Gaelic Games

Mountbellew-Moylough secure first Galway crown since 1986

Manager Val Daly secures success for the first time since he raised the trophy as captain

Mountbellew-Moylough’s Eoin Finnerty and Aaron McHugh lift the Frank Fox Cup. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho

John Fallon at Pearse Stadium
Sun Nov 14 2021 - 17:55

Mountbellew-Moylough 1-12 Corofin 0-9

Mountbellew-Moylough manager Val Daly praised his charges for finally getting them over the line in the Galway SFC final as they captured the crown for the first time since he skippered them to victory in 1986.

They went into this decider in front of 4,000 at Pearse Stadium burdened by losing four of the last six finals, three of them to Corofin, but produced a magnificent display from the outset and never let the reigning All-Ireland club champions get a foothold in the game.

“It’s lovely on the final day of the competition to come together and play your best football,” said former All Star Daly. “I said to the lads after we beat Moycullen in the semi-final to up our game and give it one more big go as I felt we hadn’t reached our peak and thankfully we produced that display.

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“It’s just brilliant to do a lot of things right in a county final and overall I think the lads deserve great credit. Whether it’s a peak or whether there is more in this side remains to be seen but we will enjoy this one first. We’re a long time waiting for it.”

Two of his sons, John and Michael, were key figures in the win, while Colin Ryan, Matthew Barrett, Eoin Finnerty and Barry McHugh also played key roles for a side who ended Corofin’s bid for eight-in-a-row last year at the semi-final stage but then got turned over in the final by Moycullen.

But they made no mistake this time round. They won the toss and that gave them wind advantage in the opening half and like last year’s success, needed to lead from the front rather than chase the game against a side seeking their 19th crown in 31 years.

And they were well on their way to their fifth Galway title when they deservedly led by 0-8 to 0-3 at the interval after dominating the key positions.

Mountbellew-Moylough put the Corofin kickout under serious pressure with Michael Daly and Barrett dominating midfield and with Finnerty and McHugh in top form up front, they built up a good lead as Corofin struggled to get a foothold.

Finnerty, McHugh and John Daly found the range to lead by three after eight minutes before midfielder Ronan Steede got Corofin off the mark with a good point from the right.

Mountbellew-Moylough hit back and joint captain Finnerty landed two in a row and Michael Daly and McHugh also hit the target to lead by 0-7 to 0-1 after 19 minutes.

Corofin responded with points from Dylan Canney and a free from Darragh Silke but Mountbellew-Moylough finished the half impressively with McHugh adding a free from 50 metres to lead by five at the interval.

McHugh extended the lead five minutes after the restart and then Colin Ryan and Michael Daly combined to send Finnerty through and he blasted to the roof of the net to lead by 1-9 to 0-3.

Jason Leonard pulled a point for Corofin before Paul Donnellan and Canney swapped points for Mountbellew-Moylough to lead by 1-10 to 0-6 at the second water break.

All Mountbellew-Moylough needed to do at that stage was preserve their lead and despite losing McHugh to a second yellow card in the dying moments, they did that with ease as Corofin failed to mount a serious comeback as they fell to only their second defeat in their last 18 county final appearances.

Mountbellew-Moylough: D Boyle; B Mannion, C Murray, M Mannion; J Daly (0-1), J Foley, C Ryan; M Daly (0-1), M Barrett; P Donnellan (0-1), S Moran, G Donohue; P Kelly, E Finnerty (1-3, one mark), B McHugh (0-5, three frees). Subs: G Sweeney for M Mannion (38), A McHugh for Ryan (43), L Donnellan for P Donnellan (50), S Boyle (0-1) for Donohue (55).

Corofin: B Power; D McHugh, L Silke, C Silke; G Burke, D Wall, C Brady; D Burke, R Steede (0-1); K Molloy, M Lundy (0-1), J Leonard (0-2, one free); D Silke (0-2, one free), Martin Farragher, D Canney (0-3). Subs: T Gill for Brady (half-time), C McGrath for C Silke (43), C Newell for Molloy (43), Michael Farragher for Martin Farragher (46), M Cooley for Burke (46).

Referee: T Murphy (Annaghdown).

Val Daly