Castlebar Mitchels defeat Corofin to reach Connacht SFC final

CASTLEBAR MITCHELS 2-8 COROFIN 1-10: Mitchels are on the march. Locked in Mayo for 20 years, the Castlebar side staged a brilliant coup in Tuam Stadium yesterday in what was a thrilling Connacht semi-final played in awful November weather.

First-half goals from Richie Feeney and Neil Lydon gave the Mayo champions the foundation they needed to grind Corofin's smooth running game to a halt.

As ever in these deep winter club games, meteorological factors are almost as important as tactics and having manufactured those two goals while playing into the wind, Castlebar could afford to sit back in the second half and were effective in breaking with speed and efficiency towards the town end of the stadium.

"Goals win games," said Pat Holmes. The former Mayo defender was on the Castlebar side which claimed its first and only Connacht title 20 years ago. Now, he is the team manager. "They brought us back into it and gave us a cushion and we knew Corofin would have to try and come out against the breeze, carry the ball or whatever and try and create chances. We knew it was difficult to score up at that end."

Comfortable day
Corofin demonstrated that repeatedly. One-point losses are always the toughest to stomach and the Galway champions would have expected to convert at least seven of the wides they racked up in fairer conditions. The first 10 minutes of the game may have deceived them into believing they that they were in for a comfortable day.

The Galway champions started out as if they intended having the result done and dusted by the half-time tea and brack. They exerted phenomenal pressure across the 50 over the first 10 minutes, forcing the Castlebar men down alleys, neutralising the powerful midfield and then looking to hit Castlebar men on the break.

Castlebar's struggles forced full forward Neil Douglas deep into his own half to support his team and an intense Corofin press coughed the ball up.

Ronan Steed spotted Gary Sice drifting in behind the Castlebar last line and delivered a terrific long ball from the free. Sice evaded goalkeeper Ciarán Naughton and Alan Feeney before burying the shot.

Two minutes later, Ian Burke put Alan O'Donovan through with a delicate lob and Castlebar were fortunate not to be two goals down. There was no evidence at that moment to suggest the Mayo champions could turn the screw as convincingly as they did afterwards.

Castlebar's first goal was a fine, intricate passing move involving Douglas, Neil Lydon and Barry Moran and left Feeney with a simple tap in. The score illuminated Feeney's ability to not so much be in the right place as every place. He managed to play both wing-back and wing-forward here, such was his work rate and his ability to win ball.

Barry Moran gradually came into his own at midfield and Corofin simply couldn't cope with his height. And Castlebar began to hustle the Corofin ball carriers with the same ferocity as they had been subjected to in the opening period. Their second goal originated in a devastating run from Donal Newcombe – although one which Corofin will not enjoy watching in replay. His shot hammered against the bar and Lydon was there to profit on the rebound.

After that, things fell into place. Tom King had a fine day on free-taking duties, Tom Cunniffe made his considerable presence felt at the heart of the back six – and cleared a vital ball of the line late in the game – and James Durcan clipped a wonderful point to leave the visitors 2-4 to 1-5 ahead.

“We were two up at half-time and played very, very well for the last 15 minutes of the first half,” Holmes said. “Up until then Corofin were playing all the football. They got the goal . . . it looked like the bookies had got it right. We were 3/1 outsiders. But we knew there was great character in this team. We knew they would dig deep and they did so in the last 15 of the half. They continued in the second half even if we made it difficult for ourselves in the last 10 by turning over ball.”

Wonderful exhibition
Castlebar might have been out of sight by the closing 10 minutes. They led by 2-7 to 1-5 with 20 minutes remaining and Corofin were in that place they didn't want to be: chasing the game on a day when the rain fell steadily.

Injuries caught up with them too: Kieran Fitzgerald, their redoubtable full-back, was unable to play while Gary Delaney and Michael Lundy also failed to line out. But they kept working and the closing 15 minutes of the game developed into a really wonderful exhibition of commitment and heart from both sides.

“When you are playing against teams from outside the county you don’t know each other as well so there probably is not as much negativity,” said Holmes.

Corofin pressed hard in the closing period and landed the last three scores of the match, all frees. They had exceptional performances: Joe Canney travelled deep into his defence to retrieve vital ball, Sice was again a handful for the opposition defence and Ian Burke looked sharp all day. But collectively, they will be disappointed that they never truly clicked here and miss out on a shot at the All-Ireland champions.

Word of St Brigid's evisceration of the Leitrim champions was called out onto the tanoy. Mitchels will enjoy going into the final against the Roscommon and All-Ireland champions as outsiders as well.

CASTLEBAR: 1 C Naughton, 2 A Feeney, 3 R O'Reilly, 4 R O'Malley (0-1); 5 D Newcombe, 6 T Cunniffe, 7 P Durcan; 8 G McDonagh, 9 B Moran; 10 G Lydon (1-0), 11 A Walsh , 12 R Feeney (1-1), 13 J Durcan (0-1), 14 N Douglas, 15 T King (0-6, 0-5 frees). Subs: S Hopkins for J Durcan (56 mins), D Joyce for N Douglas (59 mins).
COROFIN: 1 T Healy, 2 M Comer, 17 P Kelly, 4 A Lawless, 5 B O'Donovan, 6 G Higgins, 7 L Silke, 8 R Steede, 9 K Comer (0-1); 10 G Sice (1-3, 0-2 frees), 15 R Burke, 12 M Farragher; 13 I Burke (0-4, 0-3 frees), 22 A O'Donovan (0-1, 50), 14 J Canney (0-1). Subs: 20 A Burke for R Burke (half-time), D Burke for B O'Donovan (half-time), M Lundy for A O'Donovan (41 mins).
Referee: P Nellan.