Corofin’s young guns are ready for Annaghdown showdown

VAL DALY would probably have had something very different to say instead of wishing everybody ‘Happy Christmas’ after leading Mountbellew to victory over Milltown in the Galway football championship of final of 1986.

But, that was his parting comment after the final, delayed until late December, which turned out to be the last to be played in Pearse Stadium, in Salthill. The ground, magnificently redeveloped at a cost of 12m., plays host to tomorrow’s final when holders Annaghdown are opposed by 2000 champions Corofin, the top team of the 90’s and the only one from Connacht to win the AIB All-Ireland club title.

Dumped out in the preliminary round last year by Dunmore McHales, they are back with a young side which features some of the key members of the All-Ireland-winning Galway Under-21 team, notably Kieran Fitzgerald, and brothers Michael and Kieran Comer. In total, they had seven of their players in the panel, including goalkeeper Dave Morris.

Twelve months ago in Tuam Stadium, Annaghadown caused a surprise when they edged out Killererin - the home club of Padraig Joyce - in a well-contested final. It gave them their fifth title and later in the Connacht club championship they acquitted themselves well, just failing narrowly to Mayo champions Charlestown in the final.

Interestingly, after losing to Mountbellew in the preliminary round this year, they turned the tables on them in last Sunday’s semi-final, winning by a single point. Earlier in the campaign they defeated Oranmore-Maree, Oughterard and Barna.

The fall-out from Killererin’s refusal to play extra time in the game with Carraroe - which led to their controversial dismissal from the competition - didn’t have too much of an upsetting effort on Corofin’s campaign. When they eventually got to play the Gaeltacht side, they met them in mid-week in Pearse Stadium. “It’s a good, big pitch. Anybody who wants to play football, it will definitely suit them,’’ Greaney comments.

He does, however, have a concern that the venue will host both semi-finals of the Railway Cup competition on Saturday and the final on Sunday, before they play. “Whether it will hold up to that at this time of the year, you’d wonder.’’

Opening with a win over Dunmore and then Kilkerrin-Clonberrin, Corofin played in mid-July on consecutive Sundays. The game with the winners of the Carraroe/Killererin tie was originally fixed for September 14, but it was deferred following the objection by Killererin and a later appeal to the County Board. Eventually, it want ahead on the Wednesday evening after the Under-21 final. Then, last Saturday they won their semi-final against Milltown, by a margin of seven points.

Current manager Tom Greaney, a member of the 1988 team, has every confidence in his players but acknowledges that with a young side they face a severe test. “Annaghdown are a big physical team and deservedly county champions,’’ he adds. “They have a couple of very good forwards and if you look at their track record last year they were very unlucky to be beaten in the Connacht club final.

“And they are experienced as well, with the likes of Mike Newell (said to be doubtful because of an ankle injury received early in the semi-final game) and Matt Duggan around for quite a while. They are good quality footballers.’’

The priority for Corofin at the start of the season was to ‘blend a new team.’ And there was an obvious need to do so, with only six of the team that won the All-Ireland title in the current panel, among them current captain Ray Silke. Looked at from a different perspective, they finished the game last Saturday with nine under-21’s.

“They are very good footballers, but young sides can get overwhelmed when it comes down to county finals. It will be a question of whether the younger lads respond to the occasion.”

Nobody will be prouder than Joe Connolly, Galway’s inspirational captain in the 1980 All-Ireland hurling final, who was responsible for the fund-raising drive over the years.