Galway SFC Final/Corofin 1-10 Caltra 0-10: There were echoes of the grand heights Galway football has touched over the last decade with the meeting of these former All-Ireland club champions.
With Salthill, the outgoing All-Ireland champions, already deposed, at least Galway fans have had the solace of the club game for consolation after a disappointing summer for the county.
And there was enough in the form and style of Corofin's victory here to suggest that, like the seaside club last winter, they could develop the slow-burning quality necessary for the deep-winter slog of the club scene.
This generation of Corofin players were little more than children when Ray Silke led the parish to the national championship eight years ago, a March victory that presaged a magical summer for the maroon county.
Yesterday's vintage were young and smart and, in the distinctive cut of corner forward Alan O'Donovan, unveiled an extremely impressive and assured striker of the ball.
From the Polinore townland, O'Donovan has been Corofin's talisman in much the same way as Micheál Meehan has been Caltra's for the last half decade and has done enough this summer to suggest he will be featuring alongside Meehan in Galway teams before long.
He is a beautiful dead-ball striker and won more than his share in open play. It was his goal, a thunderbolt in the 45th minute, that convinced Caltra people the job of playing catch-up was simply too much. O'Donovan took a smart pass from David Hanley after David Morris' clever tap on a high ball and nailed the most emphatic shot to leave Corofin up 1-9 to 0-6.
"That position is something you dream about," smiled manager Paul McGettigan afterwards. "O'Donovan usually doesn't miss those and he is the guy I would pick to have in that situation. He has put enormous work into this and gets his share of criticism, but in the last few games he was outstanding."
It was a dream afternoon for Corofin's backroom. Absorbing the loss of Michael Comer, they drafted a radical positional plan, with the named corner back Alan Burke operating at centre forward and causing havoc with his nimble, direct speed. They also opted for Damien Burke to drop back to shadow Micheál Meehan and - with good support from Kieran McGrath and Gary Delaney - he blunted Meehan's prodigious threat.
"That shouldn't come as a shock," noted McGettigan. "Damien was outstanding for Galway this year and we felt that if anyone could do the job on Mike Meehan it was Damien. He came into this game in flying form and Damien did a super day's work. He is a leader. He will be around for quite a while."
With the mercurial Meehan bottled up, Caltra struggled. They landed just three second-half points and only Meehan and Killalea pointed from play. Four of the starting forwards failed to score and there were periods in the first half when they were cleaned out around midfield.
Twice Corofin were through on goal, with Gary Sice forcing a great block from Paul Gately and Greg Higgins striking tamely after a scintillating burst by Alan Burke at the close of the half.
Caltra's problems highlighted just how finely calibrated a club effort has to be. Less than two years ago, the same team beat a strong Gaeltacht side for the national championship.
Yesterday, we got glimpses of that team. Only once did we see the joyful bursts forward that Gately made his trademark in that historic season. And Corofin never allowed Noel and Micheál Meehan to develop the kind of telepathic understanding that destroyed Curry in the 2004 Connacht showdown.
But until O'Donovan's goal, they looked as if they might just steal it. Brian Laffey landed a couple of terrific points - and had a crucial and arguably valid point ruled out in the last five minutes - epitomising the cool, never-panic attitude of a team that has learned how to win.
Declan Meehan was the spark for several of Caltra's more hopeful passages of play and when former minor Seán Hogan came in during the last quarter, he added a bit of bite to the team's rearguard. But the slickness and novelty that distinguished Caltra two seasons ago were, for the most part, absent here.
Corofin illuminated the difference between the teams with a gorgeous point in the last few minutes, Fitzgerald sauntering into open country before firing a long ball for the smart Morris to deflect for Hanley, who fisted the sensible point rather than opt for the glory hunter's goal.
It was the right decision because Caltra, trailing by four, would not give up the ghost and there was always the chance that Meehan would get the half inch of space that had eluded him all afternoon. Corofin, a heavyweight name around these parts, are back, then.
It is doubtful a county trophy is the summit of their ambition.
COROFIN: G Comer; G Delaney, D Burke, K McGrath; K Fitzgerald, T Goggins, G Sice; A Donnelly, G Higgins; D Hanley (0-3), A Burke (0-1), K Comer; T Costello (0-2, free, sideline), S Conlisk (0-1), A O'Donovan (1-3, 0-2 frees). Subs: D Morris for K Comer (44 mins), E Killeen for S Conlisk (55 mins), J Killeen for G Higgins (58 mins).
CALTRA: K Kilroy; K Gavin, E Meehan, B Kilroy; O Kelly, D Meehan, P Gately; B Laffey (0-2), D Cunniffe; T Meehan, J Galvin, M Killalea (0-4, 3 frees); C Kilroy; M Meehan (0-4, 2 frees, 50), N Meehan. Subs: M O'Neill for C Kilroy (47 mins), S Ó Hogáin for T Meehan (50 mins).
Referee: T Nally (Galway).
