Dolan magic inspires Brigid’s
This was their fifth appearance in the final in the last seven years and it was entirely predictable there would be little between them and a Corofin side going for their third title in four years.
The football never really matched the achievements of these two clubs in recent years with referee LiamDevenney, perhaps feeling he needed a strong arm on proceedings given the rivalry, becoming a far too central figure.
New to the inter-county panel this year, he called it as he saw it, rightly or wrongly, with Corofin feeling the more aggrieved. Yet, nothing justified what he and his officials were subjected to at the end of the match.
The match referee, the Connacht Council and An Garda Siochána will now be left to deal with the ugly scenes which saw the officials jostled at the end, with at least one of them receiving a nasty blow to the face.
That is a nasty legacy to a game between two of the most progressive clubs in the country and both should ensure they play their part in the culprits being brought to justice. The match itself never rose to a great level but former Roscommon star Frankie Dolan rolled back the years to deliver the big blows.
Corofin, seeking their thirdConnacht title in four years, looked to be on their way when they opened up an interval lead of 0-7 to 0-4. But they had a goal disallowed just before the break when Mike Farragher was adjudged to be inside the square when he fisted home a delivery from Daithí Burke. It was one of many decisions by Mayo referee Devenney which angered the Galway champions. The game was not particularly fractious but 14 players, eight of them fromCorofin, were booked while the frees count was 29-16 in favour of the home side.
“I felt the goal was legitimate,” said Corofin manager Brian Silke. “That was my first instinct. I wasdisappointed the goal was called without consulting the umpires. I felt the ref called a square ball from far out. That’s the ref’s call, so we’ll live with the call.”
St Brigid’s manager Noel O’Brien said they played well in the second half but would have had a much bigger hill to climb if the Corofin goal had stood.
“It was probably marginal. Some days you get those breaks and those chances and we got the few breaks today that got us over the end line. Corofin will be disappointed and rightly so. Days like that we got the same thing and you just have to get on with it. We looked like a team that hadn’t won a Connacht title last year. We looked nervous. We fumbled balls. The second-half performance was very good, but at the same time there is a huge amount of improvement required if we are to go on.”
His side, who were beaten in the All-Ireland final last March byCrossmaglen Rangers, could have been more than 0-7 to 0-4 behind at the interval had Corofin made the most of a few goal chances.
St Brigid’s failed to score from play in the opening half and they only hit their first not from a placed ball after 41 minutes.
In contrast, Corofin’s Kieran Comer and Mike Farragher picked off a brace of points each in the opening half. Justin Burke and Michael Lundy also found the range from play and Alan O’Donovan chipped in with a free.
St Brigid’s got on top after the restart. Ian Kilbride ignited their midfield with Karol Mannion coming more into the game, while Senan Kilbride was always a threat up front.
But a few moments of magic from Frankie Dolan set Brigid’s on course.
They hit five points without reply in the third quarter, with an expertly crafted 45 from Dolan setting them going. Senan Kilbride added a brace and Cathal McHugh also found the target for them to go 0-9 to 0-7 in front after 45 minutes but Corofin hit back and two points from O’Donovan levelled the game.
Dolan edged Brigid’s back in front and landed an audacious point from a near impossible angle on the left with six minutes remaining.
Corofin, incensed as they felt a lot of 50-50 decisions were going against them, rallied and another free from O’Donovan set up an exciting finish but St Brigid’s held on.
Scorers for St Brigid’s: F Dolan 0-6 (4fs, 1 45), S Kilbride 0-4 (3fs), C McHugh 0-1.
Scorers for Corofin: A O’Donovan 0-4 (3fs), K Comer, M Farragher 0-2 each, M Lundy, J Burke 0-1 each.
ST BRIGID’S: J Martin; R Kelly, D Donnelly, D Sheehy; E Sheehy, P Domican, N Grehan; K Mannion, G Dolan; D Dolan, C McHugh, D Kelleher; G Cunniffe, S Kilbride, F Dolan.
Subs: I Kilbride for Donnelly (30), P Kelly for Kelleher (30), R Blaine for McHugh (60), D Kelleher for D Dolan (60).
COROFIN: D Morris; P Kelly, K Fitzgerald, K McGrath; A Burke, G Delaney, M Comer; Daithí Burke, G Higgins; G Sice, Damien Burke, A O’Donovan; M Lundy, M Farragher, K Comer.
Subs: J Burke for Kelly (18), R Steede for Damien Burke (35), Damien Burke for K Comer (53), J Canney for Lundy (60).
Referee: L Devenney (Mayo).
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