Galway SFC: Annaghdown secure Corofin rematch as Championship down to last four
Damien Comer’s Annaghdown will aim to halt Corofin’s bid for six successive Galway SFC titles when they face off in the semi-finals again.
It’s a repeat of last year’s final four clash where super-sub Justin Burke helped the reigning All-Ireland champions survive a major scare, with a 0-11 to 1-7 win.
Corofin went on to claim county, provincial and All-Ireland glory, and they secured another county semi-final spot with a 2-10 to 1-6 win over Caherlistrane yesterday.
Gary Sice scored goals either side of half-time, where the teams were level 1-3 to 1-3, before Corofin took over in the third quarter and powered to victory.
Caherlistrane full-forward Oisin O’Brien scored their first-half goal in the 23rd minute but four minutes later Sice scored.
Michael Farragher, Kieran Fitzgerald, and Daithí Burke were all introduced. But it was the former Galway forward who scored a stunning second goal 15 minutes into the second half. That ended a 1-4 blitz from Corofin.
Annaghdown were similarly impressive in their 2-15 to 2-9 win against St James’ at Pearse Stadium in Salthill on Saturday.
Galway panellist Frankie Burke scored 1-5 while county captain Comer hit four points to lead the 2001 winners over the line.
Burke and Comer scored seven points between them in the first half and Annaghdown took a 0-8 to 0-3 lead into the break.
Darragh Meehan was sent off for Annaghdown on the resumption after getting a black card following an earlier yellow.
But Annaghdown pushed for victory with Ciaran Potter on target first before Burke put the game beyond doubt.
Ex-Galway forward Eoin Concannon scored a goal for St James’ but the city side couldn’t cope with the likes of Comer.
Both of the other quarter-finals went to extra-time with Salthill-Knocknacarra and Milltown finishing level, 1-9 to 0-12.
The gale-force wind played havoc and Salthill-Knocknacarra didn’t score until the 46th minute .
Milltown started against the breeze and had Brendan Molloy sent off early on, but somehow they led by 0-3 to 0-0 at half-time at which stage a melee broke out as the players left the field.
Barry Kelly finally found the range for Salthill-Knocknacarra after the interval but they still trailed by five points 19 minutes into the second half.
Robert Butler was their hero and his 55th-minute goal and late point sent the game into extra-time.
It finished 1-5 to 0-8 before there was further drama late on with Sean Armstrong levelling proceedings and Rob Finnerty hitting the Milltown crossbar in the last play.
The winners of that replay will face Mountbellew-Moylough in the semi-finals, after they defeated Moycullen, 1-13 to 1-12, at Pearse Stadium on Saturday.
Paul Donnellan and Sean Kelly traded first-half goals and Mountbellew-Moylough held a narrow 1-5 to 1-4 lead at the interval.
Three late Peter Cooke points forced the game into extra-time. But Leo Donnellan secured victory for Mountbellew-Moylough deep in extra-time.
