Tuam Stars exacted a good measure of revenge for their defeat to Corofin in last year's county final when they beat them by 2-6 to 0-9 in this year's semi-final in Tuam Stadium on Sunday.
Corofin, bidding to reach their fifth final in a row, looked devoid of ideas up front in the first half and did not score for more than 25 minutes.
They trailed by 1-3 to 0-3 at the interval and looked like a team that was not firing on all cylinders, whereas Tuam were well up for the game and played with a far greater urgency and desire than the county champions.
Tuam got a real tonic in that first half when Galway star Conor Doherty raced through to lash a great goal past the hapless David Morris. It was an inspirational effort and Tuam took a lot of belief from the quality of the goal.
The Stars held all the aces in the game and from goalkeeper Johnny Trayers up to the hard-grafting John Ross Bodkin and Darren Kelly, they worked extremely hard to get another crack at winning the club's first county title since 1994.
Their full-back line of Darragh O'Rourke, Ian McCough and Aonghus Tierney took no prisoners and made life very difficult for Ian Burke, Gary Sice, Alan O'Donovan and Damien Burke.
The key moment in the game came just after half time when big Paul Doherty raced through from midfield to punch a ball to the back of the Corofin net. That gave the home side some serious momentum and a six-point lead they were unlikely to cough up.
The Stars, who are under the management team of Jimmy O'Dea and Kevin Reidy, are a well organised outfit and they had good solid displays all over the field last weekend.
Team captain Tony Costello, Gary O'Donnell, Jamie Murphy, John Ross Bodkin, Noel Henry, David Connern and Paul and Conor Doherty all caught the eye.
They are the most successful club in the county with 25 county titles and they will be very keen to end the 18-year famine that stretches back to their win over Corofin in the 1994 county final.
Their county final date with Salthill-Knocknacarra has a real novelty feel to it and is eagerly anticipated.
