Corofin 0-11
Tuam Stars 0-8

Daragh Small reports from Tuam Stadium

COROFIN HAVE WON their seventh Galway SFC title in-a-row after a second-half comeback denied Tuam Stars at St Jarlath’s Park.

Kieran Molloy’s point sealed the historic win as the reigning All-Ireland champions defeated their near neighbours Tuam Stars after this exciting replay.

The challengers should have won the previous game but two Gary Sice frees deep in added-time forced a replay. And there was no shock this time around.

Corofin almost blitzed Tuam early but they didn’t convert the chances that came their way and were trailing at the break. Kevin O’Brien’s men registered six wides in that first half and the more efficient Tuam were 0-5 to 0-4 ahead.

The rain started to fall an hour before throw-in and despite playing against the breeze in the first half, the reigning champions struck first.

Jason Leonard landed a point after 19 seconds and he doubled his tally in the fifth minute. Kieran Molloy had sent an earlier goal chance wide and that set the tone while Tuam grew in confidence.

It wasn’t all heart either, Tuam were brilliant when they attacked, and they scored three unanswered points between the seventh and 12th minutes to take the lead.

Jamie Murphy tapped over a free with Gary O’Donnell bursting forward down the right wing to tag on another, and then Brian Mannion got his first point.

Sice hit back with a free but Daragh O’Rourke replied and the Tuam faithful started to believe. Daithí Burke and Sice combined for Michael Farragher’s first score but that lead was cancelled out by Brian Mannion.

Tuam’s fifth point came in the 17th minute and that was the last of the half while Jason Leonard missed a 45 and a free. Sice also misfired and his team went in trailing by the minimum.

The teams traded wides on the resumption but Murphy scored, five minutes in, and then Martin Farragher did likewise for Corofin.

A goal would have been crucial either way but Dylan McHugh hit the crossbar for Corofin before Leonard levelled the scores from the rebound in the 38th minute.

Tuam had to respond and Ben O’Connell scored an inspirational point but Sice tied it up again.

And it was Sice who regained the lead for Corofin in the 49th minute, while Ronan Steede’s massive point put daylight between the sides.

Martin Farragher put Corofin a goal clear with five minutes of normal time remaining, and Molloy finished off a triumphant victory for the champions.

Scorers for Corofin: Jason Leonard 0-3 (0-1f), Gary Sice 0-3 (0-3f), Martin Farragher 0-2, Michael Farragher 0-1, Ronan Steede 0-1, Kieran Molloy 0-1

Scorers for Tuam Stars: Jamie Murphy 0-3 (0-2f), Brian Mannion 0-2 (0-1f), Gary O’Donnell 0-1, Daragh O’Rourke 0-1, Ben O’Connell 0-1

Corofin

1 Bernard Power

11 Dylan Wall
2 Ross Mahon
3 Kieran Fitzgerald

30 Daithí Burke
6 Dylan McHugh
4 Liam Silke

8 Kieran Molloy
9 Ronan Steede

15 Micheal Lundy
26 Michael Farragher
12 Jason Leonard

10 Gary Sice
14 Martin Farragher
13 Ian Burke

Substitutes:

21 Darragh Silke for Lundy (42)
18 Gavin Burke for Mahon (54)
7 Conor Cunningham for Burke (62)
23 Dylan Canney for Martin Farragher (63).

Tuam Stars

1 Jonathan Trayers

17 Rory O’Connor
4 Brian O’Donnell
2 Brendan Mashengele

10 Gary O’Donnell
3 Aonghus Tierney
19 Daragh O’Rourke

8 Conor Rhatigan
9 Paul Collins

5 Noel Henry
18 Jamie Murphy
11 Seamus Kelly

13 Brian Mannion
14 Michael Mannion
6 Ben O’Connell

Substitutes:
15 Gavan Connell for Michael Mannion (45)
22 Cormac McWalter for Henry (54)
7 Alan O’Connell for Mashengele (60).

Referee: Noel Dempsey.

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