As It Happened: St Vincent's v Corofin, All-Ireland senior club football semi-final

Afternoon and welcome along to a Super Saturday of GAA action. Later on we’ll be focusing on the start of the Allianz hurling league with the big showdowns in Cork and Limerick but for the afternoon, it’s the AIB All-Ireland club football championships that take centre stage.

We’re following all the action from O’Connor Park in Tullamore as Dublin’s St Vincent’s take on Galway’s Corofin in the first of the senior semi-finals.

Both teams have landed at O’Connor Park.

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Corofin’s route to this juncture has been impressive.

• Last October, they picked up another Galway county senior title with a 5-12 to 0-9 win over St Michael’s. Michael Lundy hit two goals in that game while Gary Sice, Michael Farragher and Joe Canney all raised one green flag apiece.
• Then in the Connacht semi-final, Corofin hammered Leitrim’s Aughawilan by 7-20 to 0-6 with Lundy bagging a hat-trick, Martin Farragher netting a brace while Canney and Ian Burke scored a goal apiece.
• In the Connacht final, Corofin saw off Mayo’s Ballintubber by 2-13 to 1-7 with Sice and Burke raising the green flags in Castlebar.
  
• And then before Christmas, Corofin were victors over Tar Chonaill Gaels in Ruislip.

Two St Vincent’s changes with Cameron Diamond in for the concussed Kevin Bonnie while Cormac Diamond is in for ankle injury victim Daithi Murphy.

And here’s how St Vincent’s got to this stage:

• In the Dublin county final, St Vincent’s ran out 0-14 to 1-10 victors over St Oliver Plunkett’s-Eoghan Ruadh.
• Then in the Leinster quarter-final, they ran out 3-11 to 0-10 winners against Portlaoise with Shane Carthy scoring two goals and Mossy Quinn striking one.
• In the Leinster semi-final, St Vincent’s defeated Garrycastle by 3-9 to 1-10 with Quinn firing home two goals and Carthy notching another.
• And in the Leinster final, St Vincent’s got over Rhode by 1-13 to 0-6 with Quinn hitting the only goal of the game.

Here’s the Corofin team that starts today:

1. Thomas Healy

2. Ciaran McGrath
3. Kieran Fitzgerald
4. Cathal Silke

5. Greg Higgins
6. Alan Burke
7. Liam Silke

8. Daithi Burke
9. Ronan Steede

10. Gary Sice
11. Mike Farragher
12. Gary Delaney

13. Martin Farragher
14. Micheál Lundy
15. Ian Burke

And here’s the St Vincent’s team selected today:

1. Michael Savage

18. Cameron Diamond
3. Jarlath Curley
4. Hugh Gill

5. Brendan Egan
6. Ger Brennan
7. Mick Concarr

8. Eamon Fennell
22. Cormac Diamond

10. Gavin Burke
11. Diarmuid Connolly
12. Shane Carthy

13. Ruairi Treanor
14. Ciaran Dorney
15. Mossy Quinn

Early scoring chance for Corofin but Lundy’s shot is weak and the ball rolls wide. Looks like Liam Silke is detailed to follow Diarmuid Connolly for the afternoon.

Corofin 0-1 St Vincent’s 0-0
Lundy shows the threat he poses with an incisive run and when he’s brought down by Eamon Fennell, a free is awarded that Sice taps over from 20 yards out for Corofin.

Corofin 0-1 St Vincent’s 0-1
And we’re level. Connolly is surrounded by Corofin defenders but he wriggles clear and taps a left-footed pass into space for Ruairi Treanor who has the time to pick off his point.

St Vincent’s 0-2 Corofin 0-2
Yep, that’s why Corofin need to watch Connolly today. He dummies off his left and arcs over a point with his right foot to send St Vincent’s in front. But Corofin quickly reply through a nice point from Lundy. Lively opening to the game.

Hard to argue with this:

Corofin close to the first goal of the game as Ian Burke and Daithi Burke do the spade work but Martin Farragher’s first-time shot on the ground is bravely blocked by Michael Savage.

Corofin 0-4 St Vincent’s 0-3
The teams are very evenly-matched so far. Sice converts a free after Lundy was fouled, Alan Burke hits the post with a long-range shot for Corofin and Vincent’s counter-attack with Michael Concarr’s lung-bursting run culminating in him offloading to Trainor who points. Then Ian Burke skips clear and fists Corofin into the lead.

