Corofin 1-11
Ballintubber 2-7
When Ballintubber look back on Sunday's game, a 20 minute period from just after Cillian O'Connor drove the ball to the back of David Morris' net to the half time break will be 1,200 seconds that they will want to forget. In that period Corofin outscored the Mayo champions by 1-7 to 0-0, overturning a 1-4 to 0-1 deficit and turning it into a four point half time lead.
Ballintubber hit the ground running, making light of the favorites tag that had been installed on the Galway champions. Cillian O'Connor opened the scoring inside the first minute with a pin point accurate free from the McHale Road side of the ground. He was the key man in his sides next score, winning the ball under pressure and holding off two men before he slipped the ball into the arms of Alan Dillon. The Mayo captain was calm and composed as he clipped the ball over the bar on the run. O'Connor trebled his sides lead with another free six minutes in and a minute later he kicked Ballintubber's fourth point after Alan Dillon set him up.
Corofin were at sixes and sevens at this stage as last weeks effort in the Galway final looked to be taking it's toll. Alan O'Donovan kicked the first of his eight points for the Galway men to get his side motoring. But those early sparks of a fight back were put out less than a minute later. Jason Gibbons won the ball in the middle of the field and delivered a pin point pass over the head of Corofin defence into the hands of Cillian O'Connor, the young footballer of the year broke straight for goal drove it high to the back of the net.
Ballintubber couldn't have asked for a better start and looked to be on their way to making it into the Connacht final. But it was the Galway men who took the game by the scurf of the neck and kicked 1-7 without reply, as Corofin took control of the middle of the field and cut off the supply of ball to the Ballintubber attack, forcing Ballintubber's key man Alan Dillon to fall back into his defence in an attempt to get on the ball and try and kick start an attack. O'Donovan kicked a point from a free, then Gary Sice was on the end of a move that cut straight through the Ballintubber defence for his sides third point. The gap was cut to three points from another O'Donovan point this time from play, which was quickly followed by by a Michael Lundy score after referee Marty Duffy let the play go when he could have at least twice given Lundy a free. With a minute to go before regulation time was up, O'Donovan cut the gap back to one from another placed ball, and that same man leveled it up on 30 minutes. Half time couldn't come quick enough for Ballintubber at this stage, but it was about to get worse for them before they could reach the sanctuary of the dressing room. Gary Delaney got the ball out on the stand side of the field, he drove it across the pitch into the arms of Gary Sice, who calmly side-footed the ball to the back of the net past Brendan Walsh. There was still time Kieran Comer to kick one more point before the end of the half to leave the score 1-8 to 1-4 in favour of the Galway men.
Ballintubber were the first to draw blood in the second half with Micheal Hoban hitting a point inside the first minute, but Corofin came straight back up the pitch and but for some way-ward finishing they could have bagged two more goals. First O'Donovan pulled the ball past the left hand post after Ballintubber full back Cathal Hallinan made a mess of a clearing free kick sending it straight into O'Donovan's hands. A couple of minutes later Dathai Burke played in Damien Burke, but his shot was well saved by Brendan Walsh. Between those two chances O'Donovan did kick a free for his side to keep them four points in front. Coming up to the ten minute mark in the second half, sub Damien McGing marked his introduction for Ballintubber with a well taken score, to leave only a goal between the sides. Two minutes later that gap was evaporated thanks to Cillian O'Connor's second goal of the game. Alan Dillon drove a great cross field pass from left to right into the hands of O'Connor who made no mistake from close range to tie the game up. But that was as good as it got for Ballintubber as O'Donovan kicked two more pointed frees for his side before the end, with only a Jason Gibbons 45' in response for Ballintubber. They did however have one last half chance of stealing the game, when Cillian O'Connor broke for goal after the ball somehow made it into his arms, but under pressure from the Corofin defence he lost the ball in a solo and that was that for Ballintubber's quest for Connacht glory for this year. Corofin will go on now to take on the Roscommon champions St Brigid's in Kiltoom on November 20 in the Connacht final.
Corofin: D Morris; P Kelly, K Fitzgerald, K McGrath; A Burke, G Delaney, M Comer; D Burke, G Higgins; G Sice (1-1 ), Damien Burke, A O'Donovan (0-8,7f ); M Lundy (0-1 ), M Farragher, K Comer (0-1 ). Subs: J Burke, A Donnellan.
Ballintubber: B Walsh; G Loftus, C Hallinan, M Kelly; T Early, D Geraghty, R O'Connor; M Hoban (0-1 ), J Gibbons (0-1 ); A Dillon (0-1 ), A Plunkett, G Dillon; P O'Connor, K McGuinness, C O'Connor (2-3,2f ). Subs: D McGing (0-1 ), M Nestor, D Coleman
Ref: M Duffy (Sligo )
