Sice and Steede lead Corofin rout

Corofin (Galway) 7-20 Aughawillan (Leitrim) 0-6

The Leitrim champions were only trailing 0-5 to 0-3 at the end of the first quarter despite playing against the wind and, given that they are something of a second-half team, might be capable of a shock in Carrick-on-Shannon. But then Corofin, bidding for a 10th Connacht final appearance and a sixth title, hit four points in rapid succession with Ronan Steede and Gary Sice superb and they led by 0-11 to 0-3 at the break with only Ciarán Gilheany posing a threat up front for Aughawillan.

The floodgates opened once Martin Farragher found the net four minutes after the restart. He added another six minutes later, Galway player Michael Lundy hit a hat-trick and Ian Burke and Joe Canney also found the net as Corofin displayed the ruthlessness which has seen them overcome all before them this year.

But manager Stephen Rochford, an All-Ireland club winner with Crossmolina, knows it will be a different matter when they meet Ballintubber in the final on Sunday week. “They have household names and guys on the sideline like Peter Ford and Tony Duffy who have inter-county experience so we know what we are up against.

“But we will get our heads down and prepare diligently for what will be game number seven for us this year. We have never looked beyond the next game all year, and thankfully we are now in the Connacht final,” said Rochford.

Scorers for Corofin: M Lundy 3-1; M Farragher 2-1; G Sice 0-6 (2f); I Burke 1-2; J Canney 1-1; R Steede 0-3, D Wall 0-3; B O’Donovan 0-1, G Higgins 0-1, A O’Donovan 0-1

Scorers for Aughawillan: C Gilheany 0-4 (2f); G Plunkett 0-1, S Flanagan 0-1.

COROFIN: T Healy; M Comer, K Fitzgerald, C Silke; C McGrath, A Burke, L Silke; D Burke, R Steede; G Sice, M Lundy, D Wall; M Farragher, G Higgins, I Burke.

Subs: C Cunningham for Comer (7), A O’Donovan for D Burke (47), J Canney for Farragher (47), P Kelly for Fitzgerald (50), B O’Donovan for Wall (50), A Lawless for C Silke (51).

AUGHAWILLAN: C Maguire; D McGovern, Michael Quinn, G McGovern; M Beirne, N Plunkett, S Quinn; S Fox, S Flanagan; R McTague, M Plunkett, P Dolan; C Gilheany, G Plunkett, M Quinn.

Subs: S Gilheany for Beirne (38), R Creamer for N Plunkett (48), K McTague for Morgan Quinn (51), F McTague for Dolan (56), G Deane for G Plunkett (56).

Referee: J Henry (Mayo).