Corofin 0-5 St Vincent’s 0-3
Life is getting better for Corofin as they pressure Vincent’s checkout and win the ball before Martin Farragher pops over a point.

Corofin 0-5 St Vincent’s 0-4
Then Vincent’s hit back with Ciaran Dorney pointing.

Corofin 0-6 St Vincent’s 0-4
It’s a point for Ian Burke it could have been so much more. He was fed by a brilliant angled delivery and escaped the clutches of Hugh Gill before blasting the ball over the bar when a goal was on.

Corofin 0-7 St Vincent’s 0-4
Brilliant kick passing by Corofin up the field and Burke offloads to Lundy who kicks a classy point. The Galway side really impressing so far.

Corofin 0-7 St Vincent’s 0-5
St Vincent’s staying in touch, Shane Carthy notches a lovely point.

Donall Farmer / INPHO Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO

Corofin hit the bar from a penalty and then St Vincent’s are awarded one at the other end!

Gary Delaney missed the penalty for Corofin, hammering a shot after the bar after Michael Lundy was fouled.

Mossy Quinn finds the net for St Vincent’s!

St Vincent’s 1-5 Corofin 0-7
Big spell in the game there as Vincent’s convert their penalty moments after Corofin missed theirs.

St Vincent’s 1-6 Corofin 0-7
The game has swung in St Vincent’s direction, Brendan Egan bounding forward to crash over a point that puts them two ahead.

Corofin 1-7 St Vincent’s 1-6
Corofin back in front, Martin Farragher finds the net after a great break by Michael Lundy.

Half-Time: Corofin 1-8 St Vincent’s 1-6

Cracking first-half of action and Corofin are really putting it up to the champions St Vincent’s. Michael Lundy the star of the show so far.

Donall Farmer / INPHO Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO

Plenty people impressed with the fare served up in that first-half:

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Right we’re back for the second-half from Tullamore.

Corofin 1-10 St Vincent’s 1-6
There’s no let-up in the quality of Corofin’s attacking play. They’re spraying the ball around the pitch and firing in fast deliveries to their attack. That’s allowed Lundy and Burke to profit by bagging a point apiece.

Big controversy there, St Vincent’s were furious as it looked like a Corofin player touched the ball on the ground near the Corofin goal line.

Corofin 1-11 St Vincent’s 1-6
Ian Burke taps over a free after he was fouled himself.

That definitely looked like the ball was fouled by the Corofin defender, major escape for them.

The criticism of that decision is piling in.

Corofin 1-11 St Vincent’s 1-7
The champions are still trying to chip away at the deficit as Connolly picks off a point.

St Vincent’s subs:
23. Tiernan Diamond for Cormac Diamond (36)
24. Greg Murphy for Dorney (40)

Corofin 1-11 St Vincent’s 1-8
Another point for Vincent’s as Connolly taps over a free.

Corofin 1-11 St Vincent’s 1-9
Mossy Quinn floats over a free, that’s three-in-a-row for St Vincent’s and they’re right back in this game.

Corofin 1-12 St Vincent’s 1-9
Corofin end their scoring drought and it comes from Ian Burke blasting the ball over the bar after Hugh Gill drops a high delivery in.

Corofin's Ian Burke in action. Donall Farmer / INPHO Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO

Corofin 1-13 St Vincent’s 1-9
Is that the insurance point? Sice taps over a free after Lundy was fouled.

Corofin 1-14 St Vincent’s 1-9
Cracking point by Martin Farragher and Corofin are gone five clear now.

This has been an exceptional display by Corofin. They got a major stroke of luck in the second-half in not giving away a penalty but overall they’ve been the better team.

Full-Time: Corofin 1-14 St Vincent’s 1-9

That was a really splendid game of Gaelic football. Corofin got lucky with that second-half penalty call but overall they were the better team. Michael Lundy deservedly got man-of-the-match award and Ian Burke couldn’t have been far behind him.

Standard of football was excellent today with some really great kick passing from both sides.

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That’s all from our coverage of the first AIB All-Ireland senior club football semi-final. We’ll be back later with Allianz hurling league coverage and tomorrow we’re in Portlaoise for the meeting of Austin Stacks and Slaughtneil in the second semi-final.