Classy Corofin edging closer to club football immortality

COROFIN showed their vast experience to overcome a physically tough Pádraig Pearses side to win their fourth Connacht title in-a-row at Tuam Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

It was also a day when Liam Silke gave a performance for the ages. The county player is everything you want in a modern day corner-back. Not only is he magnificent defensively, but he gives his opponents plenty to think about with his output offensively. Silke finished the Galway SFC with a tally of 3-4, and has hit back-to-back goals against Ballintubber and now Pádraig Pearses in Connacht.

Silke’s goal perfectly encapsulates Corofin’s brand of football. In the 42nd minute, the sides were neck-and-neck at 0-6 apiece, as Pádraig Pearses landed consecutive scores from brothers Ronan and Niall Daly. The Roscommon champions had their tails up and it looked like they were going to take stranglehold of the final.

However, Corofin showed their famed ruthlessness. The attack started with Silke, he passed the ball to Jason Leonard on the ’45 – he floated it over the top to Ian Burke, who laid it off to an onrushing Silke, and he buried it into the net.

Silke could easily have got in for a goal in the first half as well. Liam’s brother, Cathal, ran onto a wayward pass from Emmett Kelly, laid the ball off to Ian Burke, who put Liam in the clear. As Silke was bearing down on goal, Niall Carty cynically hauled him down to the ground and received a black card.

Silke was also influential on the defensive end, as he made some vital interceptions. One sticks out in particular – in the 49th minute, Pádraig Pearses were in search of a goal as the scoreline read 1-8 to 0-6. Conor Payne cut along the right end-line and tried to pass the ball to Paul Carey, but Silke read it brilliantly, intercepted and was fouled by Payne after.

In the days leading up the match, one of the main talking points was Pádraig Pearses’ physicality. In their Roscommon SFC semi-final against Boyle, they received nine yellow cards in the opening half and finished the game with 12 men.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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