Lundy leads Corofin onwards as holders Vincent’s make exit
IT IS an exciting thought that Corofin may still have more in the tank but manager Stephen Rochford insists their best is yet to come.
A mixture of style, for the first 40 minutes in Tullamore, and substance, for the crucial last 20 or so, secured the Galway champions an AIB All-Ireland club final spot.
Michael Lundy took the Man-ofthe-Match award after kicking four points from open play and, at times, tearing the Vincent’s defence asunder with his probing runs.
But there were any number of contenders for the award with the entire defence superb as well as Ian Burke who kicked five points.
The scoreline didn’t quite match the goal fests they’d been used to out west – they booted nine between the county semi-final and final and seven against Aughawillan in Connacht – but it was stirring stuff all the same.
Against the defending champions in front of 4,188, Corofin opened up with some classy football and but for a penalty miss and several close calls, could have had victory wrapped up earlier.
‘We haven’t peaked yet,’ insisted Rochford. ‘I genuinely feel that. Like, we went 14 minutes without a score at one stage. We did a couple of silly things, some things that left me frustrated. So there’s more to work on.’
Corofin were full value for their 0-7 to 0-5 lead after 21 minutes when they were awarded a penalty.
Lundy’s kick pass from left to right across goals was claimed by Gary Sice who was brought down by Brendan Egan. But Gary Delaney’s kick was high and right and smashed off the crossbar.
In a quite amazing turnaround, the Dublin champions turned a potential five-point deficit into a one-point lead by scoring from a penalty themselves in the very next attack.
Tomás Quinn firstly set it up, playing in Ciarán Dorney who was fouled by Kieran Fitzgerald before the veteran forward dispatched the spot kick to the net.
It was a scarcely deserved 1-5 to 0-7 lead for Tommy Conroy’s men and justice was done when Martin Farragher netted shortly after from close range for Corofin.
It left the Galway men with a commanding 1-8 to 1-6 interval lead and vital momentum for the second half.
They capitalised on it for the most part, enduring only a brief lull midway through the second period when Vincent’s came alive with points from Diarmuid Connolly, who had a quiet outing, and Quinn. Corofin: T Healy; K McGrath, K Fitzgerald, C Silke; A Burke (C Cunningham 60), G Sice, L Silke; G Higgins, R Steede (D Wall 53); M Lundy, G Delaney, D Burke; Martin Farragher (J Burke 60), Michael Farragher (K Murphy 62), I Burke. SCorerS: Martin Farragher 1-2, I Burke 0-5 (1f), M Lundy 0-4, G Sice 0-3f. St VinCent’S: M Savage; H Gill, Cameron Diamond, J Curley; B Egan, G Brennan, M Concarr (E Brady 55); É Fennell, G Burke; D Connolly, Cormac Diamond (T Diamond 36), S Carthy; R Trainor, C Dorney (G Murphy 41), T Quinn. SCorerS: T Quinn 1-1 (1-0 pen, 1f), D Connolly 0-3 (1f), R Trainor 0-2; B Egan, S Carthy, C Dorney 0-1. referee: P Hughes (Armagh).