew heavy, the scores dried up on them, except for two stunning efforts from Bergin and Eoin Wall.
Wall’s point came from a Bergin ball; surrounded by Corofin men, the tall man banged a pass into space and Wall’s accuracy and confident strike led to a huge roar around Tuam Stadium. Fifteen minutes left, failing light and a 1-5 to 0-5 lead: there seemed to be a real possibility the Mountbellew men could hang tough for glory.
But these late, heartbreaking surges to glory from the heavyweight team are part of every GAA autumn. So it proved yesterday.
Increasingly, Mountbellew were left chasing ghosts as Corofin slipped into business mode.
The success and work Corofin have put into their club over the past two decades shone during this period, and although they were delighted as the points rained over during injury time, they were not entirely surprised.
So it goes.
Hard breaks and regrets after a long season for the losers.
Corofin will go seeking bigger days.
COROFIN: D Morris; G Delaney, K Fitzgerald, C Silke; G Sice, D Burke, T Goggins; G Higgins (0-1), A Donnellan (0-1); C McGrath, C Comer (0-2), A Burke (0-1); D Hanley, J Burke, J Canney (0-3, 1 free). Subs: R Steede (0-2)for J Burke (half-time), M Farragher for D Hanley (47 mins), S Monaghan (0-1)for C McGrath (60 mins).
MOUNTBELLEW-MOYLOUGH: B Donnellan; G Sweeney, P Gardiner, D McHugh; J Moore, M Geraghty, C Gardiner; J Bergin (0-1), C Colleran; J Meehan (0-1), E Wall (0-1), S Boyle; S Sweeney, C Kenny (1-2 frees), C Duffy. Subs: D Donnellan for S Sweeney (27 mins), D Neary for G Sweeney (49 mins), A Sweeney for D Donnellan (53 mins).
Referee: M McGearailt.
