0-4 for Sice and 3 sent-off as All-Ireland winners Corofin complete county 6-in-a-row in Galway

Updated at 19.58

Corofin 1-8
Mountbellew-Moylough 0-5

Declan Rooney reports from Pearse Stadium

MOUNTBELLEW-MOYLOUGH FRUSTRATED the life out of Corofin again, but the champions still managed to claim their sixth Galway senior football crown in a row thanks to four points from Gary Sice.

Corofin’s Dylan Wall and Jason Leonard celebrate after the game.

Source: Lorraine O’Sullivan/INPHO

This was another dour affair with scoring scarce, but Sice and Corofin now go on to face Clann na nGael in the Connacht semi-final next weekend.

Noel McDonagh was sent off for Mountbellew/Moylough with two minutes remaining, while Kieran Fitzgerald – who won a record 13th Galway medal – and Barry McHugh both picked up second yellow cards in the closing stages, and Michael Daly also received his marching orders in added-time after he earned yellow and black cards.

Corofin’s Kieran Fitzgerald and Barry McHugh of Mountbellew-Moylough after being sent-off.

Source: Lorraine O’Sullivan/INPHO

Like last week’s game, which finished in 0-7 each, Mountbellew/Moylough set out with a very tight defensive shape, designed to frustrate Corofin and to keep their scoring chances to a minimum.

Their plan got off to a great start when Michael Daly pointed from distance in the first minute, but two minutes later Corofin hit the net when Liam Silke and Dylan Wall linked up and Wall beat Damien Boyle with a crisp shot.

Michael Daly showed he was able to repeat his earlier achievement with a brilliant score from the right to trim the lead, but Mountbellew-Moylough should have pulled clear after nine minutes when Ger Donoghue crept in behind the Corofin cover, but his shot came back off the post.

It seemed as if Corofin had finally figured out how to cope with Mountbellew-Moylough’s tactics when they reeled off four points without reply, although Michael Farragher’s point could have been a goal, only for a good recovery from Damien Boyle to tip his effort over the bar.

A fight breaks out in the clash at Pearse Stadium.

Source: Lorraine O’Sullivan/INPHO

A Barry McHugh free kept Mountbellew-Moylough in touch, and they pulled off a great counter attack score when they turned over Corofin, who seemed to have held the ball untouched for three minutes, and Eoin Finnerty supplied the finishing touch to the move to make it 1-4 to 0-4 at the break.

McHugh had the chance to put two points between the sides but his free from outside the 45 metre line sailed wide, in the only action of note in the ten minutes after the restart, but Sice instead added to Corofin’s lead with a 42nd minute free.

Faced with a double scores deficit Mountbellew-Moylough had to be a little more adventurous and Paul Donnellan was denied a goal by a smart Dylan McHugh block, and when the resultant ’45 from McHugh was kicked wide their chances of victory went with it.

Corofin’s Kieran Fitzgerald and Cathal Silke tackle Mountbellew’s Barry McHugh.

Source: Lorraine O’Sullivan/INPHO

Scorers for Corofin: Gary Sice 0-4 (3f), Dylan Wall 1-0, Michael Farragher, Liam Silke, Ronan Steede, Colin Brady 0-1 each.

Scorers for Mountbellew-Moylough: Michael Daly, Eoin Finnerty 0-2 each, Barry McHugh 0-1 (0-1f).

Corofin

1. Bernard Power

4. Liam Silke
3. Kieran Fitzgerald
2. Cathal Silke

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5. Kieran Molloy
6. Dylan McHugh
7. Dylan Wall

20. Daithi Burke
9. Ronan Steede

12. Jason Leonard
15. Micheál Lundy (captain)
17. Colin Brady

10. Gary Sice
11. Michael Farragher
13. Martin Farragher

Subs

21. Conor Cunningham for C Silke (49)
18. Dylan Canney for Martin Farragher (57)
8. Ciaran Brady for D Burke (64)
19. Darragh Silke for Leonard (64)
22. Barry O’Donovan for Molloy (65)

Mountbellew-Moylough

1. Damien Boyle

2. Mark Mannion
17. Ger Donoghue
22. Gary Sweeney

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7. Paul Donnellan
5. Noel McDonagh
6. John Daly

8. Michael Daly
9. Matthew Barrett

10. Stephen Boyle
4. Colin Murray
14. Eoin Finnerty

18. Colm Mannion
11. Barry McHugh
13. Andy Barrett

Subs

12. Leo Donnellan for A Barrett (half-time)
15. Colin Ryan for C Mannion (48)
13. Andy Barrett for S Boyle (54)
20. Billy Mannion for L Donnellan (65)

Referee: Tomas O Flatharta (Galway).

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