Corofin return to London for refixture against Exiles
IT’S ‘take two’ this Sunday in London as Corofin make the trip across the water for an All-Ireland club football quarter-final clash with Fulham Irish – for the second time in a month.
Now officially the most successful football club in Connacht, Corofin goes in search of a third All-Ireland title in 2018 beginning with a return journey to Ruislip following the postponement of this fixture in mid-December due to a frozen pitch which was unplayable.
The squad flies out from Shannon to Heathrow on Saturday evening, returning Sunday after the game, which has an earlier throw-in (1pm) to facilitate the travelling team and small band of die-hard supporters.
The North Galway club is counting the cost of the competition – the two trips over the Irish Sea will amount to €42,000, with just two thirds of that so far covered by GAA HQ.
But for the management and players, the focus is on Fulham Irish and qualifying to face Moorfield of Kildare in the penultimate stage of the All-Ireland in February.
Corofin returned to the training ground on New Year’s Day again this year but the postponed game meant that the squad had two weeks more training in the gym and on the field this December, compared with previous seasons when they had the luxury of a longer Christmas break.
It is over six weeks since the five-in-a-row Galway champs saw off Castlebar Mitchels after extra time in the provincial final, but manager Kevin O’Brien will have his charges well primed, and will be hoping they carry that form into the All-Ireland series.
“It’s a game that we’re very much looking forward to. It’s an All-Ireland quarter-final, it’s championship, albeit in January, and the prize at the end of it is an All-Ireland semi-final.
“It’s a bit different travelling to London, but it’s not that long a flight and at this level you just have to be totally focused. They are a very good side. They have players who would have represented their county at U18 and U21 and they even have a couple of All-Ireland medals thrown in at senior level as well, so they have the players.
A lot of club teams and even county teams have gone over to London and had lucky escapes in the past few seasons, so we’re very mindful that our mindset has to be right and it’s no easy task,” said O’Brien.
Ten players who started in November’s provincial final success over Castlebar Mitchels – sealing a record-making eighth Connacht club title – lined-out against Tir Chonaill Gaels in this fixture in 2014.
Full preview in this week's Connacht Tribune.