IT’S THE BIGGEST day in the club calendar as Corofin of Galway and Slaughtneil of Derry took centre-stage for the AIB All-Ireland senior club football final.
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Good afternoon and welcome to Croke Park for the second of this afternoon’s All-Ireland club senior finals. Ballyhale Shamrocks have already won the hurling decider — but will it be Corofin or Slaughtneil joining them in celebration this evening?
Team news: Here’s how Corofin will line out.
1. Tom 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. Michael Farragher
12. Gary Delaney
13. Martin Farragher
14. Micheal Lundy
15. Ian Burke
Team news: And here’s the Slaughtneill XV.
1. Antoin McMullan
2. Francis McEldowney
3. Brendan Rodgers
4. Karl McKaigue
5. Conan Cassidy
6. Chrissy McKaigue
7. Barry McGuigan
8. Patsy Bradley
9. Paudie McGuigan
10. Padraig Kelly
11. Christopher Bradley
12. Ronan Bradley
13. Gerald Bradley
14. Paul Bradley
15. Cormac O’Doherty
Corofin dethroned All-Ireland champions St Vincent’s in the semis and the bookies make them four-point favourites to win a second club championship. Will they have it that easy against a Slaughtneil side that beat Austin Stacks on their way to today’s decider?
We’ve had the national anthem and we’re just about ready to go here. David Coldrick is our referee.
Slaughtneil attacking the Hill 16 end in this first half.
Slaughtneil 0-1 Corofin 0-0: Christopher Bradley booms over a free for the opening score.
Slaughtneil have definitely started the brighter here and they’ve a penalty shout waved away by David Coldrick. Paul Bradley was bundled off the ball by Greg Higgins as he went to shoot but we play on.
On watching the replay again, contact looked to be fairly minimal from the Corofin wing-back.
Six minutes in and Corofin’s best effort was an early shot dropped short into Antoin McMullan. This is unlikely to be the one-way traffic the bookies expected.
Pádraig Kelly drops one wide for Slaughtneil.
Corofin 0-1 Slaughtneil 0-1: Great determination from Gary Sice who beats Slaughtneil captain Francis McEldowney to the ball, turns and points. All square.
Slaughtneil 0-2 Corofin 0-1: Not for long — and that’s a marvellous score from Chrissy McKaigue, marauding forward from centre-back.
McEldowney does well to disrupt the Corofin attack without giving away a free, dispossessing Martin Farragher.
Corofin 0-2 Slaughtneil 0-2: Powerful running by Micheál Lundy who barrels past two Slaughtneil defenders before pointing.
Corofin 0-3 Slaughtneil 0-2: Lundy again! Slaughtneil really need to get to grips with him.
Corofin 0-4 Slaughtneil 0-2: And a third for Lundy in as many minutes. Daithi Burke’s shot is saved by McMullan but Lundy is on hand to point the rebound.
GOAL FOR COROFIN! Corofin 1-4 Slaughtneil 0-2 Corofin well on top now and they strike for the game’s opening goal. Gary Sice squares for Martin Farragher and he makes no mistake.
Corofin 1-5 Slaughtneil 0-2: The Slaughtneil jerseys swarm around Corofin but they keep their head with some patient play. Gary Sice eventually finds captain Michael Farragher in space and he points.
Corofin 1-6 Slaughtneill 0-2: Gary Sice points a free and Corofin lead by seven now.
Corofin 1-6 Slaughtneil 0-3: That’s Slaughtneil’s first score in 16 minutes — Gerald Bradley points from the right.
Chance for Ronan Bradley to get Slaughtneil a little bit closer but he drags his point attempt across the face of Tom Healy’s goal and wide.
Corofin 1-7 Slaughtneil 0-3: Wonderful play by Lundy to protect the ball and hold up play until Gary Delaney joins him in attack. Simple finish for Delaney.
Corofin 1-8 Slaughtneil 0-3: Liam Silke booms over a free.
CHANCE! Corofin could be even further in front — Gary Delaney plays in Martin Farragher at the back post but he shoots straight at McMullan. Silke misses the resulting 45 well to the right.
Corofin 1-8 Slaughtneil 0-3
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Back in five.
We’re back underway. Can Slaughtneil do anything to turn the tide?
Corofin 1-8 Slaughtneil 0-4: That’s a start anyway — Pádraig Kelly points a free for the Derry men.
Chrissy McKaigue tries his luck from distance but it drops short in to Healy’s arms.
Lundy goes down holding face after a collision with Brendan Rodgers. I think he’ll be alright though.
Corofin 1-9 Slaughtneil 0-4: Sice points the resulting free.
Francis McEldowney has a tug on Micheál Lundy’s arm as he looks to go by him, and gets a yellow card for his troubles.
Corofin 1-10 Slaughtneil 0-4: Sice takes the free short to Ronan Steede, who points. Smart play from Corofin.
Corofin 1-10 Slaughtneil 0-5: Gerald Bradley gets one back for Slaughtneil but it’s immediately cancelled out by Ian Burke at the other end.
Michael Farragher didn’t quite go shoulder-to-shoulder with Patsy Bradley — more shoulder-to-back — and he’s booked.
Bad wide for Slaughtneil’s Conan Cassidy. They can’t afford to let easy scores like that slip.
Triple Slaughtneil sub: Paul McNeill, Se McGuigan and Padraig Cassidy on for Conan Cassidy, Padraig Kelly and Ronan Bradley.
Christopher Bradley tries to put his 45 right on Tom Healy’s crossbar but it’s palmed away by the Corofin keeper.
Corofin 1-11 Slaughtneil 0-6: It looks like Slaughtneil are going to try to work a goal chance but Gerald Bradley eventually puts his hand up, takes responsibility and points.
Just over 10 minutes left to play here in Croke Park and Corofin still lead by eight, as they did at the break. Is it all over for Slaughtneil?
Corofin sub: Dylan Wall on for the goalscorer Martin Farragher.
Double Slaughtneil sub: Shane Kelly and Fergal McEldowney on for Paudie McGuigan and Christopher Bradley.
Corofin 1-12 Slaughtneil 0-6: Sice free.
Corofin 1-12 Slaughtneil 0-7: Paul Bradley responds with a free of his own, but the Derry men aren’t getting any closer.
Corofin 1-13 Slaughtneil 0-7: Gary Sice buys the free from Barry McGuigan with a nice little jink back inside the wing-back. He dusts himself off and points it.
Triple Corofin sub: Ronan Steede replaced by Justin Burke, Michael Comer on for Cathal Silke, and Conor Cunningham for Greg Higgins.
Slaughtneil sub: Peadar Kearney on for Barry McGuigan.
Double Corofin sub: Kevin Murphy and Joe Canney on for Gary Delaney and Ian Burke.
Micheál Lundy is the man of the match.
Corofin 1-14 Slaughtneil 0-7: Sub Joe Canney points. Corofin are just about ready to get the party started.
One additional minute before Corofin are crowned champions…
PENALTY TO SLAUGHTNEIL! Cormac O’Doherty taken down by Tom Healy…
WIDE! O’Doherty puts it well right and wide. When it’s not your day…
Corofin 1-14 Slaughtneil 0-7
So that’s it! Corofin are comfortable 10-point winners and All-Ireland champions once again.
They were a different class today and played some beautiful football at times.
That’s all from us. Thanks for reading.
